When we talk about our inner child, it can be difficult to know where to start. Often this may be a time in our life which we would rather forget or leave in the past. Many people wonder what is the value in connecting with this part of ourselves which is often painful or traumatised. Our inner child can offer us insights into our lives, and can form a key part of the therapeutic process.

It may be that you are being triggered in certain environments which are having a negative impact on your life, maybe you have developed destructive coping mechanisms which no longer serve you, or perhaps you find it extremely difficult to ask for help or support which causes you to become overwhelmed. It could be you have identified unhelpful or destructive patterns in relationships which you wish to explore, or possibly you find it difficult to connect with others in any meaningful way. Inner child work can help you to explore and gain insights into why we behave and react in certain ways.

As children our needs and wants are often not met either emotionally or physically. These unmet needs generally do not leave us and we carry them into adult relationships. In exploring how these unmet needs influence us, it is important to learn to listen and communicate with our inner child, and nurture this wounded part of ourselves.

Learning to nurture our inner child can be difficult for many of us. Connecting with our emotions from childhood can be overwhelming and in some cases traumatic, particularly if we have experienced trauma as children. Inner child work encourages us to understand, comfort and nurture the wounded part of ourselves which is feeling vulnerable and scared. As children, we may have been silenced, and discouraged from expressing our feelings. This may have triggered a lot of shame for us for feeling the way we do. Offering the child within us love and reassurance will allow us to heal from these wounds and step into our adult selves.

If you can identify with any of this post, it might be helpful to explore your inner child with us at Ivy Therapy. We have extensive experience with inner child work. You can contact us on our contact page, or drop us and email.