Inner child work addresses the child-self who developed traumatic brain injury-related patterns in response to early experiences — and who still needs healing.
What Inner Child Work Means for Traumatic Brain Injury
The 'inner child' isn't metaphysical — it refers to the internalized representations of childhood experiences that drive adult traumatic brain injury patterns.
When traumatic brain injury arises in adult situations that echo childhood experiences, the inner child's unmet needs or fears are often activated.
Inner Child Work Techniques for Traumatic Brain Injury
- Compassionate self-dialogue: Speaking to the part of yourself that developed traumatic brain injury patterns with the kindness you'd offer a child
- Journaling to your younger self: What would you tell the child experiencing traumatic brain injury for the first time?
- Imagery work: Guided visualization to 'reparent' the child who developed traumatic brain injury responses
Finding a Therapist for Inner Child Work and Traumatic Brain Injury
Schema therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and psychodynamic therapy all incorporate inner child work as part of traumatic brain injury treatment.