Inner Child Therapy: Fototeknikken
People say there is a child inside all of us. Every adult in this world was obviously a child at one time or another. Like any other, they were born with specific genes, in a specific environment. That environment played an important role in their upbringing and in the way they see the world. This is why inner child therapy can be so important.
Inner child therapy aims for clients to get in touch with their inner child to deal with issues that they still have today. Later in this article we will talk about a great way to do this: the photo technique.
But we want to lay a foundation first. Attachment is an intense, long-lasting, unique bond that is created between two or more people based on their collaboration. The immediate goal of this is company in moments of danger because it provides a form of security, adaptability and protection. Most children develop healthy attachment patterns.
But not all children do. Basically, all children need a sense of security, trust and of course all the means necessary to survive: food, hygiene and shelter among other things. If a child does not get these things, it can lead to problems that they can carry on right up to adulthood.
These holes are etched into the deepest part of the child, their unconscious mind. As adults, they end up developing problematic behavior patterns and emotions without knowing why. This means that it is an important part of getting to know yourself better, knowing what your childhood was like and what you were missing.
The photo technique for inner child therapy
Photo technique is a tool in inner child therapy. The goal is to learn to give yourself the love you need. It is a perfect emotional tool that will evoke memories, feelings and sensations that one may suppress.
A therapist will use this technique to get a client to talk about their inner child. The point of the technique is to make it easier for the client to create a symbolic form of communication with that part of themselves.
There are several ways to use the technique. As a therapist, you need to use creativity to be sure that the technique fits well with the client. For example, some clients may have a rational or anti-emotional tendency that will make them harder to work with.
To connect with his inner child
Once the client makes the connection, the therapist will establish sincere, emotional communication with the child. They may want to ask about things like, ” How does that child feel when the parents are not available to them?” or ” What does the child need?”
This process begins with questions that should explain the child’s feelings. In most cases, the responses will reflect the emotions that the client feels as an adult. Thus, one may hear answers such as: ” The child feels alone and empty” or “They feel insecure and anxious after their mother has to come home and hug them.”
Taking the connection step further in inner child therapy
After these questions have been asked, the client should try to help their inner child. In other words, they should try to help themselves.
The therapist should then ask questions such as: “What do you want to give that child from now on?” or “Do you think it’s worth staying with a partner who disappoints you several times?” or “How can you help your child get out of that situation and feel safe?”
This will help the client see that even as an adult , the inner child is still looking for safety. As adults, they try to fill those gaps and may even have resorted to things such as alcohol, unhealthy relationships, or dedicating themselves solely to their jobs.
The client must understand that security is not an external thing, just like when they were a child. That anxiety for security is actually related to the way they feel about themselves. If the client can thus comfort the inner child and give them unconditional love, then they can begin to heal together.
What happens after you help your inner child?
The photography technique is like any other emotional or experiential psychological tool you may want to use in therapy. It is a means to an end, but it must not be the ultimate goal in itself.
In order for a client to fully heal the wounds of his inner child, they must give them the daily love, care and attention that they have promised.
A good way to help with this is by getting them to write small notes on the back of the picture. For example, they might write “ I will not let anyone treat you that way again. I will look after you.”
But writing these things down is not enough. They must manifest themselves in the form of behavior and commitment. This is where behavioral techniques can be extremely helpful. Once a client has helped their inner child, they can begin to live more perfectly and more freely.
They will stop longing for security from the outside world and find it within themselves. They will begin to embrace themselves and love themselves unconditionally.
