Sam Carew

Psych. dipl, M.A. psych, MBCAP,

Transpersonal Psychotherapist and Counsellor

I am a BACP Accredited Psychotherapist and Counsellor in private practice in Banstead, Surrey. My practice is within easy reach of Banstead train station. I am seeing clients face to face and via Skype.

I work with people who may be facing a wide range of issues and difficulties that are disrupting their lives. Some people may be feeling low or depressed, or anxious about things they previously took in their stride. Others may be finding the stress of work or family life difficult to cope with. Perhaps there are problems in relationships with friends, partners or relatives, or feeling lonely, isolated and low on self-esteem.

Often, changes of circumstance can induce feelings of confusion, helplessness, or anger without really knowing why; which can result in feeling lost, frightened, or ‘out of control’ following the end of some stage of life or the beginning of a new chapter.

For many people, these feelings can be quite overwhelming at times: “I don’t know what’s happened to me”, “I never used to be like this”, “It’s not like me”, “I should be able to cope with this”, “I don’t know why I do these things, think these things, feel these things…”

Counselling allows clients the opportunity to talk through their feelings, to be listened to, and to find a fuller, more balanced and enjoyable life.

Counselling and Transpersonal Psychotherapy

Understanding Counselling

Counselling is a talking therapy. Therapy enables clients to talk through issues with a caring but uninvolved professional, where perhaps other sources of support, such as family or friends are too close or may be part of the problem.  Therefore, it is often more helpful to talk to a trained and experienced counsellor in a private confidential setting whereby one is able to talk freely without fear of being judged or upsetting the other person.  That is not to say that counselling replaces family and friends.

My aim is not to give you advice, but to help you clearly identify what you wish to change and, by raising awareness of your own unique inner strengths and resources, help you to move forward productively.

People work at their own pace, therefore the length and regularity of sessions are negotiated, but usually therapy sessions last for 50 minutes on a regular weekly basis.  Sometimes just a few sessions will be enough to clarify a problematic situation. However, regular sessions over a period of time may be more appropriate.

Therapies Used

• Cognitive and Behavioual Therapies (CBT)
• Psychoanalytical and Psychodynamic Therapies
• Humanistic Therapies
• Person-Centred Counselling
• Gestalt Therapy
• Transactional Analysis
• Transpersonal Psychotherapy
• Visualisation
• Existential Therapy
• Integrative
• Art Therapy/Art Psychotherapy

Transpersonal Psychotherapy

In transpersonal psychotherapy personal breakdowns and crisis are seen to have a useful purpose in that they act as a warning signal as well as indicating the way for us to change, grow and unfold. Transpersonal therapy is done in the context and knowledge of traditional therapy methods of counselling and psychotherapy.

It adds other techniques as well such as guided visualization, inner child healing, dream awareness, breathwork and meditation. Transpersonal therapy does not espouse a particular religious or spiritual view.

Rather it acknowledges the importance of developing inner resources as well as inner qualities upon a spiritual path. It offers approaches from various paths including Buddhism, Native American Spirituality and Shamanism.

It honours Carl Jung’s belief that healing and growth occur through experiences of mystical and transcendent consciousness.

Who is the Inner Child?

The inner child is the creative, spontaneous, loving, trusting, confident and spiritual part of us that may have gotten lost or learned to hide earlier in life due to feelings of fear and shame stemming from experiences of trauma and betrayal. This may have been due to abuse, mistreatment, misattunement or misunderstanding in childhood. It is a rare child who has adults around him or her all the time who are able to be fully present to his or her aliveness. As adults, we can return to childhood memories and ‘retrieve’ and heal that lost or hidden part of us to bring creativity, spontaneity, love, trust confidence and deep spirituality fully back into our lives.

Why do we need to use Inner Child Healing?

As we move gradually through childhood and into adulthood, we face many disappointments in other people and in ourselves. Unless our feelings about these disappointments are acknowledged and validated, we unconsciously hold onto the disappointments and they inform our present approach to the world and to ourselves.

Inner Child Healing is essential because…

As I work with clients, I see them express sadness or anger about some present disappointment, and then I hear them attack themselves, dismissing their own feelings, minimising their own problems in relation to those of others, or rationalising how others are mistreating them.  They are not compassionate with themselves as they might be with a good friend.

Also, clients may be blocked in their relationships or their life path, and the loss or wounding of this child part is the reason.  Healing the child part can lead to profound changes in attitude and in actual life changes.

How does it work?

I usually try to trace back with clients the source of the feelings they are experiencing now.  Many times they release grief and resentment from many years in the past, and find themselves finally free of the burden of carrying these old feelings.

Exploration of inner self-attack dialogue.

Often clients are surprised when I explore the tendency to self-attack, as this attitude may feel so natural to them, that they had no idea that they have a choice to treat themselves otherwise.  Sometimes the self-attacks are hard to give up because as children they took on the belief that indeed they and their feelings truly were without value.

Exploration of old inner belief systems and old potentially distorted conclusions about ones self.

These old belief systems were put into place when they were children.  In this healing work we help release those old beliefs, and this allows room for a new understanding, and a new positive approach to themselves and the world.

Letting go of mistaken beliefs and self-attacks.

It takes some intensive work to help clients let go of mistaken beliefs and self-attacking behaviour, but it is possible, and clients report long-standing depression and anxiety as well as physical symptoms resolving after doing the work.

Healing the Inner Child.

As we let go of mistaken beliefs about ourselves, we can begin to love ourselves, and especially the naïve and trusting child part of us who was once hurt and wounded.  As we heal, we can then also begin to love other more deeply.  Clients who do this work suddenly find themselves reassessing relationships with partners and with their children, being able to be closer and to offer more caring to others and especially to themselves.

Areas of Professional Expertise

Professional Fees

Each therapy session lasts 50 minutes and costs £70.

Should you have any questions or require any additional information then please do not hesitate to contact me by filling out the form below.

My practice covers a twenty five mile radius from Banstead, Surrey.

Mobile: 07775 694 991
Email: sam@samcarewcounselling.co.uk