Meet Charmaine
Integrative Relationship Therapist in
Tooting, Wimbledon, and
Online Across the UK
Hi, I'm Charmaine. I'm an integrative therapist specialising in relationships, relational trauma, and emotional wellbeing. Internal Family Systems (IFS) provides the foundation of my work, alongside attachment theory, psychodynamic therapy, and other evidence-based approaches. Every person is different, so I tailor therapy to your unique experiences, goals, and needs. You can read more about IFS here or you can get in touch and I can talk to you about how it can help in your specific sitatuion.
People often come to me because relationships feel confusing or painful, or because they notice the same emotional patterns repeating, even when they desperately want things to be different. You might find yourself overthinking, people-pleasing, shutting down, feeling emotionally overwhelmed, or struggling to understand why certain situations affect you so deeply. I work with adults seeking therapy for relational trauma and emotional distress who want more than coping strategies alone.
My style is warm, collaborative, and down-to-earth. I won't sit in silence or pretend to have all the answers, and I won't offer quick fixes either. Instead, we'll work together to understand what your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours might be communicating. Often, these responses developed for good reasons and once helped you cope, even if they're no longer serving you today.
I work in an LGBTQ+ affirmative way, creating a space where every part of you is welcome without assumptions or judgement.
Whether you’d prefer to meet in person in Tooting or Wimbledon, or online across the UK, you’re welcome to get in touch and see if we might be a good fit.
Charmaine Zahra MBACP,
BSc (Hons) Psychology, PgDip Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy, IFS Therapy.
My approach to therapy using IFS as a foundation
My approach is collaborative, gentle, and relational.
I probably won't offer you specific advice or tell you what you should do, as there’s no fixed agenda for how you should change or who you should become. Instead, I aim to meet you with respect and curiosity, and to work alongside you at a pace that feels manageable.
Therapy, for me, is not something that is done to you. It is something we create and explore together, making sense of what still feels unclear or doesn’t yet add up.
I pay attention not only to what you are thinking, but also to what you are feeling and noticing in your body. Over time, we begin to understand your emotional patterns in a fuller way, rather than only through words or ideas.
As your understanding grows, many people find they can respond to themselves with greater compassion and navigate relationships with more confidence and ease.
Understanding ourselves with compassion
A key part of my work is informed by Internal Family Systems therapy.
IFS understands that we are made up of different “parts” of ourselves. These parts often develop in response to life experiences, especially those that felt overwhelming, confusing, or emotionally painful.
Some parts may try to protect you by keeping you busy, alert, or in control. Others may shut things down when emotions feel too strong. Some may focus on keeping relationships safe, even at the expense of your own needs.
You might already have tried to ignore, push down, or even get rid of these parts. And if so, you might already have learnt that this works temporarily, until it doesn’t work anymore.
Rather than trying to get rid of these parts, we begin to understand them.
We approach them with curiosity and compassion, and we listen to what they might be trying to do for you. Often, these patterns made sense at some point in your life, even if they feel difficult today. The more we can learn about these parts the more I can understand what is needed in order to bring the changes you’re looking for.
What therapy can feel like over time
People often come to therapy feeling like they understand their patterns, but still feel caught in them.
Many of the thoughts, feelings, behaviours, and relationship patterns that cause distress today developed for a reason. At some point, they helped you cope with experiences that felt overwhelming or too much to manage. While they may no longer serve you in the present, they often continue because the part of you they were protecting still needs care and attention.
Rather than trying to get rid of these patterns, we work to understand why they developed and what they have been trying to protect. As we begin to process and heal those deeper experiences, the patterns often become less necessary. Instead of having to constantly manage or fight them, they can begin to soften naturally.
Clients often describe feeling:
Less overwhelmed
More able to understand their emotional responses
More aware of relationship patterns
Clearer about boundaries
Less stuck in repeating cycles
More able to pause and respond rather than react
For many people, there is a growing sense of freedom and space internally. Change doesn't come from forcing yourself to be different, but from understanding yourself deeply enough that old ways of coping no longer feel necessary.
I am Maltese-born, but London is my home, and I run a private practice from Wimbledon, Tooting and online.
In my free time I enjoy walking in nature, reading a good book or painting by numbers.
As part of my commitment to Continuous Professional Development I continue to undertake training in Internal Family Systems Therapy and other trauma-informed modalities.
I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), and I adhere to their code of ethics as well as the law governing the counselling field.