Inner Child Therapy

Reconnect With Your Inner Child

Healing Techniques Inner Child Therapy

In my Creative Play Therapy 101 class I require students to reconnect with their inner child.

I do not believe one can be a great creative counselor, art therapist, sand tray therapist, or play therapist without doing connection to your inner child.

We all have an inner child within us. Some of us have never lost touch with this unique part of ourselves. Some of us have lost, forgotten, or ignored this inner child for years.

Perhaps it was due to the fact that you had to grow up too fast? Maybe you had to deal with a trauma in your life and your inner child went into hiding?

Or, maybe you were influenced by your culture, began acting like an adult too soon, and wanted forgot the child within yourself?

There are many ways to loose your inner child. But know this, there are many ways to reconnect with your lost inner child.

One needs to reconnect with their inner child if they want to work with children and use play therapy.

Children can sense if a counselor, or therapist, is "faking" play therapy. When this happens children resist play therapy healing.

Below is the actual project I ask my graduate students to do for twenty percent of their final play therapy grade.

The Inner Child Graduate School Scrapbook Project

Create a scrapbook honoring your inner child. Make sure to include the following items in your scrapbook:

1. Letter of Apology

Write a letter of apology if you have forgotten your inner child. Tell your inner child you wish to reconnect and allow it to surface. Make sure you tell your inner child you will keep it safe. If you have not forgotten your inner child, write a letter promising to have more fun!

2. Play Date With Inner Child

Make and keep a play date with your inner child. This should be based on what your inner child wants to do, or used to want to do. Do not allow the adult within to take control. Your inner child needs to make the plans for the date. The adult inside you needs to plan the date.

Perhaps your inner child used to like to go roller skating, swimming, or to the playground. One of my students took her inner child and bought a coloring book. Now she and her inner child color something every day. I have taken my inner child on many play dates. Recently, we went horseback riding. I had a horse when I was a child, and my inner child sometimes misses having a horse to ride.

3. Reconnect With A Childhood Activity Weekly

Once you have taken your inner child on a play date you may start to remember what your inner child loved to do many years ago.

One student started swinging on a swing set as daily exercise. Another student rediscovered riding a bike and does it with her family on the week-end.

4. Reconnect With Your Inner Child's Long Lost Dreams

What were the dreams you and your inner child used to have long ago? How can you bring these dreams to life today? They may look different, but it will make your inner child happy to try to recreate the dreams and make some a reality.

Maybe you wanted to become a singer? Can you join a church choir?Or perhaps you wanted to become an actress? How about hosting a workshop on something you know?

5. Make A Special Room Or Place For Your Inner Child

When you were little, where did you and your inner child go to feel safe? Maybe you had a special place where you watched the clouds go by? Or, perhaps you had a special cardboard box you hid in.

Did you have a desk to keep your art work in? Or a place to go listen to music?

Create a special place for you and your inner child to go and spend some time in once in a while. This will make your inner child feel special and loved.

6. Visit A Toy Store And Buy Your Inner Child A Present

Make a visit to a special toy store and allow your inner child to purchase a special toy or trinket from this toy store.

This activity will also help you see what toys are on the market today.

7. Create A Special Toy Box For Your Inner Child

Get a shoe box and make a special toy box for your inner child to play in when he or she gets bored.

Decorate the box and add fun trinkets, toys, pictures of dreams, candy, chocolate, etc. If your inner child wants something in the box....allow it!

8. What Did Your Inner Child Like To Collect?

Reconnect with what your inner child used to like to collect? Try to find a piece of this collection. Bring it out and allow it to be seen daily by your inner child?

Was it a model horse collection? A race car collection? Barbies? Strawberry Shortcake? Beanie Babies? Friendship Bracelets?

9. Make A Piece Of Artwork With Your Inner Child

Take your inner child to fun and creative art galleries (Nothing stuffy or boring) and find some art you want to recreate. It can be a painting, jewelry, greeting card, clothing, etc.

Take a picture of what your inner child wants to recreate and get lost in the creative process.

10. Plan Your Inner Child's Dream Birthday Party

Create an invitation for your inner child's dream birthday party. The sky is the limit! Put down whatever your inner child wants to put down for your dream party.

After doing this invitation, what harm would it do to actually plan and host a party for your inner child? It does not have to be your actual birthday!

Using the ten ideas above create a scrapbook with many visuals and photos your inner child will be proud to look through.

Inner Child Therapy Scrapbook Graduate School Student Project Example

(See More Photos Below)

The work on this inner child therapy scrapbook was done by an incredibly gifted student. She put her heart and sole into her inner child therapy and the inner child therapy scrapbook. She got a lot out of this project. 

This student's inner child always wanted red cowboy boots. She bought her inner child some red cowboy boots right after the class ended.

What will you give your inner child for inner child therapy? 

In the below photos this student created the ideal birthday party and birthday party invitation for her inner child.

The attention to detail is incredible. This was a student who put her heart and soul into connecting with her inner child. 

See More Inner Child Scrap Book Examples on Links and Photos Below:

Inner Child to All Examples Page 

Reconnect With Your Inner Child to Creative Counseling 101 Home 

Inner Child to More Inner Child Techniques

Disclaimer: This website and its content is intended for trained licensed mental health professionals and school certified mental health professionals to use for their clients / students at their own discretion.

*If you ignore the disclaimer above are using these techniques on yourself and you feel any discomfort or upset it is highly suggested that you seek out a licensed  mental health professional immediately.

"Beyond Art Therapy" is the concept from Dr. Stangline that combines all creative fields in therapy. It is not the traditional "art therapy" but goes beyond to include sand tray therapy, play therapy, mindfulness, meditation, color therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and a vast majority of other therapies.

For any other type of mental health emergency call your local 911 / Police Number immediately.

Dr. Stangline does not offer advice / suggestions to anyone who is not a professional mental health provider, or a student who is studying this field and has questions about mental health programs of study.