Elaine L (Matthews) Finkelstein, BA, BA (Hons), MA, PhD, is a Clinical Psychologist and a Registered Practitioner Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), the regulatory body of professional, practicing psychologists in the United Kingdom. Elaine is also a Chartered Psychologist (CPsychol) with the British Psychological Society (BPS) as well as an Associate Fellow of this Society (AFBPsS)*.

Since her registration in 1981, Elaine has worked primarily in independent practice. During the 1980s, her professional focus revolved around stress and anxiety management. She established StressCare Services, and consulted to both individual and corporate clients. During this period, Elaine authored The StressCare Action Plan and produced a progressive relaxation audio programme. Over time, Elaine chose to narrow her focus to the field of thanatology (death and dying) and the stress, anxiety, emotional challenges, psychological needs and experiences associated with dying, death, loss, grief and bereavement.

By the late 1990s, Elaine was devoting her time almost exclusively to end of life. Elaine provides psychological care for those moving through their end-of-life journey, offers pre-bereavement support for their loved ones, gives therapeutic assistance to the bereaved during their grieving and healing process, and extends reassuring counselling to healthy individuals who experience fear and anxiety around their mortality.

Elaine researches non-ordinary experiences associated with the end of life, such as near-death experiences and end-of-life visions, under the umbrella of her foundation the Transformative End-of-Life Experiences Research Foundation (TELERF). She released a mini-book in 2014 titled, Near-Death Experiences. Inspirational insights into why death is nothing to fear. This book is based on her own findings, as well as those of renowned researchers in the field of near-death experiences, and has proven to be a valuable and reassuring, short and easy-to-read resource for those facing the end of life, the bereaved and those who fear death.

Dr Finkelstein brings limitless empathy, compassion and skill to bear in counselling patients who confront the prospect of death. She listens carefully, responds with wisdom, and knows what she is talking about. Her abilities owe much to an intensive understanding of the psychological demands such patients face, but they are enlarged by her studies in the realm of near-death experiences, which give her a holistic framework with which she can locate her advice and support (Martin B.)

Elaine is currently in the process of authoring Nothing to Fear. Dying, death and beyond^™® a comprehensive book in which she shares her professional experience in end-of-life care, death-anxiety management and end-of-life associated research and, in which, she offers a different perspective on death and dying. This perspective is reflected in her public presentations, conference papers and webinars.

Outside of her independent practice, Elaine has been a part-time lecturer in psychology at university level, undertaken voluntary remedial work with children through equine therapy, and given time to specific roles within the British Psychological Society (see below).

Memberships and registrations

Member, Scientific and Medical Network UK
Professional Affiliate, The Galileo Commission
Member, Society for Psychical Research UK
Member, International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS)
Member, Consciousness and Experiential Psychology Section (CEP), BPS
Committee Member, CEP, BPS, 2018 – 2020 (Honorary Secretary 2019 – 2020)
Member, BPS Research Board, CEP Representative, 2019 – 2020
Committee Member, CEP Annual Conference Planning Committee, 2019
Member, Transpersonal Psychology Section, BPS
Membership of the American Psychological Association

*Elaine’s registrations and memberships are in the name Elaine Finkelstein.