When I’m Anxious or Depressed, My Inner Child Is Usually Running the Show

(Reflections on Healing and My Upcoming Workshop)

I was first introduced to the idea of inner child healing around 2016, and honestly? I thought it was hokey and depressing. I was a young adult then, obsessed with who I was going to be. Why would I waste time digging into childhood pain when it would just paralyze me before I could do anything meaningful with my future?

The turning point came when a therapist guided me through an inner child meditation. That’s when I met my inner child for the first time: a greasy, emaciated little girl locked alone in a dungeon. She looked so sad. So lonely. She just wanted to be seen.

To be clear, I was never starved or locked away. I grew up with stability, education, and opportunities. But emotionally? I felt profoundly isolated. Unseen. Anxious. Like no one really tuned in to what was happening inside me. That’s what my inner child was showing me.

Since then, I’ve made it my mission to become the adult Little Sarah needed. Therapy, inner child work, adventures, dance, rest, nourishing food, boundaries, making space for joy—honoring her rhythms instead of pushing through them.

Reading about Childhood Emotional Neglect (CEN) helped it all click, and I started hearing the same story from my clients:"My parents gave me everything I needed, but they didn’t really know me."

Many of our parents and grandparents were just surviving—wars, immigration, racism, abuse. We’re often the first generation with space to even try this work.

And yes, it can feel cringe or weird at first. But what’s actually weird is how many of us are silently struggling, pretending everything’s fine.

If you’re anxious or depressed, there’s nothing wrong with you. Your inner child might just be running the show.

If This Resonates, Join Me:

Inner Child, Inner Wisdom📅 Sunday, August 10 | 3–5pm📍 Presidio area, San Francisco💰 $115 | Sliding scale available | Limited to 6 participants

This gentle, creative workshop includes guided meditation, journaling, an inner child needs worksheet, and a playful improv-based activity to help you connect with your inner child and rediscover your inner wisdom.

More info and registration:👉 www.sarahwrighttherapy.com/workshops

It’s never too late to become the parent you needed. Your inner child is not too much. And neither are you.