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Dr Elmie Janse van Rensburg
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Elmie is a clinical psychologist who believes therapy works best when it feels like a genuine, human conversation - grounded in evidence but shaped around each person’s life, culture, and goals. She is deeply passionate about supporting gender diverse and LGBTQIA+ clients, and takes a gender-affirming, strengths-based, and intersectional approach that recognises the challenges of navigating systems not built for everyone.
Advocacy for her clients’ rights and wellbeing is a core part of her work. She is especially interested in supporting autistic folk, ADHDers, people with PTSD or CPTSD. She also enjoys helping clients with insomnia, specific phobias, panic attacks, workplace stress, and major life transitions.
Having lived and worked across different cultures, Elmie has a particular interest in ‘third culture kids’ (children of immigrants) and people navigating cross-cultural identities, as well as those finding their way after leaving high-control or religious environments.
Her approach draws on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), and schema-informed work, always tailored to the individual. Elmie’s approach is warm, collaborative, and curious, and she works alongside her clients to build skills, insight, and confidence - helping them create meaningful change inside and outside of the therapy room.
Doctor of Philosophy (UWA)
Masters of Clinical Psychology (UWA)
Bachelor of Science (Psychology) with First Class Honours (ANU)
Bachelor of Arts (Spanish) (ANU)
AHPRA registration: PSY0002347410
AusPATH
Janse van Rensburg, E., Monaghan, C., Pasalich, D. (2025). Is Disengaged Parenting a Distinct and Insidious form of Emotional Neglact?. [Manuscript under review]
Janse van Rensburg, E., English, M.C., Lin, A., Milroy, H., Ohan, J. (2025). Parental Reflective Function as a Mechanism of Intergenerational Trauma. [Manuscript under review]
Wickens, Nicole & McGivern, Lisa & Belinelo, Patricia & Milroy, Helen & Martin, Lisa & Wood, Fiona & Bullman, Indijah & Janse van Rensburg, Elmie & Woolard, Alix. (2024). A wellbeing program to promote mental health in paediatric burn patients: Study protocol. PLOS ONE. 19. e0294237. 10.1371/journal.pone.0294237.
Janse van Rensburg, Elmie & Ohan, Jeneva & Wickens, Nicole & Milroy, Helen & Lin, Ashleigh. (2023). Expert survey: safer research with parent survivors of child maltreatment. Ethics & Behavior. 34. 10.1080/10508422.2023.2265519.
Woolard, Alix & Wickens, Nicole & McGivern, Lisa & Belinelo, Patricia & Martin, Lisa & Wood, Fiona & Janse van Rensburg, Elmie & Milroy, Helen. (2023). “I just get scared it’s going to happen again”: a qualitative study of the psychosocial impact of pediatric burns from the child’s perspective. BMC Pediatrics. 23. 10.1186/s12887-023-04105-y.
Wickens, Nicole & Janse van Rensburg, Elmie & Belinelo, Patricia & Milroy, Helen & Martin, Lisa & Wood, Fiona & Woolard, Alix. (2023). “It’s a big trauma for the family”: A qualitative insight into the psychological trauma of paediatric burns from the perspective of mothers. Burns. 50. 10.1016/j.burns.2023.06.014.
Gilbey, Dylan & Brealey, Georgia & Mateo‐Arriero, Irene & Waters, Zoe & Ansell, Megan & Janse van Rensburg, Elmie & Belinelo, Patricia & Milroy, Helen & Pace, Giulia & Runions, Kevin & Salmin, Ivan & Woolard, Alix. (2023). The effectiveness of a day hospital mentalization‐based therapy programme for adolescents with borderline personality traits: Findings from Touchstone—Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy. 30. 1303-1312. 10.1002/cpp.2854.
Janse van Rensburg, E., Woolard, A., Hill, N., Reid, C., Milroy, H., Ohan, J., Lin, A. & Chamberlain, Catherine. (2023). The effect of childhood maltreatment on adult survivors' parental reflective function, and attachment of their children: A systematic review. Development and psychopathology. 36. 1-15. 10.1017/S0954579423000391.
Woolard, Alix & Wickens, Nicole & McGivern, Lisa & Belinelo, Patricia & Martin, Lisa & Wood, Fiona & Janse van Rensburg, Elmie & Milroy, Helen. (2023). “I just get scared it’s going to happen again”: A qualitative study of the psychosocial impact of pediatric burns from the child’s perspective. 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2482695/v1.
Hassall, Alison & Janse van Rensburg, Elmie & Trew, Sebastian & Hawes, David & Pasalich, Dave. (2021). Does Kinship vs. Foster Care Better Promote Connectedness? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review. 24. 10.1007/s10567-021-00352-6.