Inner child
Encyclopedia
Inner child is a concept used in popular psychology
and Analytical psychology
to denote the childlike aspect of a person's psyche, especially when viewed as an independent entity. Frequently, the term is used to address subjective childhood experiences and the remaining effects of one's childhood. The inner child also refers to all of the emotional memory and experiences stored in the brain from earliest memory. The Twelve-step program
recovery movement considers healing the inner child to be one of the essential stages in recovery
from addiction
, abuse
, trauma
, or post-traumatic stress disorder
. In the 1970s, the inner child concept emerged alongside the clinical concept of codependency (first called Adult Children of Alcoholics Syndrome.)
Carl Jung
referred to a similar concept as the "Divine Child". Emmet Fox
called it the "Wonder Child". Charles Whitfield
dubbed it the "Child Within". Some psychotherapists call it the "True Self
". Transactional Analysis
calls it simply Child
. W. Missildine may have been the first to refer to this concept as the inner child in his 1963 book Your Inner Child of the Past. The "wounded inner child" is a modified application of the inner child concept popularized by American
educator, and pop psychology and self help movement leader, John Bradshaw
.
Other writers who have developed and expanded the concept and methods include Cathryn Taylor, Lucia Capacchione, Louise Hay, Dr. Margaret Paul, and Pia Mellody. Some recovery methods such as "radical forgiveness" disdain the inner child concept and teach that the idea of "nurturing the inner child" actually holds one back from full recovery by encouraging a victim stance http://www.innerself.com/Behavior_Modification/tipping_02273.htm.
The inner child can be considered a subpersonality
, and many of those therapy approaches that work with subpersonalities deal with the inner child, even if they don't use that term. Internal Family Systems Therapy
(IFS) has expanded the concept considerably in recognizing that there isn't just one inner child subpersonality, but many. IFS calls the wounded inner child subpersonalities "exiles" because they tend to be excluded from consciousness in order to defend against the pain and trauma that they carry. It has a sophisticated method for gaining safe access to a person's exiles, witnessing the stories of their origins in childhood, and healing them.
Popular psychology
The term popular psychology refers to concepts and theories about human mental life and behavior that are purportedly based on psychology and that attain popularity among the general population...
and Analytical psychology
Analytical psychology
Analytical psychology is the school of psychology originating from the ideas of Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung. His theoretical orientation has been advanced by his students and other thinkers who followed in his tradition. Though they share similarities, analytical psychology is distinct from...
to denote the childlike aspect of a person's psyche, especially when viewed as an independent entity. Frequently, the term is used to address subjective childhood experiences and the remaining effects of one's childhood. The inner child also refers to all of the emotional memory and experiences stored in the brain from earliest memory. The Twelve-step program
Twelve-step program
A Twelve-Step Program is a set of guiding principles outlining a course of action for recovery from addiction, compulsion, or other behavioral problems...
recovery movement considers healing the inner child to be one of the essential stages in recovery
Recovery model
The Recovery Model as it applies to mental health is an approach to mental disorder or substance dependence that emphasizes and supports each individual's potential for recovery...
from addiction
Substance dependence
The section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
, abuse
Abuse
Abuse is the improper usage or treatment for a bad purpose, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, sexual assault, violation, rape, unjust practices; wrongful practice or custom; offense; crime, or otherwise...
, trauma
Psychological trauma
Psychological trauma is a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a traumatic event...
, or post-traumatic stress disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Posttraumaticstress disorder is a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any event that results in psychological trauma. This event may involve the threat of death to oneself or to someone else, or to one's own or someone else's physical, sexual, or psychological integrity,...
. In the 1970s, the inner child concept emerged alongside the clinical concept of codependency (first called Adult Children of Alcoholics Syndrome.)
