Reparenting
Reparenting means giving yourself — or receiving from a therapist within professional limits — the care, structure and validation that were missing in childhood.
Full definition of Reparenting →:: COMPARE ::
ReparentingvsInner child work
The short answer
They're two halves of one idea rather than alternatives. Inner child work names what's being addressed — the needs still carried from childhood. Reparenting names what's done about it. You can't really do the second without the first.
Side by side
| Aspect | Reparenting | Inner child work |
|---|---|---|
| Answers | What to do | What's there |
| Clinical form | Limited reparenting | Schema modes, IFS |
| Delivered by | A therapist, or yourself | Reflection |
| Risk | Over-nurturing | Literalising |
What each one means
Inner Child
The inner child is a therapeutic metaphor for the part of an adult that still carries the feelings, needs and unmet longings formed in childhood.
Full definition of Inner Child →