Our inner child is a part of us that never really grows up. It’s the part of us that still feels like a kid, who doesn’t want to grow up and be an adult. Our inner child can play with toys all day long if it wanted to! The inner child is also more sensitive than other parts of ourselves – so sometimes we need to take care of them too!
I’m going to tell you how you can access your inner child and learn some ways in which they need protecting or extra love from time-to-time. This blog post will help you understand more about your own personal self, as well as this amazing little person inside of you who has been there since before you were born.
One of the most powerful tools for healing psychological trauma, dysfunctional patterns and self-sabotaging behavior is inner child work. The term “inner child” does not refer to a literal childhood version of oneself but rather an innocent part within one’s psyche that still feels like a little kid with wonder in their eyes.
The inner child is one of the most important parts to healing and self-awareness. By accessing your primal needs and emotions, we can heal unhealed wounds that may have been present during childhood. The three divisions are outer child, wounded inner child (inner adult) or Inner Adult with a capital “I” for Intuition—and their access point into this level in our consciousness is through playfulness.
The inner child is the most sensitive and innocent part of yourself. They are always craving love, validation, and connection with others which makes them vulnerable.
Signs of a wounded inner child.
You feel there is something wrong with you. Always seeking approval or the need to be liked.
You experience social anxiety or stress when going outside of your daily routine or comfort zone.
You have a hard time saying no and are a people pleaser.
You do not have a strong sense of identity.
You self sabotage or have the need to have chaos and conflict in your life.
You hoard people, things, emotions. Letting go is very difficult for you. This can be memoirs from
thirty years ago or an ex that was toxic.
You feel inadequate.
Your negative self talk is constantly criticizing you.
You have a problem forgiving yourself for mistakes or your past. This can show through rigidness
or perfectionism.
You have a hard time with commitment and trust.
You have deep abandonment issues and are clingy or run away in relationships. Co-dependency
is often a problem here.
The inner child is the most powerful part of
ourselves that we are not aware. It can be a source of mental disorder or destructive behavior
patterns, but it also has an extraordinary power to heal and help us grow. The inner child is an
important part of who we are. It doesn’t matter if you’re eighteen or eighty, this child lives inside
everyone and it’s integral to understanding what makes us tick. We were all once children; the only
difference between a three-year old today and one fifty years ago is that they now have more things
in their life: responsibilities, jobs, spouses etc. However most adults don’t know about these feelings
deep down within themselves because people grow up so quickly that often times there isn’t enough
time for them to really explore those childhood memories before being pulled into adulthood
situations or circumstances. When we are children, our inner voice is often the only one that speaks
to us. As adults, this child-like side of ourselves can be hard to find and communicate with. For those
who have been through trauma or other significant life events at a young age, it may seem like they
were put on mute for an extended period of time while their personality developed in ways that
made sense based on what was happening externally around them but not inside themselves where
it mattered most. We have to learn how to take our inner child seriously and communicate with little
us. The needs of this perennial inner child remain unchanged from what they were back in
childhood-she needs love, acceptance, protection and nurturance–which is why it’s crucial that we
listen.
Imagine yourself as a child. What do you need? How can you feel safe? Before doing this letter, pick an activity that reminds you of your childhood, and try to get in the mindset of little you.
Write adult you a letter explaining what little you needs to feel safe, to heal, to feel loved.
When you are done reverse the letter and write back from adult you to little you explaining how you will help her/him heal. How you will love and nurture. How you will provide safety and protection.
The journey to healing our inner child is a life long process, but this work can be essential for growth, clearing the way for more happiness and peace in your adult life. If you’re ready to take steps towards self-love and wholeness through the exploration of your childhood memories, we may be able to help. I offer services that focus on the wounded inner child as well as family dynamics such as divorce or other traumatic events from one’s past. Schedule your free consultation and allow me to help you in your healing journey.