Inner child - closing a session without feeling ignored

[Snowflake]

Are there ways that a therapist can safely close a session to help a client leave less overwhelmed and Inner child feeling not ignored.

 

[EveHarrington]

Do you feel safe letting your therapist talk to your inner child? It’s a big risk, one that may backfire, but it’s always an option.

 

[Snowflake]

Do you feel safe letting your therapist talk to your inner child? It’s a big risk, one that may...

Hmmm never thought of this. Why would it backfire?

 

[EveHarrington]

It could backfire if your therapist does something to hurt your inner child. Your inner child may go into deep hiding and not come out for a long time.

I exposed my inner child to someone I thought was safe and she ended up getting hurt so bad that I rarely see her anymore.

 

[Snowflake]

It could backfire if your therapist does something to hurt your inner child. Your inner child may...

Thanks this may be an idea

 

[Suzetig]

Why does your inner child feel ignored? Does your T work with an “inner child” model - many don’t which could leave you feeling ignored if that’s important to you. How do you know it’s your inner child feeling ignored and when does that become you feeling ignored or disregarded? I know some of my emotions can feel very “young” - some of that development just didn’t happen post trauma - but it’s my emotion, owning it is part of “growing up for me.

Does your T know you feel overwhelmed, it may be that you need to go slower in session or start to wind up the session earlier so that you’re more settled before you leave. Sometimes it feels overwhelming because it is, the very nature of trauma means it overwhelmed our usual coping mechanisms so dealing with it in therapy is going to be hard going at times. What do you think you need that might help?

 

[Rumors]

I can't relate to my inner child really. I get that we all have one and the goal is to integrate all of our experiences into a whole. When I think about my inner kid, I really believe that the work to be done isn't valadatiin from my therapist but instead my inner kid is waiting on ME to validate her. Perhaps this uncomfortable feeling you have and this underlying tone of your inner child not being heard really comes from you not listening. All a therapist can do is hold space with us as weird through these things. Maybe you need to spend some time just holding space with your inner child in the presence of your therapist??? I think it is very natural for kids needing to be heard and validated. Perhaps your kid didn't get a lot of that but I believe that peace can only come from you listening and honoring where you are. I don't know if this makes sense. My intent is to be supportive and I hope that comes through in this post. Best wishes!

 

[Snowflake]

Why does your inner child feel ignored? Does your T work with an “inner child” model - many don’t...

Yes we do a lot on inner child work. When we do my inner child feels like she’s ignoring the trauma piece.

I don’t know what I need, we are going so slow. Regardless, I leave the session feeling unheard, unloved, overwhelmed etc

I can't relate to my inner child really. I get that we all have one and the goal is to integrate all of...

I think it’s me too

 

[EveHarrington]

Hmm.

Parts work really speaks to me, but I know it doesn’t work for everyone. If it’s not working for you, maybe it’s not the right kind of therapy?

 

[Hopeforlife]

I can relate to this. My inner child feels ignored. I think this is a few things. My inner child feels ignored or abandoned when it’s time so wrap up the session as she has just got to a time in the therapy that maybe she can have a voice. My adult part is accepting that it’s time to finish but the child needs to release something. By the session ending my child part starts to hide again. I’m still trying to build up a trust with my inner child in parts work.

 

[Snowflake]

I can relate to this. My inner child feels ignored. I think this is a few things. My inner child fe...

Sounds right

 

[Harmonics]

Are there ways that a therapist can safely close a session to help a client leave less overwhelmed an...

T has told me that I need to work on parenting my inner child. Right now, I am working on reinforcing that what happened was not her fault. It is some of the hardest work I have done so far. I did not realize how much I made her responsible. She was just a kid... In sessions, T never talks directly to my inner child. T always goes through me. Sometimes T will note that the inner child is very present in a session and ask me to figure out what she needs or to talk to her. T is also careful to make sure I am grounded before I leave...which means sometimes allocating the last 20 minutes or more to grounding if it is a really tough session.