WHAT YOUR INNER CHILD REVEALS ABOUT YOU

Do you ever feel like you’re living on autopilot… going through the motions, yet missing the spark you once had as a child?

You’ve followed the rules, hit the milestones, and checked every box that was supposed to lead to success. Yet deep down, there’s still that quiet, persistent feeling that something is out of sync.

That feeling isn’t proof that you’re broken. It’s your inner child trying to get your attention.

Your inner child is the part of you that still remembers joy, curiosity, and wonder. It’s who you were before job titles, performance reviews, and adult responsibilities took over.

When you reconnect with that part of yourself, you not only bring lightness back into your life, but also you gain clarity about who you are, what you truly want, and the kind of work and life that will fulfill you.

I learned this the hard way.

Growing up trilingual, I imagined myself in international relations or foreign trade. But once I started taking courses in those fields, the work felt cold, transactional, and disconnected from the human impact I craved.

Thinking back to my years as an athlete, I realized my real passion was growth—pushing limits, improving skills, and unlocking potential. That’s why I became a career consultant: to help others experience the same sense of alignment and possibility.

WHAT IS INNER CHILD WORK?

Your inner child is the emotional, creative, and instinctive part of you shaped in your earliest years.

It has 2 very different, but equally important, sides:

• The joyful side — full of curiosity, creativity, and play.
• The wounded side — carrying unmet needs, fears, and limiting beliefs formed in early life.

Inner child work is about acknowledging both sides, healing the wounds, and bringing yourself back into balance. It draws from psychology (like Carl Jung’s archetypes and John Bradshaw’s healing frameworks) and blends them with modern holistic practices such as guided visualizations, journaling, somatic release, and creative play.

It’s not about reliving the past. It’s about reclaiming the parts of you that know how to be present, authentic, and fully alive. Carl Jung called this process self-individuation.

My first experience with inner child work was in 2018. As a kid, I could spend hours painting and sketching, completely lost in the moment. Somewhere along the way, I stopped making time for it.

During one exercise, I felt a gentle nudge to try again. I grabbed a blank sheet of paper and started to draw. As the lines took shape, so did a wave of childhood memories. In that moment, I felt lighter—like I had just unlocked a part of myself I didn’t even realize I had been missing.

THE 5 COMMON INNER CHILD WOUNDS

Certain childhood experiences can leave emotional marks that continue shaping how you see yourself and the world. These are known as the 5 primary inner child wounds:

• Rejection: Feeling unwanted, unworthy, or unloved.
• Abandonment: Experiencing loss or emotional neglect.
• Humiliation: Being shamed or ridiculed, leading to feelings of inadequacy.
• Betrayal: Being let down by someone you trusted.
• Injustice: Experiencing unfair treatment that leaves you feeling powerless.

When these wounds go unhealed, they don’t just fade. They quietly run in the background, influencing your choices and behaviors.

They can show up as:

• Saying yes when you want to say no
• Overachieving to gain approval
• Perfectionism that keeps you from moving forward
• Avoiding opportunities out of fear
• Chronic self-doubt or imposter syndrome
• Burnout from living in “serious mode” without joy
• Making career decisions based on expectations instead of passion

The longer these patterns go unchecked, the more likely you are to end up in a life that looks successful on the outside but feels empty on the inside.

Healing these wounds allows your inner child to feel safe, seen, and free to express itself. It gives you the clarity, confidence, and energy to make choices that truly align with who you are.

One of my clients, Sarah, was a consultant at a Big 4 firm. She had been in the same role for nearly a decade, working 60-hour weeks and taking on far more than her share. Deep down, she feared that slowing down would make her replaceable. Growing up, her father left when she was young, and she learned to cling to anything that felt secure—even at the expense of her well-being.

Once she recognized this pattern, she set healthier boundaries, explored new career options, and eventually moved into a role that valued her skills without consuming her life.

WHAT YOUR INNER CHILD TELLS ABOUT YOU

Your inner child is like a mirror. It reflects parts of you that may be buried under years of conditioning, responsibility, and expectation.

YOUR CORE VALUES

Before you learned what you “should” value, you naturally gravitated toward things like freedom, creativity, kindness, or adventure. Those values might still be there, just waiting for you to bring them back into focus.

YOUR NATURAL TALENTS

The activities you did instinctively as a child often point to your natural strengths. The kid who built LEGO cities might be wired for design and problem-solving. The one who organized games in the neighborhood might have a gift for leadership and bringing people together.

YOUR EMOTIONAL PATTERNS

How you respond to stress, criticism, or uncertainty often traces back to your earliest experiences. Recognizing these patterns helps you shift from reacting to responding.

3 BENEFITS OF INNER CHILD WORK (AND CLIENT WINS)

1. GREATER CAREER CLARITY

When old wounds stop clouding your thinking, decisions feel lighter and more aligned.

Client example: Maya, an Admin at a renown real estate company, rediscovered her love for design and moved into a role creating office layouts for a boutique firm.

2. INCREASED CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION

Playfulness opens the door to new ideas and unconventional solutions.

Client example: Jason, a Marketing Manager, started painting again and soon pitched campaign ideas that stood out, earning company-wide recognition.

3. EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE AND STRESS RELIEF

A nurtured inner child creates reserves of joy and adaptability, making it easier to stay grounded under pressure.

Client example: Lena, a Senior HR Leader, began adding small “play” moments like gardening, which lowered her stress and improved her presence at work.

NEXT STEPS

What if the clarity, energy, and confidence you’ve been chasing weren’t in your next career move… but in the playful, curious part of you that’s been quietly waiting to be heard?

When your inner child feels safe and alive, you start leading with joy, creativity, and authenticity. You make decisions that feel deeply right, use your strengths fully, and bring more energy into every part of your life.

The question is—how do you get there?

My FREE “Activate Your Inner Child” Workbook is your guided path to finding out. Inside, you’ll find reflection prompts, guided exercises, and playful activities to help you break free from old patterns, rediscover your spark, and move toward a career and life you truly love.

If you’re ready to explore the version of you who feels light, confident, and deeply alive… now is the time.

Click the download button below to receive your free workbook now!