Charlotte Allocca

Hello and a warm welcome to my therapy practice. I’m Charlotte a registered psychotherapist working full time with both individuals and couples.

Are you struggling with anxiety, depression, self-esteem, trauma, relationship difficulties, health concerns or challenging life transitions? If the past won't stay in the past and you are trying to make sense of painful emotions, difficult experiences or repeating patterns of behaviour then therapy provides a chance to reflect and develop new approaches. You may not even be able to put a name to your feelings but have a sense that something needs to change. 

The relationship we build is central to effective therapy and I offer a space where difficult things can be talked about freely and with understanding. My approach is warm and collaborative and we will work it all out together without judgement or pressure. 

More and more couples are turning to therapy for support in managing their relationship. I am a qualified and experienced couples therapist working with partners experiencing a wide range of difficulties including communication, recurring conflict, loss of trust, infidelity and problems with intimacy. Parenting pressures, major life transitions and uncertainty about whether to stay together also all show up in my room. 

You do not however need to wait until your relationship is in crisis to come to couples therapy. Plenty of couples come to avoid just that - perhaps before embarking on marriage or starting a family. 

I practise full time (remotely and face to face) at Magnolia Therapy Centre, 53A Clapham High Street, London SW4 7TG which is a lovely therapy centre in the heart of Clapham.  

See my website for a directory of blog posts which may relate directly to you. Cut and paste the below link into your browser to listen to a recent pod on imposter syndrome in the workplace. 

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/work-truths-off-the-record/id1851415949?i=1000767909691

I am an integrative therapist which means I draw on different therapeutic approaches rather than expecting every client to fit a specific model.

In couples therapy my role is not to take sides or tell you whether you should stay together. Instead I help you slow down what happens between you and understand the patterns that can leave both partners feeling criticised, rejected, defensive or exhausted. Therapy gives us an opportunity to explore your patterns and raw spots and start doing things differently. We work on communicating more safely, expressing the feelings and needs underneath conflict, rebuilding trust and connection and finding a toolbox of ways of relating differently outside the therapy room. 

With individual clients, I work in a similar way, drawing on psychodynamic, person-centred, compassion-focused, solution-focused and CBT approaches alongside mindfulness and emotional regulation techniques. We can be curious about how your past may be influencing your present while also developing practical ways of coping with what is happening in your life now in order to achieve change. 

Whether I am working with couples or individuals my role is to provide a place where my experience and passion meet your pain and together we are able to explore different ways for you to cope. Your role is to set the pace and decide what to explore from your past and present and your hopes for the future. You only ever need share what feels safe for you and we work at your pace.

I am also trained in Emotional Freedom Therapy (EFT or ‘tapping’) which is a trauma technique combining talking therapy with tapping on points on the upper body to reduce distress and promote emotional balance. 

I work with adults and couples over the age of 18 from all backgrounds, cultures, races, beliefs and identities. My couples work includes partners in relationships including romantic and non-romantic, same-sex and non-monogamous.

Starting therapy can feel daunting whether you are coming alone or with your partner and there is no expectation that you will arrive knowing what you want to say.

If you are coming for individual therapy our first session is an opportunity for us to begin getting to know one another and to explore what has brought you to therapy. I may ask about your history, important relationships and what you would like to be different but there is no pressure to tell me everything at once. We will work at a pace that feels manageable for you.

If you are coming for couples or relationship therapy our first session gives each of you in turn the space to tell me more about what has brought you to therapy and what you hope might change. 

Following our initial couples session I offer each partner an individual session. This gives me an opportunity to understand more about your individual stories and experiences and your families of origin before we continue working together. The therapy then belongs to the relationship: my role is to help you understand what is happening between you and find different ways of responding to one another.

Before you commit to a session with me I offer a free 15-20 minute telephone consultation to hear a bit more about what you are looking for in therapy, to ask me any questions you have and for you to see if you feel I am someone you could comfortably share with. We will talk through your goals for therapy and what to expect from our sessions. The most important thing is for you to feel I am someone you could share and feel safe with. With couples we usually do this short introductory call online so we can all be present. 

My final thought if you are wavering about taking this further and wondering if you really 'deserve' it... therapy is self-care and an investment in your future and not an indulgence.