Psychotherapy with Caralisa

Psychotherapy & Counselling with me is a steady, professional therapeutic relationship where we work together to understand what is happening for you, make sense of your experiences, and gently change patterns that no longer serve you.

Counselling is usually shorter-term work, for difficult life events you may be struggling to overcome.

Psychotherapy is long-term work, and can last over 1-2 (±) years most often. Psychotherapy involves more complex issues such as emotionally, psychologically, physically, financially and/ or sexually traumatic events in your life. These painful and harmful events can be from childhood or adult life and often these periods of your life can be related.

This is a confidential space that is structured, consistent, and emotionally safe.
Nothing is forced or rushed, and we work at a pace that feels manageable, whether you tend to seek closeness, keep distance, or move between both.

What working with me can help with:

People come to counselling and psychotherapy for many different reasons.

Our work together may help you to:

• understand your thoughts, emotions, and reactions more clearly

• recognise how past experiences and relationships still influence the present

• reduce anxiety, low mood, shame, anger, or emotional numbness

• notice repeated patterns in relationships, attachment, or self-belief

• feel more grounded, emotionally regulated, and able to cope

The work we do together is not about advice-giving or fixing you.
It is thoughtful, relational psychotherapy grounded in psychological theory, attachment theory, and nervous-system understanding.

How I work

Creating safety that suits different attachment styles

Change only happens when the nervous system feels safe enough.

In our work together, I will:

• listen carefully and without judgement

• take your experiences seriously and consistently

• respect your boundaries, autonomy, and pace

• avoid pushing emotional intensity before safety is established

If you tend to feel anxious in relationships, I offer consistency and clarity.
If you tend to value independence or emotional distance, I respect space and choice.
If relationships have felt confusing or unsafe in the past, we prioritise containment and steadiness.

You remain in control of what you share and when.

Making sense of why things feel the way they do

Rather than focusing only on symptoms, psychotherapy with me focuses on meaning.

Together, we may explore:

• early relationships and attachment experiences

• trauma, neglect, or repeated emotional injuries

• coping strategies that once helped you survive

The aim is understanding, not blame.

As patterns begin to make sense, self-criticism often softens and a more compassionate, coherent understanding of yourself can emerge.

Gently noticing patterns — without judgement

We all develop patterns outside of conscious awareness, especially in relationships.

I may help you notice:

• recurring relationship or attachment dynamics

• moments where you become overwhelmed, withdrawn, or hyper-alert

• strong emotional reactions to particular situations or people

These observations are made collaboratively and carefully, never as criticism, and never with pressure to change before you’re ready.

Working with emotions in a contained, tolerable way

This work is not about emotional overwhelm or forced vulnerability.

I support you to:

• slow things down when emotions arise

• stay present rather than becoming flooded or shut down

• name feelings that may not have had space before

• tolerate emotion without needing to escape, suppress, or control it

You do not need to relive anything before a sense of safety is in place.

Supporting nervous-system regulation

Many difficulties are not personality flaws, they are nervous-system responses shaped by experience.

In psychotherapy with me, I help you to:

• recognise fight, flight, freeze, or shutdown patterns

• calm anxiety, tension, or hypervigilance

• gently come out of numbness or collapse

• feel more settled and regulated in your body

As your nervous system steadies, emotional clarity and choice tend to increase.

Supporting real, sustainable change

Insight alone is rarely enough.

Our work together also supports you to:

• respond rather than react

• set clearer emotional and relational boundaries

• tolerate discomfort without acting it out or withdrawing

• make choices that align more closely with who you are

Change happens gradually, through repeated experiences of safety, consistency, and awareness within the therapeutic relationship.

What the first few sessions with me are like:

The early sessions are about orientation, safety, and trust, not deep disclosure.

In the first few sessions, I will:

• get to know you as a person, not just a problem

• understand what has brought you to counselling or psychotherapy now

• listen for patterns, strengths, and pressures

• help establish a pace that feels right for you

You can expect:

• space to speak and feel freely

• no pressure to disclose more than feels safe

• time to decide whether this feels like the right therapeutic fit

Many people notice a sense of relief simply from being understood and not rushed.

