Healing and Hypnotherapy Volume 4, Issue - 8, 1 February 2020 | Page 6

mental  variety. Also, when a childhood trauma is severe or repeated
enough, it can result in soul loss. This is why you might need to undergo a
process known in shamanic circles as “soul retrieval.” Soul retrieval is
literally the process of “retrieving” the hidden, or inaccessible parts of your
soul. Read more about soul retrieval.
However, not all childhood trauma results in soul loss — but they do result
in a wounded psyche. This can result in issues such as depression, anxiety,
low self-esteem, phobias, destructive behavioural patterns, and even
chronic illnesses.
Examples of childhood trauma could include:
• Being hit or smacked by your parents/grandparents
• Having an emotionally unavailable parent who withholds affection
• Being “punished” through kicking, shaking, biting, burning, hair
pulling, pinching, scratching or “washing out the mouth” with soap
• Being the recipient of molestation, shown pornography, or any other
type of sexual contact from a parent, relative or friend
• Being the child of divorce
• Being given inappropriate or burdensome responsibilities (such as
caring for your parents)
• Not being fed or provided a safe place to live from your parents
• Abandonment (your caretakers leaving you alone for long periods of
time without a babysitter)
• Emotional neglect, i.e. not being nurtured, encouraged or supported
• Being deliberately called names or verbally insulted
• Denigration of your personality
• Destruction of personal belongings
• Excessive demands
• Humiliation
• Car accidents, or other spontaneous traumatic events
There are many more examples of childhood trauma, but I just wanted to
provide you with a few to give you an idea of what inner child work deals
with. It’s also important to remember that our parents weren’t the only ones
responsible for provoking  childhood trauma — our grandparents, brothers,
sisters, extended family members, family friends and childhood friends may
have also played a part.
What is Inner Child Work?
This leads us to exploring the definition of inner child work:
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