Have you ever sat with a memory from your childhood and wondered: what would’ve happened if someone had just listened back then? Not fixed. Not lectured. Just listened.

As a trainee therapist, I often find myself thinking: what if my younger self had someone like the therapist I’m becoming now? Not necessarily to ‘solve’ her struggles, but to offer her a safe space. To hear her confusion about why her friend suddenly stopped talking to her. To hold space for the fear she felt when her parents fought. To say, “That was scary,” instead of, “You’ll get over it.”

This isn’t about blame, it’s about curiosity. So many of us are walking around with unspoken stories from our childhoods. Sometimes they whisper through perfectionism, people-pleasing, or even the anxiety we feel before sending a simple text. These aren’t just personality quirks; they’re echoes of a little version of us who never got the chance to be fully heard.

What if we turned inward and asked our inner child: What do you need today?

Maybe they'd say, “I need a nap.” Or “I wish someone told me it wasn’t my fault.” Maybe, just maybe, they’d ask for a therapist.

We often seek therapy when things feel ‘too much’ in our adult life but healing doesn't always begin with the adult version of us. Sometimes, it starts with a gentle knock on the door of the child within, and a soft voice saying, “Hey. I’m here now. And I’m listening.”