Sometimes the strongest emotional reactions aren’t coming from your adult self.
They’re coming from a part of you that was formed before you even had words. A preverbal part.
Preverbal parts are formed before we have language. They don’t communicate through words or memories. They communicate through sensations in the body — a racing heart, a tight chest, a feeling of panic when someone pulls away, or an overwhelming fear of being left.
When these parts are activated, you’re not just reacting to what’s happening today. You’re also reacting to experiences your nervous system remembers, even if your mind doesn’t.
You may know logically that you’re safe, yet your nervous system responds as though you’re not. This isn’t because you’re overreacting. It’s because your body is remembering something your conscious mind cannot.
When you begin to recognise this, you stop asking, “What’s wrong with me?”
Instead, you begin asking, “What younger part of me is asking for my attention right now?”
That small shift changes everything.
Healing isn’t about silencing these parts. It’s about gently turning towards them with curiosity, compassion and care.
If your reactions sometimes feel much bigger than the situation you’re in, it might be a preverbal part reaching out for your attention. And that question — “What younger part of me needs me right now?” — can completely change the way you relate to yourself.
Love, Jen 🪷
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The Inner Child Healing Course is a 5-module programme that teaches you how to reconnect with — and reparent — the younger parts of yourself that are still carrying old wounds. At just $97, it’s the most direct path to improved self-regulation, deeper self-compassion, and healthier relationships.
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