Rachel Melville-Thomas MA ACP, Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist

Rachel is a Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist with 30 years of experience in the UK, USA, Switzerland and France and is a mother to two children. She qualified from the British Association of Psychotherapists and worked in the NHS for many years, in clinics and then at University College Hospital (UCH), London, helping children and their families understand and cope with illness, surgery and chronic disease.  During her time at UCH, she was involved in the training of paediatricians, nurses and radiology staff, helping to improve communication with their young patients, including creating a short film ‘A Child’s Eye View’ for the radiotherapy services.

She also has extensive experience in Child and Family Psychological Services, schools, special needs provision and in private practice, working with wide range of child and adolescent difficulties. These include anxiety, depression, psychosomatic and eating disorders, as well as children with learning difficulties. Rachel has a special interest in children's everyday worries that occur in normal life, and also works extensively with children with social communication difficulties and with all kinds of neurodivergent minds.

During her time in the USA, she qualified as a Movement Therapist at Hahnemann Medical University, Philadelphia, (M.A. Creative Arts in Therapy) which focused on using non-verbal and creative therapies in child and adult psychiatry. She was part of the innovative team at the Laban Centre London,(now Trinity Laban) extensively lecturing and supervising trainees, and helping to establish the first accredited Master’s degree course in Movement Psychotherapy in Europe in 1985. This course is now run as the MA in Dance Movement Psychotherapy at Goldsmith's College,University of London.

Rachel is an accomplished radio broadcaster for the BBC in the UK since 2001 and also had a popular weekly radio show 'Kids In Mind' on World Radio Switzerland for several years.Her unique approach of understanding the child whilst explaining which simple and practical ideas to try has helped and supported numerous parents and carers around the country.
On this subject, she contributed to the acclaimed book ‘Winnicott’s Children’ edited by Ann Horne and Monica Lanyado, on the influential British Paediatrician, and Psychoanalyst, Donald Winnicott, who broadcast regularly on the BBC from 1940s to the 1960s.
 Winnicott's Children

Rachel now works at the Student Support, and Parent Advisory Service at an Independent school in the UK,covering children from 4 to 18 years. She also gives seminars and consultations to parents working for corporates and NGOs in Europe. She is a Spokesperson for The Association of Child Psychotherapists, and provides regular input for radio, online and press advice on all matters of children and teens.