Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson

Healing Your Inner Child

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Oct 28, 2024

Dive into the fascinating world of the inner child, a part of us that holds both creativity and unresolved emotions. Explore how childhood experiences shape adult behaviors and relationships. Discover techniques like voice dialogue and reparenting to heal old wounds. Learn the importance of nurturing self-compassion and addressing unmet needs. Gain insights into balancing playful desires with adult realities. This engaging discussion is packed with practical strategies for fostering emotional growth and deeper self-awareness.

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INSIGHT

Mind's Breadth and Depth

Reflecting on the mind involves exploring its breadth and depth, present experiences and deeper layers.
This exploration inherently addresses "inner child" aspects, encompassing various ages and stages.

INSIGHT

Defining "Inner Child"

The "inner child" can be the childlike part of our personality, past experiences influencing present behavior, or a distinct sub-personality.
These perspectives intertwine, often emphasizing the latter two in discussions.

INSIGHT

Regression and Inner Child Dynamics

Under pressure, people regress, relying on early childhood patterns, often negative due to the brain's negativity bias.
Inner child dynamics appear in adult relationships, mirroring early childhood experiences.

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We all have an "inner child:” the part of ourselves that carries the emotions, beliefs and experiences from our early years. While this aspect of ourselves can be a source of creativity, playfulness and wonder, it might also harbor unresolved wounds that affect our adult relationships and behaviors. In this episode, Dr. Hanson and Forrest explore what the inner child really is, how it manifests in our lives, and practical ways to work with this important part of ourselves. They discuss how to identify inner child wounds, demonstrate techniques like voice dialogue, and share strategies for bringing more awareness and healing to our younger selves.

You can watch this episode on YouTube.

Key Topics:

0:00: Introduction

1:20: What is the inner child?

7:30: How the inner child shows up in our adult lives

10:40: A CBT-ish way of thinking about the inner child

16:40: Unmet needs, and examples of inner child wounds

21:45: Promoting the positive aspects of the inner child

28:50: How to begin engaging with the inner child

35:30: Shame, and turning toward yourself

39:00: Reparenting

46:30: Voice Dialogue demonstration

1:00:15: Reflections on the demonstration

1:06:00: Other approaches, and reasons you might be having a hard time

1:09:25: Rage and release, looking at pictures, and creating an autobiography

1:14:00: Balancing the inner child's desires with the realities of life

1:20:10: Recap

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