Inner Child Healing & Trauma Therapy in Waxhaw, NC

At Embodied Wholeness in Waxhaw, NC, I believe that healing is not about fixing what’s broken—it’s about gently remembering and returning to the parts of yourself that have always been whole, but may have been hidden away for safety.

Many of the symptoms that bring people into therapy—perfectionism, people pleasing, codependency, chronic anxiety, addictions, burnout, or a deep sense of not feeling “enough”—are not personal flaws. They are adaptations. They are signs of a nervous system that has been trying to keep you safe in a world that didn’t always feel safe.

What is Trauma?

Trauma is not defined solely by the event itself. It is not just the car accident, the betrayal, the emotional neglect, or the critical parent. Trauma is about how our individual nervous systems respond to overwhelming experiences, especially when we don’t have the resources, safety, or support to fully process them.

One person might live through a difficult experience and come out feeling empowered, while another might carry that same moment in their body for decades. The difference often lies in how much attuned safety and support they received after the experience, how safe their relationships were, and whether they felt seen, soothed, and supported in their emotional pain.

Trauma lives in the body as patterns of dysregulation such as hyper-vigilance, numbness, chronic tension, or a persistent feeling of needing to “do” or “be” more in order to feel safe or worthy. These patterns often began in childhood, especially if we grew up in environments where our emotional needs were unmet or where we had to suppress parts of ourselves in order to survive.

Self-Abandonment and Codependency

When children experience chronic stress such as emotionally unavailable caregivers, unpredictability, being parentified, or environments where love was conditional, they adapt in the only ways they know how. They disconnect from their true feelings, desires, and instincts to maintain the attachment they need to survive. This is known as self-abandonment.

Over time, this self-abandonment can take many forms: becoming the “good” child, the helper, the achiever, the fixer, or the invisible one. These patterns are not conscious choices; they’re brilliant survival strategies that allow us to feel some sense of control in a world that felt emotionally unsafe.

But what once helped us survive can become the very thing that causes pain in adulthood. These patterns evolve into codependency which is the chronic prioritization of others' needs and emotions at the expense of our own. You may feel responsible for others’ feelings, overextend yourself in relationships, or struggle to set boundaries. Deep down, there’s often a fear that if you don’t show up in a certain way, you won’t be loved or accepted.

Perfectionism, Control, and Other Trauma Responses

Many people come to therapy believing they simply need to "try harder," “fix themselves,” or "get it together." But symptoms like perfectionism, control, anxiety, substance use, or constantly striving to prove your worth are not moral failings. They are trauma responses.

These coping mechanisms are rooted in unhealed emotional wounds and unmet childhood needs. For example:

• Perfectionism may have protected you from criticism or rejection as a child.

• Control may have been a way to create safety in a chaotic or unpredictable environment.

• Addictions often soothe unprocessed pain or provide temporary relief from overwhelming emotions.

• People pleasing may have helped you avoid conflict or abandonment.

• Chronic self-doubt or not feeling good enough may stem from internalized messages that you had to earn love through performance or compliance.

• Overworking or needing to constantly prove yourself may reflect a deeper belief that your worth is tied to what you do—not who you are.

These behaviors are not the problem—they’re signals pointing us toward the parts of ourselves that were never fully seen, valued, or nurtured.

What Is Inner Child Healing?

At the heart of trauma recovery is the process of reconnecting with your inner child—the part of you that still holds the memories, emotions, needs, and innocence from earlier stages of your life.

Inner child therapy is the practice of gently and compassionately turning toward these younger parts of yourself, especially the ones who had to grow up too fast, who learned to stay quiet, or who never got to feel safe in their full emotional expression. When we do inner child work, we aren’t trying to live in the past—we are creating the conditions, in the present, that your younger self always needed but never received.

What Does Inner Child Work Look Like?

In my trauma therapy practice in Waxhaw, NC, inner child work involves:

• Guided visualization to connect with a younger version of yourself and begin a dialogue.

• Somatic practices that help you tune into where your inner child lives in your body and how they’re asking for attention or care.

• Experiential exercises that allow you to feel what it’s like to offer your inner child protection, validation, and unconditional love.

• Boundary work where you learn to advocate for your needs in ways your younger self never could.

• Compassionate reparenting, where you begin to speak to yourself with the gentleness and understanding you always longed for.

This work helps you access buried grief, anger, fear, or longing that may have been pushed aside for decades. And by allowing those feelings to surface and be witnessed, you begin to repair the rupture within yourself—restoring trust, connection, and wholeness.

Why This Work Matters

When we heal our relationship with our inner child, we stop abandoning ourselves. We learn that we no longer have to perform, perfect, or people please to be loved. We begin to feel worthy simply because we exist. And from that place of inner safety, everything changes—our relationships, our health, our sense of purpose, and our ability to truly live.

Healing your inner child is not a quick fix—it is a transformational process of trauma recovery that allows you to return home to yourself. It is learning how to be with your pain in a new way, without judgment or shame. It is discovering that the parts of you you once thought were too much, too sensitive, or not enough are actually your greatest gifts.

You do not have to walk this path alone.

Begin Your Journey Home

At Embodied Wholeness, I hold a compassionate and grounded space for this deeply transformational work. Whether you're navigating childhood trauma, codependency, relational wounds, or simply sensing that there’s more to who you are beneath the coping strategies, you are welcome here.

Together, we can begin to gently uncover the layers of protection, reconnect you with your authentic self, and support the healing of the parts of you that have waited patiently to be seen, held, and loved.

If you're ready to begin your healing journey, I invite you to reach out. Your inner child is not lost—just waiting for you to return.