Inner child

In some schools of popular psychology and analytical psychology, the inner child is an individual's childlike aspect. It includes what a person learned as a child before puberty. The inner child is often conceived as a semi-independent subpersonality subordinate to the waking conscious mind. The term has therapeutic applications in counseling and health settings.

The theoretical roots of the inner child trace back to Carl Jung’s divine child archetype, which he saw as both an individual and collective symbol of renewal and transformation. The Jungian Child archetype led to the concept of the inner child. It has been defined as “all the past hidden ages” within a person’s life journey, consisting of memories and emotional layers from each stage of development that influence the formation of identity.

Psychologists have explored the role of the inner child in influencing adult behaviour. Lamagna (2011) explored how overwhelming emotional experiences in early life can shape present-day emotional functioning and relational patterns by remaining outside of conscious awareness. The inner child is often considered as the vulnerable and hidden childlike part of a person with playfulness and creativity, but also accompanied by anger, hurt and fear from the early childhood experiences with caregivers.

The concept became known to a broader audience through books by John Bradshaw and others. Bradshaw (2005) emphasised that by acknowledging the inner child, individuals could awaken their true selves and heal past emotional wounds. These perspectives collectively affirm that the inner child will continue to influence an individual's sense of identity, emotional well-being, and relationships throughout life. Provided by Wikipedia