Do you feel stuck in your life, unable to move forward with your goals?

Are you easily triggered emotionally?

Your inner child may be crying out for your attention. But, if you aren’t aware of her, you’re doomed to abandon her.

Today, we’ll explore inner child work for deep emotional healing.

So, what is the Inner Child?

Your inner child is the part of your emotional brain that carries memories and unexpressed emotions from your formative years.

Children require safety, love, and validation. They can’t understand or process difficult emotions and experiences. So, even seemingly minor events can leave emotional “wounds” — known as attachment wounds — that can manifest in your adult life.

For example, you might have felt abandoned when your parents brought home your new sibling and didn’t have as much time for you. Through no fault of your own (or your parents), you probably developed coping mechanisms to get attention, like overachieving and people-pleasing.

Signs of a Wounded Inner Child

You’re probably unaware of your inner child, but she is always with you.

Here are some signs that your inner child is acting out:

• Perfectionism
• Abandoning your own needs
• Being overly critical of yourself and others
• Anxiety
• Difficulty controlling your emotions
• Codependency
• Addiction
• Reckless behavior
• Low self-esteem
• Self-sabotaging behaviors

So, can you go back in time and nurture your inner child?

How to Love and Heal Your Inner Child

Inner child work can’t erase your childhood, but it can help you develop healthy coping strategies and feel safe and validated (maybe for the first time).

1. Listen to Your Emotions

Listening to your emotions as an adult rebuilds communication with your inner child, allowing you to meet her needs.

When uncomfortable emotions or physical reactions arise, be present with the feelings.

Can you name the emotions you’re feeling?

Where do you notice them in your body?

Can you remember feeling this way in your childhood? If so, what did you need then that you didn’t get?

Tell your inner child she is safe and give her what she is crying out for – whether that be a hug, an “I love you”, validation, or more joy.

Place your hands on your heart and rock gently from side to side as you hold space for the feelings to flow through you.

2. Affirm Your Inner Child

Affirmations are a great tool to validate your inner child. Plus, combining breathwork and affirmations makes the practice more powerful. It allows you to relax and tap into your subconscious mind more easily.

Take a slow breath through your nose into your belly. Imagine talking directly to your inner child while affirming in your mind:

I see you; I love you; I am sorry.

Breath out slowly while mentally affirming:

You are seen. You are loved. You are safe to express yourself.

3. Write a Letter from Your Inner Child

Writing a letter from the point of view of your inner child allows you to express repressed feelings using tools you didn’t have as a child.

Ask yourself: What does my inner child need to express that she was never able to?

Pour your feelings onto the page, addressing someone who hurt you in your childhood. It could be a caregiver, a sibling, a teacher, a friend, or even a stranger.

4. Make Time for Joy and Play

As adults, we forget what it’s like to be carefree and do things just for fun. Often, we are worried about what others might think. But children don’t care; they live in the moment.

A crucial part of inner child healing is rediscovering your inner joy and creativity.

Eat your favorite ice cream on the beach

Learn to hula hoop

Take an art class

Blast your favorite song and dance

Smile at strangers

Read a fun novel

5. ‍Do the TCR 8-Week Mindset Transformation

Our TCR 8-Week Mindset Transformation is a healing container that offers tools to recognize how past experiences influence your current reality.

This program can help you connect with your inner child and release any self-limiting beliefs.

Each week, you get access to our self-care rituals, guided meditations, breathwork classes, journaling workshops, and inner child practices. Plus, you’ll have a community of like-minded healers to motivate you (because we know healing isn’t easy).

Final thoughts

Inner child work is a process of self-discovery that can make you more joyful and fulfilled. But it can be challenging, so give yourself grace and compassion on the journey.

Note: If you find this work emotionally triggering due to past trauma, we encourage you to speak to a trained therapist for guidance.