After obtaining her Masters in Psychology (Cum Laude) from the University of KwaZulu Natal, she completed an internship at the child and family centre in Pietermaritzburg , which included rotations at Greys hospital, a children’s home and student counselling.  Charlene worked as the head psychologist at a remedial school, where she developed a wide range of skills and played an active role in developing a department that offered psychological services to the family members of the students (in addition to the students themselves) and the broader community.  During these years she was actively involved in running internship programs that trained other psychologists.