About Elaine Hutchinson & Orca

I spent a long time working as a teacher before deciding to become a therapist and counsellor. I have worked in primary and secondary schools, in alternative provision and pupil referral units and with young offenders as well as in special education.

I specialised in working with children who have physical or behavioural additional needs and has worked extensively with children who are neuro-divergent or have emotional or mental health difficulties.

My more recent roles, before becoming a therapist, included working with looked after children, providing medical education and working within CAMHS.

I have worked with children and their families for over 30 years. I am a trauma-informed child and adolescent psychotherapist. If it is important to your family, I am a straight ally and I welcome everyone to my studio.

My practice is integrative and holistic. It is grounded in several other modalities and psychodynamic psychotherapy and is also informed by many other ways of working, meaning I have completed hours of training in these modalities and approaches, but they are not my main ways of working.

I am a creative clinical supervisor too. I offer creative supervision from my studio in Wells and offer 1:1 and group supervision for professionals and parents. I currently supervise and train other therapists and mental health practitioners both in the UK and internationally.

My background training is in:

• Play and Creative Arts Therapy
• Counselling for Children and Young People
• CATT (Children’s Accelerated Trauma Technique)
• MBT-C (Mentalization-Based Treatment for Children)
• PCAP (Parent-Child Attachment Play)
• TraumaPlay
• Filial Therapy (Gurney Model)
• SandStory Therapy
• NVR (Non-Violent Resistance)
• NDP (Neuro-Dramatic Play)
• Lego Serious Play
• AutPlay Therapy
• Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (as part of my Doctorate)

My client, parent and supervision practices are also informed by:

• Art Therapy
• IFS (Internal Family Systems)
• EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation
• AAPT (Animal Assisted Play Therapy)
• TA (Transactional Analysis)
• Gestalt Therapy
• EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique)
• EMDR ( Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprogramming)