These are the principles I’ve developed and use as guidelines in my practice for inner child work as way to find and open our fundamental path toward emotional healing
In my Centering Tools practice I come again and again to facilitate, through regression, imagery and creative writing practices, clients going all the way back into their own childhood to unlock their sources of dis-ease and develop what becomes truly better self-parenting skills from a place of compassion and self-forgiveness. This therapeutic practice, which emerged from extensive clinical work in the fifties, sixties and seventies exploring the dysfunctional dynamics and symptomatology of untreated alcoholism in families and the effect on everyone, especially children, is a holistic self-healing and empowerment practice that allows individuals to bring childhood trauma to full closure.
This dynamic healing process that can unfold like an emotional tidal wave brings personal evolution and a breadth and height of unconditional love and understanding, that can offer tremendous freedom and personal power to, at last, be able to freely, happily and courageously face and enjoy life in the present. It frees the “inner child” to also become whole, and therefore trust, envision, and fully be in the world from a place of awareness and letting go.
The Basic Principles I’ve Developed in My Practice for Inner Child Therapeutic Work
These are the principles I’ve developed and use as guidelines in my practice for inner child work as way to find and open our fundamental path toward emotional healing:
*The natural course of living is to grow.
*In order for growth to occur, healing must take place.
*This is why we’re willing, despite whatever unfolding circumstances might re-stimulate old pain, to seek healing.
*Healing returns us to our greater selves, and from that place of open, comfortable beingness we are free to go where we will – seek our fame and fortune – follow our heart’s dreams.
*Children spend much time “pretending” about this. They look to hide from pain only as a last defense, or if they’ve been told over and over again in many hard ways they’re not supposed to face it – maybe they won’t survive.
*But children know better. They know as long as there is a blade of grass, a shining sun, willing companions, and endless imagination, they have it all – and so do we.
Benefits from Inner Child Work
These are the benefits:
*Re-exploring the world of children as an adult
*Redefining the nature of pain – understanding how healing occurs multidimensionally through reliving experience as a compassionate, empowered adult
*The uplifting experience of the endless imagination
*The recovery of trusting yourself and the divine force that is the spiritual energy of the world
*The transformational experience of going deeply within to face your own past, and through the unique self-healing that occurs, return to the present in a much lighter, freer place, empowered and energized to create
An Inner Child Experiment
Settle back into a comfortable, relaxed state, adjusting your body so it feels gently aligned, eyes closed, and take several deep, cleansing breaths. Be sure you will not be interrupted throughout this experience. For these next several breaths you take, as you inhale say to yourself let be, and as you exhale, say to yourself let go.
Imagine your life is a book that is placed in your hand, with the last page being today. Imagine a healing, light, compassionate force now flows as your breath all around and through you, endlessly supporting and uplifting you as you begin to turn the pages of this book back and back towards the beginning.
Open the book to one of those beginning sections, and imagine a child emerges – you coming alive once again. Imagine a very healing, beautiful, peaceful place now appearing before you and this child, so magnetic that you are both, as if in the wink of an eye, drawn fully into it.
Experience the sight, smells, feel, sounds, even taste of this healing center; and as you are moved, draw the child close to you so you can share all that is here for you both. Tell the child you are here for this child, you are both connected at your core, and ask the child if the child has anything to express to you, show you, ask of you.
Listen, and respond as you are moved now. Continue to experience all that unfolds here until you have a sense of completion for now, knowing you can return to this place whenever you wish, whenever you settle back comfortably and allow your free breath and spirit to take you here.
Thank the child for being here, and allow yourself, as this may occur, to also express to your inner child how you feel; and your commitment and connection going forward. When you’re ready, imagine how your breath, as if it moves full circle, easily and lightly carries you back and back to full, waking consciousness, and open your eyes.
Record your experience, and then draw a picture of you and your child in the healing space. How do you feel?
Record your insights – and stay in touch.