She explains that a healthy inner child may seem playful, child-like, and fun, while an injured or traumatized inner child might face challenges as an adult, particularly when triggered by events that bring up memories of past wounds. “Getting in touch with your inner child can help foster well-being and bring a lightness to life.” Diana Raab, a research psychologist and author. “Each one of us has an inner child, or way of being,” says Dr. This can go both ways, though: When childhood experiences negatively affect you, your inner child may continue to carry these wounds until you address the source. The inner child is also noted as a source of strength, since early experiences can play a significant part in your development as an adult. Other experts describe this inner child as an expression of not just your child self, but your lived experience of all life stages. He linked this internal child to past experiences and memories of innocence, playfulness, and creativity, along with hope for the future. Many trace the concept of an inner child to psychiatrist Carl Jung, who described a child archetype in his work. “I’m channeling my inner child,” you might say, while jumping off swings at the park, chasing your roommate through the house with a Nerf gun, or diving into the pool with your clothes on.
