Unleash Your Inner Child

Sometimes, finding happiness in the present means healing the past. Experts share simple ways to show kindness to your former self.

-  SABRINA TALBERT

At 28, Tori Bell felt stuck - both in a career and in a relationship going nowhere. After she shared her feelings with friends, one suggested journalling and meditation. Her workplace offered a weekly meditation class, so Tori gave it a shot.

That class led to a friendship with her meditation instructor, who introduced her to the concept of "inner child" work. "My goal was to find a sense of life purpose, gain more self-confidence and heal past wounds that were holding me back," she says. "At first, it was challenging to face and process my childhood traumas and emotional wounds. I had to confront difficult emotions, such as fear, anger and sadness, but it was necessary to move forward."

Clarity found: she'd always dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur - and thanks to the inner child work she did with a life coach, she was able to redirect her career. Tori founded Inclusion Unpacked in 2021, a membership community for founders and leaders committed to building inclusive, equitable companies.

That’s not to say the process for Tori – or anyone, for that matter – was easy, quick or linear. In fact, inner child work is pretty much the opposite: it’s often a lifelong commitment to safety and happiness.

By definition, inner child work is an approach addressing childhood trauma and the triggers that happen throughout young and older adulthood that result in emotion dysregulation, anxiety, anger, depression and maladaptive coping, says psychotherapist Rebecca Solodovnik, also the founder of the therapy platform Mindfree Me. And it works in very cool ways.