The Child Within: How to Meet Them, and What They Want to Tell You
There's a moment like this. Someone says a small sentence, and suddenly we're seven years old. The heart tightens, the throat closes, and we look for somewhere to hide. Who just reacted? Not the adult we are today. It's the child inside.
The inner child isn't a pretty metaphor. It's what remains of the first years: what we felt when we were small, what we waited for, what we feared, how we learned to cope. It keeps carrying the needs that weren't met, and the joy that didn't always have room.
What the child needs isn't fixing. They aren't broken. They need someone to sit beside them, to listen, and to believe them.
How do you know they're here?
They show up when the reaction is bigger than the event. When it's hard to ask, when we rush to please, when we suddenly feel invisible, or when we cling to someone without knowing why. It doesn't mean something is wrong with us. It means someone inside wants to be seen.
What do they need?
Not advice and not analysis. Three simple things: to be seen, to be believed, and to be told "I'm here."
A short exercise: ten minutes with the child within
- Sit somewhere quiet, feet on the floor. Take three slow breaths.
- Bring to mind a moment from this past week when you reacted more strongly than expected.
- Ask inside: "How old do I feel right now?" There's no right answer. Whatever comes, comes.
- Place a hand on your heart or belly, and say to yourself slowly: "I see you. I'm here. You're not alone."
- Ask: "What do you need from me right now?" and let the answer arrive, even if it's one word or just a sensation.
- Finish with one long breath. You can thank them for sharing. You can stop at any step.
If the exercise opened something you'd like to meet with support, I'm here. A personal session on Zoom, or in person in the Algarve.