How change happens in this work

Change happens because:

• you experience safety and consistency in a therapeutic relationship

• emotions are allowed without becoming overwhelming

• attachment patterns are understood rather than judged

• new ways of relating are practised over time

This leads to genuine psychological and nervous-system change, not just insight, but a different lived experience of yourself and others.

What this work is not

• Not advice or instruction
• Not emotional pressure
• Not forced vulnerability
• Not endlessly revisiting the past

In simple terms

Working with me helps you understand yourself more clearly, make sense of the past so that you are able to resolve what is stuck in a repeating pattern, feel safer in relationships and within yourself, and gradually change how you relate to others, at your own pace.

If it feels right for you, you can contact me to have a free 20 minute introductory call.

This is a chance to ask any questions you might have and get a sense of how it might feel for you, working together.

I look forward to hearing from you when you are ready.

Warmly,

Caralisa

As well online therapy, I offer Relationship Trauma Retreats across the globe. The retreats are luxury, in person, therapeutic escapes, in locations such as:

Luxury Villas in

Rural South America, Indonesia & Europe

Baronial Castles hidden in the Regal Highlands of Scotland

Stately Homes set in quintessential English Countryside of the Stunning Coastal Southern Counties

Retreats can be tailored to your own bespoke therapeutic needs, in a country of your choice.

These therapeutic escapes are a holistic, intentional immersion, chosen by you for deep relational and nervous system repair.

Each retreat is therapeutic escape from daily life of external duties and responsibilities to focus on your inner world.

I offer a choice of

4 day retreats within the UK

7 day International retreats

Where you have the security to share your story in a safe, empathic environment surrounded by the tranquillity of healing nature.

Whether you come as a private 1-2-1 guest or feel more benefit from a small group of people who have experience similar relational wounds, you will be held, believed, and supported by a professional master level psychotherapist.

Retreats are private tailored programmes for those seeking accelerated or immersive progress.

The restorative experiences combine clinical expertise and focused therapeutic work with restorative time in soothing natural settings, supporting deep nervous system recovery and integration.

Each retreat is fully customised to your goals and designed to help you make meaning of your experiences within a contained period. 

The fully immersive courses are ideal for times of transition or when you’re ready to shift long‑entrenched patterns and compliment ongoing work for those seeking profound, lasting transformation.

If you feel you would like to continue the work you have begun, you have the freedom to opt for ongoing therapy courses online, and/or next stage retreats.

Next step:

Click the ‘contact’ button below to arrange your free 20 minute call, to have a chat about your needs.

I look forward to hearing from you when you feel ready.

Warmly,

Caralisa

Alongside Psychotherapy and Luxury Therapy Retreats, I also provide Psychoeducation sessions, accessible online. These sessions are to deepen your understanding of attachment, trauma bonds, and self‑regulation. These resources can also support you in staying grounded between sessions and empower you with knowledge that transforms self‑blame into clarity.

Every aspect of my work is trauma‑informed, relational and restorative. You remain in control of the pace. I ensure a compassionate, honest and direct, yet human path that honours both your pain and your resilience, combining therapeutic precision with emotional care that feels luxurious, not clinical. My high‑end clients often describe this process as perception and life‑altering, dignified, and powerful.

Next Steps:

If it feels right, you can Email or WhatsApp to book a free 20min call with Caralisa. This is simply a chance to talk, ask questions, and see if working together feels right for you.

You don’t have to keep piecing your healing together from late‑night searches or social media fragments. Here, recovery becomes personal, intentional, and deeply human, helping you reclaim safety, empowerment, authenticity and emotional freedom.

Caralisa Alvis of Lee

BA(Hons), PgDip, MA. MBACP

I understand trusting someone with your pain can feel threatening and how important it feels to make a safe choice in who you share your story with.