Carl Jung
Carl Jung
Carl Gustav Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist and the founder of Analytical Psychology. Jung is considered the first modern psychiatrist to view the human psyche as "by nature religious" and make it the focus of exploration. Jung is one of the best known researchers in the field of dream analysis and...
referred to a similar concept as the "Divine Child". Emmet Fox
Emmet Fox
Emmet Fox was a New Thought spiritual leader of the early 20th century, famous for his large Divine Science church services held in New York City during the Great Depression.- Biography :...
called it the "Wonder Child". Charles Whitfield
Charles Whitfield
Charles Whitfield is a medical doctor in private practice specializing in assisting survivors of childhood trauma with their recovery, and with addictions including alcoholism and related disorders...
dubbed it the "Child Within". Some psychotherapists call it the "True Self
True Self
True Self is fourth album by the Chicago-based music group Soil. It was released in the US on May 2, 2006 via DRT Entertainment. This is the band's first album with new vocalist AJ Cavalier. True Self leaked onto P2P and BitTorrent sites on March 4, almost two months before its official release...
". Transactional Analysis
Transactional analysis
Transactional analysis, commonly known as TA to its adherents, is an integrative approach to the theory of psychology and psychotherapy. It is described as integrative because it has elements of psychoanalytic, humanist and cognitive approaches...
calls it simply Child
Child (archetype)
The Child archetype, is an important Jungian archetype in Jungian psychology, first suggested by Swiss psychologist, Carl Jung. Recently, author Caroline Myss suggested Child, amongst four the Survival Archetypes , present in all of us...
. W. Missildine may have been the first to refer to this concept as the inner child in his 1963 book Your Inner Child of the Past. The "wounded inner child" is a modified application of the inner child concept popularized by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
educator, and pop psychology and self help movement leader, John Bradshaw
John Bradshaw (author)
John Elliot Bradshaw is an American educator, counselor, motivational speaker and author who has hosted a number of PBS television programs on topics such as addiction, recovery, codependency and spirituality. Bradshaw is active in the self-help movement, and is credited with popularizing such...
.
Other writers who have developed and expanded the concept and methods include Cathryn Taylor, Lucia Capacchione, Louise Hay, Dr. Margaret Paul, and Pia Mellody. Some recovery methods such as "radical forgiveness" disdain the inner child concept and teach that the idea of "nurturing the inner child" actually holds one back from full recovery by encouraging a victim stance http://www.innerself.com/Behavior_Modification/tipping_02273.htm.
The inner child can be considered a subpersonality
Subpersonality
A subpersonality is, in transpersonal psychology, a personality mode that kicks in to allow a person to cope with certain types of psychosocial situations...
, and many of those therapy approaches that work with subpersonalities deal with the inner child, even if they don't use that term. Internal Family Systems Therapy
Internal Family Systems Model
The Internal Family Systems Model is an integrative approach to individual psychotherapy developed by Richard C. Schwartz, Ph.D. It combines systems thinking with the view that mind is made up of relatively discrete subpersonalities each with its own viewpoint and qualities...
(IFS) has expanded the concept considerably in recognizing that there isn't just one inner child subpersonality, but many. IFS calls the wounded inner child subpersonalities "exiles" because they tend to be excluded from consciousness in order to defend against the pain and trauma that they carry. It has a sophisticated method for gaining safe access to a person's exiles, witnessing the stories of their origins in childhood, and healing them.
See also
- AgeplayAgeplayAgeplay or age play is a form of roleplaying in which an individual acts or treats another as if they were a different age. The practice can be regressive, in which the goal is to re-experience childhood, or sexual, recreating a sexual relationship with people of the pretend and/or true ages...
- "The Inner Child" is also the sixth movement on Mike OldfieldMike OldfieldMichael Gordon Oldfield is an English multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, working a style that blends progressive rock, folk, ethnic or world music, classical music, electronic music, New Age, and more recently, dance. His music is often elaborate and complex in nature...
's Tubular Bells IIITubular Bells IIITubular Bells III is the 18th album by Mike Oldfield, released in 1998. A sequel to Oldfield's 1973 Tubular Bells and his 1992 Tubular Bells II albums, it was released on the 25th anniversary of the first Tubular Bells album....
album. - Jungian archetypesJungian archetypesCarl Jung created the archetypes which “are ancient or archaic images that derive from the collective unconscious” Also known as innate universal psychic dispositions that form the substrate from which the basic symbols or representations of unconscious experience emerge...