<p>What you are talking about is mentioned in psychology to be the “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inner_child" rel="nofollow noreferrer">inner child</a>”.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/evil-deeds/200806/essential-secrets-psychotherapy-the-inner-child/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Inner Child Therapy</a> is used within many different forms of therapy.  The inner child is often characterized as a subpersonality within the framework of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychosynthesis" rel="nofollow noreferrer">psychosynthesis</a> or may also be seen as a central element surrounded by subpersonalities. Virtually every talk therapy approach acknowledges and ascribes some meaning to the inner child, but in some cases they use a different label.  <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_Family_Systems_Model" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS)</a> has expanded the concept considerably in recognizing that there isn't just one inner child subpersonality, but many.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Inner child therapy has been designed to help those who, as children, have been hurt by the adults and circumstances around them. They may have been hurt, not just by major, easily recognised traumas such as physical or sexual abuse or death of, or abandonment by, a parent, but also by the daily drip drip traumas such as neglect, rejection, criticism, humiliation, bullying, denial or confusion. (<a href="https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/counsellor-articles/inner-child-therapy" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Christopher, 2016</a>)</p>
</blockquote>

<h2>References</h2>

<p>Christopher, J. (2016). <em>Inner child therapy</em> [Online]<br>Retreived from: <a href="https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/counsellor-articles/inner-child-therapy" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/counsellor-articles/inner-child-therapy</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-29T09:19:41.957Z
Thanks for the many links. The IFS reminds me to the idea of animal zoo in [Why You Should Stop Caring What Other People Think (Taming the Mammoth) - Wait But Why](https://waitbutwhy.com/2014/06/taming-mammoth-let-peoples-opinions-run-life.html). Anyway, can that child "die" for being repressed so long? In general, how do we evaluate an approach?
Ooker
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-28T08:08:42.060Z
2018-07-28T08:08:42.060Z
Chris Rogers
<p>In art and literature, the adults are usually depicted as having a trapped child in their hearts:</p>
<p><img src="https://personalexcellence.co/files/burning-man-sculpture-inner-child-love-alexandr-milov.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>The child is pure and naive, but is trapped in the adult body who is struggling to survive. I think this would simply be called as repression, and maybe in extreme case it can lead to <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/conditions/dissociative-identity-disorder-multiple-personality-disorder" rel="nofollow noreferrer">dissociative identity disorder</a>? I think that in order to give a satisfactory answer, literature studies should also be included.</p>

<terminology><inner-child>
How is "the innermost child" framed in psychology?
Ooker
# How is "the innermost child" framed in psychology?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-07-28)

In art and literature, the adults are usually depicted as having a trapped child in their hearts:

![](https://personalexcellence.co/files/burning-man-sculpture-inner-child-love-alexandr-milov.jpg)

The child is pure and naive, but is trapped in the adult body who is struggling to survive. I think this would simply be called as repression, and maybe in extreme case it can lead to [dissociative identity disorder](https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/conditions/dissociative-identity-disorder-multiple-personality-disorder)? I think that in order to give a satisfactory answer, literature studies should also be included.

**Tags:** terminology, inner-child


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-07-28. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

What you are talking about is mentioned in psychology to be the “[inner child](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inner_child)”.

[Inner Child Therapy](https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/evil-deeds/200806/essential-secrets-psychotherapy-the-inner-child/) is used within many different forms of therapy. The inner child is often characterized as a subpersonality within the framework of [psychosynthesis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychosynthesis) or may also be seen as a central element surrounded by subpersonalities. Virtually every talk therapy approach acknowledges and ascribes some meaning to the inner child, but in some cases they use a different label. [Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_Family_Systems_Model) has expanded the concept considerably in recognizing that there isn't just one inner child subpersonality, but many.

> Inner child therapy has been designed to help those who, as children, have been hurt by the adults and circumstances around them. They may have been hurt, not just by major, easily recognised traumas such as physical or sexual abuse or death of, or abandonment by, a parent, but also by the daily drip drip traumas such as neglect, rejection, criticism, humiliation, bullying, denial or confusion. ([Christopher, 2016](https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/counsellor-articles/inner-child-therapy))

## References

Christopher, J. (2016). *Inner child therapy* [Online]  
Retreived from: <https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/counsellor-articles/inner-child-therapy>

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks for the many links. The IFS reminds me to the idea of animal zoo in [Why You Should Stop Caring What Other People Think (Taming the Mammoth) - Wait But Why](https://waitbutwhy.com/2014/06/taming-mammoth-let-peoples-opinions-run-life.html). Anyway, can that child "die" for being repressed so long? In general, how do we evaluate an approach?  

---

