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Your Inner Child

Discovering Your Inner Child

Everyone has an inner child, but for some they play a bigger role than for others. This is because when someone has been traumatised at an early age, the child is unable to cope with what is happening so they go somewhere deep inside and hide away to protect themselves, whilst another part steps in and takes over from that child. As you get older and experience more traumas, the body breaks into more parts and these parts are known as the inner child.

As an adult your inner child can become more apparent because part of you has grown up with age, but that little you who had to hide deep inside all those years ago will one day want to come out when they feel safe to do so. This is an important aspect of healing, especially for survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

Spend time getting to know your inner child as they will need your comfort and support to help them integrate with you. This is the right path for inner healing.

Connecting with Your Inner Child

This part can be very sad and difficult, but also very rewarding. As you get to know your inner child you will become more aware of what happened to you in your childhood. Just keep reassuring the little you that they are safe now and that you, as an adult, are able to look after them.

As you get to know your inner child, you can learn to love yourself and you will realise that the abuse that happened was, in fact, not your fault.

As you start to recover memories or re-visit the past make sure you are with someone who can support you and that you feel safe. Try not to be alone as support is essential, you have already been hurt and don’t deserve to experience more pain.

Healing Your Inner Child

Healing your inner child can be a very lengthy process and needs to be done with great care and support. Always be aware that your inner child has been very hurt and traumatised but they are a part of you that holds the key to your past. It is possible to heal your inner child with the right support, but you need to want to get to know them. It won’t be easy and needs to be taken at your own pace.

To heal your inner child you will need to visit parts of your past that will be painful, so always remember to reassure the little you that they are now safe and that you, as an adult, will protect them.

There are lots of resources and books etc for self help on healing the inner child, and also therapy.

Working With Your Inner Child

Once you have discovered your inner child you can learn to relate to them and then begin to work with them. It is best to work with a therapist who understands the inner child and there are books you can work through too.

Things that may be helpful for yourself

You can write letters to your inner child and encourage them to reply. This way you can build up a relationship. You can let your inner child play, drawing and painting is good.

Remember to always be aware that your inner child needs reassuring that somebody now cares!