Healing the Child Within

A journey back to yourself

Photo by Anita Jankovic on Unsplash

“In every adult there lurks a child, an eternal child, something that is always becoming, is never completed, and calls for unceasing care, attention, and education.” ~ Carl Jung

As a complex trauma survivor and trauma-informed clinician for over three decades, I’ve come to recognize how healing the child within is a journey back to oneself, as it offers a bridge of connection to the parts that were hurt, ignored, or silenced when you were young. By compassionately reconnecting with those aspects of yourself that were disowned for the sake of survival, a deeply transformative pathway is forged that weaves healing, integration, and inner liberation into your life. This path is not linear or easy, but it’s profound and sacred.

Often considered the most influential figure in popularizing the inner child concept in mainstream culture, was pioneering author, counselor, theologian, and speaker, John Bradshaw. Bradshaw’s book Homecoming: Reclaiming and Championing Your Inner Child (1990) connected inner child work with healing dysfunctional families, shame, and codependency. In fact, back in the early 90’s when I was a clinical social worker in a comprehensive day treatment program for folks beset by complex trauma and addiction, Bradshaw’s work was instrumental in facilitating a pathway of recovery. It also…