As children, we find creative ways to survive in the adult world – physically and emotionally. These mechanisms stay with us and become subconscious beliefs that sometimes hinder us as adults. If our inner child has been silenced or ignored, these beliefs can weigh heavily on us and effect our mental and physical health.
In working with the inner child, we can start to understand and remember how we originally formed our beliefs and defense mechanisms. Experiences of trauma as children stay with us forever and can even be re-written as trivial when we grow up, this causes a confusion about why we feel so bad. The important factor is the perception of the child at the time and this is what remains. By working back to how we felt as children validates the trauma, reduces self-blame and can help to separate the feelings from being jumbled with current issues.
We can then work towards healing those wounds by listening and understanding. Gradually, we can identify the defense-mechanisms that have ceased to serve us in our adult lives and heal the inner child by nurture, acceptance and forgiveness.
It can feel quite odd to access and experience our younger-selves again and although there are some excellent self-help books on the subject, being guided by a counsellor or therapist may feel safer. As you reconnect with your inner child you will become more aware of past wounds and beliefs, you will identify unfulfilled needs and learn how to self-nurture and assert those needs from your adult self.