Gabriella Maceiras — Child & Adolescent Psychotherapist
Online Therapy for Children, Teenagers, Young Adults and Families
Pronouns: She/Her
✓ Over 20 years’ experience as a Clinical Specialist in NHS CAMHS
✓ Specialist Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist
✓ Registered with the British Psychoanalytic Council
✓ Experienced in teenage anxiety, low mood, trauma and self-harm
✓ Supports school difficulties, bullying and family separation
✓ Qualified in family therapy
✓ Works with children, teenagers, young adults and parents
How Gabriella Can Help
Gabriella Maceiras is an experienced Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist who provides online therapy for children, teenagers, young adults and families. She has worked in mental health for approximately 30 years, including more than 20 years as a Clinical Specialist within NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).
Gabriella supports young people experiencing anxiety, low mood, difficulties regulating emotions, low self-esteem, trauma, self-harm, bullying, school pressures and challenging family circumstances. She also works with parents who want to understand what a child or teenager may be communicating through their feelings or behaviour.
Adolescence can bring intense emotional, social and academic pressures. Friendship difficulties, bullying, exams, family changes, identity and uncertainty about the future can all affect a young person’s wellbeing. Gabriella offers a safe, consistent and non-judgemental relationship in which young people can begin to understand their experiences and express feelings that may be difficult to communicate elsewhere.
Her psychodynamic approach explores how past experiences and important relationships may be influencing the way a young person feels and behaves today. Gabriella adapts therapy to the age, personality and developmental needs of each child or teenager. For younger children, sessions may also involve play and creative activities.
Gabriella’s additional training in family therapy allows her to consider the wider family system. Depending on the young person’s needs, she may work individually with the child or teenager, involve parents at appropriate stages or offer family sessions.
Her aim is to help young people feel understood, develop greater emotional awareness, build resilience and find healthier ways to manage life’s challenges.
How Gabriella Can Help
Teenage Anxiety and Emotional Wellbeing
Anxiety and persistent worry
Social anxiety
Panic attacks
Separation anxiety
Low mood and depression
Low self-esteem
Loneliness and isolation
Perfectionism
Difficulties regulating emotions
Anger and challenging behaviour
School and Social Difficulties
School anxiety and school avoidance
Exam pressure
Bullying
Friendship difficulties
Performance anxiety
Problems adjusting to a new school
Academic stress
Feeling overwhelmed by expectations
Trauma and Difficult Experiences
Childhood trauma
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Complex trauma
Bereavement and loss
Abuse
Family breakdown or separation
Adoption-related difficulties
Self-harm
Difficulties following distressing life events
Neurodivergence and Behaviour
ADHD
Autism
Impulsive behaviour
Emotional dysregulation
Behaviour that may be difficult for families to understand
Difficulties communicating feelings or needs
Family and Relationship Difficulties
Parent–child relationship difficulties
Family conflict
Separation and divorce
Blended-family difficulties
Attachment difficulties
Communication problems
Parenting concerns
Supporting a child through family change
Gabriella has significant experience supporting young people affected by self-harm and significant emotional distress. My Therapist Online is not an emergency or crisis service. If a young person is at immediate risk, please contact emergency services or an appropriate crisis-support service.
Therapeutic Approaches & Models
Child, Adolescent and Family Therapy
Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy
Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy
Psychodynamic Therapy
Family Therapy
Systemic Family Therapy
Structural Family Therapy
Additional Therapeutic Approaches
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Interpersonal Therapy
Person-Centred Therapy
Mindfulness
Solution-Focused Therapy
Couples Therapy
Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy
Systemic Couples Therapy
Gabriella works with:
Children (Under 10 years)
Adolescents (10 - 15 Years)
Adolescents (16 - 18 Years)
Young adults (Up to 21 years old)
Families of the above client groups, as necessary
Professional Training & Accreditations
Registered member of the British Psychoanalytic Council - BPC Registration number 25848
Over 20 years as a Clinical Specialist within Lambeth CAMHS, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Specialist experience working with children, teenagers, young adults and families
Member of the Tavistock Society of Psychotherapists
Master’s degree in Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy – Tavistock Centre
Postgraduate Diploma in Family Therapy – Institute of Psychiatry, Maudsley Hospital
Postgraduate Diploma in Psychodynamic Infant Observational Studies
Registered Mental Health Nurse - NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council) Registration Number is 87Y1490E
More than 30 years’ experience in mental health nursing and psychotherapy
Client Testimonials
Helping a Child Through Family Separation
“Gabriella saw our 11 year old son, who had begun struggling during the break up of my marriage. Gabriella built a therapy relationship with him, to enable him to trust her. She maintained a very professional role and kept us generally informed. She built up the trust, meeting him weekly for six months. We feel we have got our boy back from his troubles and cannot thank Gabriella enough. We can highly recommend her, she has an approach which our son found engaging and he was able to work through his fears and worries.” Sarah
Restoring Confidence After Bullying and School Stress
“Our 15 year old daughter was finding lots of things getting on top of her , particularly at school. She had been bullied and was feeling hopeless about forthcoming exams. We found the right therapist in Gabriella, who was able to use her experience and make a connection with our daughter. Our daughter now feels more in control of herself and has improved so much in both her mood and general outlook to life.We have to thank Gabriella for her professionalism and her ability to connect” Lisa
FAQs
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Gabriella works with children, teenagers and young adults up to the age of 21. She can also work with parents and families where this would support the child or young person’s therapy.
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Family therapy is a way of working with the whole family, rather than just one person. When a child or young person is struggling, it often affects — and is affected by — everyone around them. In family therapy, we come together to understand the patterns, pressures and communication difficulties within the family unit, and how each person experiences them. It's not about finding someone to blame; it's about helping the family understand each other better, so relationships can improve and everyone feels more able to support one another. Sessions may involve the whole family, or just parents, depending on what's most helpful.
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Psychodynamic therapy is based on the idea that our current feelings and behaviours are often shaped by past experiences — sometimes in ways we're not fully aware of. Rather than only managing symptoms, this approach explores what lies beneath them: early relationships, past events, and patterns that keep repeating. For children and young people, this might happen through talking, or through play and creativity. By making sense of these underlying experiences in a safe, trusting relationship with the therapist, difficult feelings become easier to understand and manage — and lasting change becomes possible.
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Gabriella supports teenagers experiencing anxiety, low mood, emotional regulation difficulties, low self-esteem, trauma, self-harm, bullying, school pressures, friendship problems and family change. She also works with neurodivergent young people, including those with ADHD or autism.
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Online therapy provides a regular, private space in which a young person can talk and explore their feelings from a familiar environment. Gabriella adapts sessions to the young person’s age and communication style. With younger children, this may include creative activities or play as well as talking.
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Parental involvement depends on the child’s age, needs and individual circumstances. Gabriella will discuss this clearly at the beginning of therapy. She may meet with parents separately, involve them at agreed stages or recommend family sessions where these would be helpful, while also respecting the young person’s need for a confidential therapeutic space.
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After completing the My Therapist Online registration by clicking the button “Start therapy with Gabriella”, you can have a free 15-minute introductory call with Gabriella. This gives you an opportunity to discuss the main concerns, ask questions and consider whether she feels like the right therapist for the child or young person.