adjustment layer with curves

I suggest you make use of the Search bar on the Home Screen. 

Type in what you want to do with your photo and you will get a number of results applicable to your search.  Here I started to type brighten and many relevant results appeared:

Many of the results take you to HelpX articles that contain illustrated instructions. 

You should also look through the carousel of cards that appear under the Search box.  If you click on the links in the cards, many will take you to video tutorials.

And, finally, I would highly recommend that you look at the Guided Edits.  These give you step by step (and by the hand) instructions to enhance your photos.  Here is what is available in the basic tab:

I'm afraid you are driving a Ford, not a Ferrari. 

Elements doesn't have a Curves adjustment layer.  You need the full Photoshop for that. So be careful what tutorials you are looking at.

However, Elements does have a Curves tool. Go to Enhance>Adjust Color>Adjust Color Curves.  This is one of the tools that will help you adjust the lighting. But you can also try the Levels Adjustment tool which you have found under the Adjustment Layers.  There are also some cheap add-on programs that will give you a Curves Adjustment Layer in Elements. So, there are many different routes to get you where you want to go.