The Inner Child reflects the child that we once were. Sometimes referred to as ‘the child within’ or the ‘wounded child’, it conceptualises an aspect of the subconscious mind that influences and sometimes takes over our emotions and behaviours.
Most psychological issues stem from unmet needs, often as a child. Childhood hurts and traumas leave a severe imprint. They run unhelpful subconscious programmes of low self-esteem, anxiety, and other mental health issues that can immensely disrupt adult lives.
Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Carl Jung first developed the concept. In his words:
Who is Your Inner Child?
“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. That is the part of the human personality which wants to develop and become whole."
