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 parent of two children. 

QUALIFICATIONS

She qualified from the British Association of Psychotherapists and worked for many years at the 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 NHS 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 helping kids with everyday worries, and also works extensively with children with social communication problems, the "Systematic Thinkers" of the family.

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, extensively lecturing and supervising trainees, and helping to establish the first accredited Master’s degree course in Movement Therapy in Europe in 1985. This is now the MA Dance Movement Psychotherapy course 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 many years.

Her unique approach of understanding the child whilst offering simple and practical ideas to try has helped and supported numerous parents and carers around the world.

Having lived the experience of the international parent herself, and worked with countless families in transition, Rachel is keenly aware of the family stress involved in moving, changing and re-integrating into different cultures and communities.