About me
Hello, I’m Elaine Hames, a Brazilian psychologist and psychotherapist based in London, with over 12 years of clinical experience and a specialisation in working with children and adolescents.
Throughout my career, I have become increasingly drawn to working with children and adolescents and to understanding the different ways they express what they are going through. Children are not always able to say that they feel anxious, frustrated or overwhelmed. Often, these feelings may show through their behaviour, at school, in their relationships, in their sleep, or in difficulties managing their emotions.
My work is about understanding what may be behind these difficulties and providing a space where children and adolescents can feel safe to express themselves, develop emotional skills and find new ways of coping with the challenges they face.
I also see parental involvement as an important part of the therapeutic process. When appropriate, therapy therefore includes parent guidance and opportunities to meet with the family, while always respecting the therapeutic space and the individual needs of each child or adolescent.
My Work with Children and Adolescents
Psychotherapy with children and adolescents needs to take into account each stage of development and, most importantly, the individual ways in which they communicate and express themselves.
With children, play, games, drawing and other therapeutic resources are an important part of the process. Through these activities, we can often explore emotions, experiences and difficulties that may still be hard for them to put into words.
With adolescents, the therapeutic space is built around respecting their autonomy and developing a trusting relationship where they can talk openly about their experiences, emotions and challenges without judgement.
Each therapeutic process is individualised and may also include conversations and guidance for parents, while always respecting the therapeutic space of the child or adolescent.
My Approach and Training
I graduated in Psychology from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Brazil, and completed postgraduate and specialist clinical training in Gestalt Therapy, as well as training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and EMDR. Drawing on these different approaches, I use therapeutic tools and strategies that are appropriate to each stage of the therapeutic process.
I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
When working with children and adolescents, this may include play-based therapeutic resources, psychoeducation, emotional regulation strategies, skills development, work with thoughts and behaviours and, when appropriate, interventions focused on processing difficult or traumatic experiences.