I am a

BACP registered and insured, trauma-informed,

Integrative psychotherapist,

With a first class honours in psychology,

Masters in Integrative Psychotherapy,

Incorporating:

Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Person-Centred Therapy & Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

I also have additional training in:

Trauma-Informed Practice

Sensorimotor therapy for C-PTSD

Attachment-based therapy

Internal family Systems (IFS)

Interpersonal Neurobiology

Domestic Abuse Awareness

Adult Safeguarding

I have over 25 years experience of relationship trauma, domestic abuse and toxic relationship recovery. I have been honoured to provide confidential psychotherapy online, from the UK to clients all over the Globe.

Before beginning my private clinical work in relationship trauma, I managed refuge centre homes supporting survivors fleeing domestic abuse.

I also worked in mental health crisis centres working with people suffering with PTSD and C-PTSD.

I volunteered in counselling and psychotherapy services, working clinically with a vast array of psychological and emotional issues from depression, anxiety and trauma to personality disorders.

I also have extensive experience in online group facilitation for narcissistic and domestic abuse recovery.

In addition to working with survivors of harmful relationships in adulthood and childhood, I have also worked successfully online with individuals who recognise they’ve used controlling or harmful behaviours in their relationships and want to change.

Many such behaviours often come from fear, unmet needs and unprocessed trauma. In therapy, we explore accountability and understanding, creating a space for growth without shame.

Healing becomes a shared process of responsibility and genuine emotional repair.

“Working with Caralisa changed my life. People say that flippantly but for me it couldn’t be more true. After many traumatic experiences, living with undiagnosed neurodivergence and struggling through life, she helped me understand how I’m wired up and how to work with it. Not against it. 

I now live a much more peaceful life, without fear of my own thoughts. I’ve improved my relationship with my husband and family in the process and I am overall a better person for having worked with Caralisa. She was honest and challenged me when I needed it and taught me to be my own therapist in times of reflection.”

E.T. (Online Client)

“I never thought I would have therapy but I found myself getting very anxious one year post an impactful life event. I was having some really bad days, short tempered, worried, and questioning who and why I was this way. My relationship with my parents and my wife were deteriorating and it was getting out of control. Then came Caralisa! She really took her time to get to know me and understand why I was feeling like this. She asked me questions I'd never been asked before and I felt totally comfortable saying things I haven't said to anyone else before. She was a breath of fresh air and I left our sessions every week feeling great again. The relationship I have with my parents, particularly my dad has actually never been this good, I now understand why he is the way that he is and I have forgiven him for the past, all thanks to Caralisa helping me! 

I can't recommend Caralisa highly enough and I advise everyone struggling to seek professional advise.” 

P.N. (Retreat Client)

Caralisa is one of the most compassionate and validating therapists I’ve worked with. She doesn’t just listen and give nothing back, she’s honest, direct, and never avoids the difficult truths, yet always delivered with kindness. For the first time after years of trauma, I felt truly seen and understood. I cant recommend Caralisa enough.”

L.C. (Online Client)

“Caralisa comes across as deeply understanding. She listens carefully and offers clear, thoughtful professional insight, which helped me make sense of things I’d been struggling with in a way I hadn’t understood before. She brought me a sense of peace inside, finally.”

R.A. (One-to-One Retreat Client)

“I’ve only had one session with Caralisa so far, but it was immediately clear she was a good fit for me. She understood my concerns quickly, was honest and direct, yet warm and caring. I’m not great with emotion so this was a good balance for me, and I really appreciated her clarity and openness.”

C.P. (Online Client)

“I came to Caralisa during a really difficult period in my life, when I felt overwhelmed and unsure how to move forward. Although the work is ongoing, she has already helped me gain a much deeper understanding of myself and my emotional responses. Her support has made it easier to be open, communicate honestly and begin making changes that once felt impossible. I’m incredibly grateful for her guidance.”

A.B.(Online Client)

This page is for posting helpful insights into relationship neglect, abuse and trauma.

items covered include:

Types of Abuse in relationships

Attachment Styles

Shame

Harmful/ Controlling Behaviour Change

Narcissistic Behaviours

Impact of Narcissistic Relationships

Childhood Emotional Neglect & Abuse