I'm Sarah Lewin,. a BACP registered Trauma Informed Psychotherapist, Hypnotherapist and Holistic Health Practitioner based in Nottingham NG5 area, as well as Online . I also offer Counselling sessions online, or by phone from wherever you are in the UK or wider world.
I have 20+ years of experience working with clients, focusing on trauma, anxiety, and stress management.
Thank you for being here. I hope you find what you're looking for.
Counselling and Psychotherapy
I work with adult individuals and specialise in working with trauma, anxiety and narcissistic abuse recovery, including adult children of emotionally immature and narcissistic parents. You can read more about therapy for narcissistic abuse recovery here.
I don't offer therapy for those with narcissistic traits as that is long term therapy which is not always successful as the defense mechansims are so strongly held they can be hard to break down.
However, working with you as someone who has experienced this kind of emotional abuse, guilt-tripping and manipulation are usually eager to get to a better place and discover who you are beneath the lies that you have been told about yourself.
Recovering from the effects of childhood trauma and relational mis-attunement and psychological abuse is a slow road, but it can be achieved. The best revenge is your recovery.
Growing up in these kind of relationships can be really challenging and cause deep emotional pain. It is natural to want to have a close and loving relationship with our parents, its our birthright but when that doesn't happen and isn't possible, we look for ways to protect ourselves and to get our needs met, or to withdraw. You may grow up feeling not good enough because of the lack of validation and emotional support. You may experience a fear of rejection and abandonment and you may have gone on to have abusive or unhealthy relationships as an adult as a result or early attachment wounds.
Growing up with a narcissistic or emotionally immature parent will always be about them and not you. Due to their lack of empathy and ability to nurture and attune to their children means the childrens needs and feelings are dismissed and often belittled. This leads to feelings of low self-worth, a lack of automony and the abitlity to create loving relationships with others.
You may have experienced feelings of resentment, anger, confusion, guilt and shame, and a longing to be loved and accepted for who you are. To be seen, heard and respected. Even creating boundaries and distance doesn't offer healing, often just a different kind of difficult.
You may already be aware that there is nothing that is going to change your parent, and you may have tried for many years, to no avail. Unfortunately the only one who can change is you.
Due to relational and developmental trauma you would have experienced growing up, you may have been experiencing feelings of;
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Low Self Worth
- A lack of Confidence
- Social anxiety
- Intrusive, negative thoughts
- Intimacy Issues and difficulty in relationships
- C-PTSD
You may be using unhealthy behaviours such as addictions, OCD, or binge eating as coping strategies.
Counselling can be a wonderful opportunity for you to begin to develop your autonomy, identity, and self-awareness. It will help you to become aware of the thoughts and behaviours that are holding you back from recognising your true self and living according to who you truly are. Counselling and Psychotherapy encourages us to develop a better relationship with ourselves, and when we better understand ourselves and why we feel and behave the way we do then we can heal and grow and have healthier relationships with ourselves and others.
Counselling doesn't have to be hard or painful. It is an incredibly rewarding experience that lasts a lifetime. Its a true gift to yourself, and you definitely deserve it.
Some of the benefits you may experience from therapy are;
- Learn to regulate your emotions more effectively
- Learn to say no and be more assertive
- Reduce feelings of guilt and shame
- Create boundaries
- Feel calmer
- Quiten negative thoughts
- Overcome fear and anxiety
- Have more resilience and confidence
To name a few.
Next Steps...
This may not be the first time that you have sought therapy for these issues. You may have decided that you need some therapy for anxiety, or low mood, or low self-esteem or maybe because a narcissistic partner told you you're crazy and need some help. You may have worked on the anxiety and the low mood but not felt much of a shift. It may be because the emotional abuse, developmental and relational wounds never came up. Not all therapists are tuned in to emotional abuse and narcissism. It doesn't come into our initial training. So, unless they have had personal experience or a deep interest in the subject they may completely overlook it and therefore you will be working on the symptoms of the trauma, rather than the abuse itself. You may have been made to believe it was you that was the problem, not the people you are in relationship with and the emotionally and psychologically abusive environment you are living in day to day. That is the problem. Not you. You are responding in a very human way to that environment.
In therapy, when we understand this then we can begin to work WITH the issues, rather that around them.
It is a great pleasure to be part of that journey with the people who come to work with me. All of these amazing people, like you, that have had to deal with so much in your life from the gaslighting, the shame, ridicule, the disregard , the manipulation and lack of genuine love and attunement.
To see the change from the first session to the last is so rewarding.
I hope you feel that I am the right therapist for you. If so, please feel free to email me to arrange a session or ask any questions.
"Since working with you my nervous system feels less reactive and life is generally easier. I want to thank you for how you have helped me."
"The last 6 months have been an immense help for me and for that I'm very grateful. Thank you!" - Client B
"Thank you for the time you spent with me. Just being able to talk has had quite a profound impact. My sincerest appreciation goes to you." - Client R
Sarah Lewin - Counselling, Psychotherapy, Holistic Health Coaching, Holistic Therapies and Hypnotherapy, online and in person at Magnolia Therapy Centre, Mapperley Park, Nottingham NG5, and Ransom Wood Business Park Mansfield NG21
