The Healing I Never Knew I Needed: Listening to My Inner Child

I didn’t think I needed healing.

I wasn’t broken. I wasn’t in a crisis. I had a job, responsibilities, and people who loved me. From the outside, everything looked… okay.

But inside? I felt stuck. I was constantly anxious, sensitive to criticism, and deeply uncomfortable when I had to express my needs. I didn’t understand why tiny conflicts drained me or why I would spiral over simple mistakes. It was exhausting.

What I didn’t realize was that these weren’t personality flaws—they were survival patterns. And behind them was a younger version of me, still carrying the emotional weight of things I never fully processed.

That’s when I started doing something I had never heard of before: inner child work.

Meeting the Inner Me

I learned that the “inner child” isn’t just a metaphor. It’s a real part of us—the collection of emotions, memories, and beliefs formed when we were too young to make sense of the world.

For me, that inner child was a little girl who:

• Thought love had to be earned.
• Believed making others happy was the only way to stay safe.
• Felt scared when people got angry, even if it wasn’t directed at her.

She didn’t disappear just because I grew up. She lived quietly in the background, shaping how I saw myself and how I reacted to life.

And she was tired.

What Inner Work Looked Like for Me

Healing through inner work didn’t happen in one magical moment. It was slow, awkward, and deeply emotional. But it was also the most freeing thing I’ve ever done.

Here’s how I started reconnecting with my inner child:

• Journaling letters to her — I’d write, “Dear little me,” and let the words flow. I told her she didn’t have to be perfect. That she was lovable even when she made mistakes.
• Looking at old photos — I used to cringe at childhood pictures. Now I see her innocence and strength. I whisper things like, “You did the best you could,” and “You deserved to be protected.”
• Reassuring myself during emotional triggers — When I feel panicked or ashamed, I pause and remind myself: This feeling is old. It belongs to her. And I can take care of us now.

Each of these moments softened something in me. I became gentler. Less reactive. More forgiving.

Signs Your Inner Child May Need Healing

You might be wondering, Do I have an inner child that needs healing, too?

Here are a few signs that resonated with me:

• You’re afraid of being abandoned or disliked—even when there’s no real threat.
• You feel overly responsible for other people’s emotions.
• You have a loud inner critic that sounds like someone from your past.
• You struggle to set boundaries or ask for help.
• You constantly seek external validation to feel “enough.”

If any of these feel too familiar, it’s not because you’re weak. It’s because you learned to survive the best way you knew how.

And now? You get to learn a new way.

What Healing Gave Me

Through this process, I didn’t become a “new” person. I became more myself. The self I was before fear and shame taught me to shrink.

Here’s what I gained:

• More self-compassion and less self-judgment.
• Healthier boundaries without the guilt.
• The ability to comfort myself in hard moments.
• A deeper sense of peace that doesn’t depend on other people’s approval.

Most importantly, I started to feel safe in my own presence.

The Healing You Deserve

Inner child work isn’t about blaming our past. It’s about breaking the emotional inheritance we never asked for. It’s about showing up for the parts of ourselves that once had no voice.

If you’re just beginning your healing journey, I want to remind you: You don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need to begin.

Start by being curious. Be gentle. Talk to yourself the way you would talk to a child who’s hurting—with patience, softness, and love.

Because the child inside you? They’ve been waiting for you to come home.

If this resonated with you, leave a heart, a comment, or share your own story of healing. You never know who needs to read your truth today.

Read the full blog here: The Healing I Never Knew I Needed: Listening to My Inner Child