Most therapy is cognitive therapy or talk therapy. Cognitive therapy employs behavior modification and points out distorted thinking. However, cognitive therapy does not heal the pain caused by wounding messages early in life. When old emotional buttons get pushed, the defense system automatically looks for ways to protect the person against pain. It does not respond to reason.

Affective therapy operates by accessing the right side of the brain. This is the place where these old wounding messages are stored. Many people try to avoid looking at pain left over from childhood. They say things like, “it’s all behind me now, why look at the past” or “I need to just forgive and move on.” The problem is that just because we want these feelings to go away, does not mean they will. They must be expressed and end up manifesting themselves in our present day lives and relationships.

The purpose of Affective therapy is to reverse these stored negative messages and allow the defense system to relax. Inner child work is a form of Affective therapy. It works by examining present day emotional buttons that get pushed or unwanted behavioral reactions, tracing them back to their origins and healing the emotional pain. It is then that we can look at the situation more objectively and act out of the more rational adult. The rational, left brain is employed, but not until the right brain has accessed the origins of the problem and expressed the unresolved feelings.

Inner child work is a way of making the unconscious conscious. There are many tools used to access the right side of the brain including imagery, artwork, music, and dream work. Each person is unique in the tool that works best for him or her.

“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.”

Albert Einsten