Attachment and Inner Child Therapy in Los Altos, California
Healing the Roots of How You Relate to Yourself and Others
Attachment and Inner Child struggles show up in many ways. Do these sound Familiar?
You might find yourself craving closeness but pulling away when someone gets too near.
You worry that if people really knew you, they would leave.
Even in good relationships, you sometimes feel a constant undercurrent of loneliness.
You replay the same painful dynamics in friendships or romances and wonder why.
There’s a younger part of you that feels unworthy, unseen, or not good enough.
You long for care and support but feel guilty or ashamed when you need it.
Conflict makes you feel small — like you’re right back in your childhood home.
It feels hard to trust that love will last or that it’s safe to really rely on someone.
You sense there’s a gap between the confident adult you and the tender, insecure child within.
No matter how much you achieve, you still feel haunted by an old fear of being rejected or abandoned.
We all carry our past into the present
Therapy is the perfect place to understand your relational patterns and work on yourself.
Therapy is a place for you to talk about those small moments in connecting with others that feels off, to let out big feelings you don’t feel others can handle.
Therapy is often a microcosm of our relationships. I believe that relationships tend to repeat themselves, and as these dynamics replay in the therapy between you and I, we will have the opportunity to face them in the moment, working through the past for a more promising future. In therapy together, we will work to identify what trends tend to play out, what is happening in yourself, and moving towards who you want to be in relationships.
Attachment and Inner Child
Humans are relational creatures and embedded in this truth is that we often grow or stagnate based on our ability to deepen and navigate relationships. Learning how to be in relationship means facing vulnerabilities, being honest with yourself, with others, and checking in with how you feel and learning how to verbalize this. Whether you are struggling in relationship with your spouse, partner, parents, or any loved (or not loved) ones, the basic building blocks of healthy communication remain the same. Many of us have learned poor communication strategies, it is never too late to work on this skill.
Attachment and Inner Child Work FAQs.
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The inner child is a way of describing the younger parts of yourself that still live inside — the feelings, needs, and longings you had growing up that may not have been fully met. In therapy, we explore those tender places not to dwell on the past, but to understand how they shape the way you feel and relate today.
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Attachment styles are the patterns you learned in early relationships — how safe or unsafe it felt to reach out for love, comfort, and care. These patterns often resurface in adult relationships, shaping how you handle closeness, conflict, and vulnerability. By bringing awareness to them in therapy, you can begin to shift from repeating old cycles toward building healthier, more secure connections.
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Not at all. This work isn’t about blame — it’s about understanding. Even loving parents can miss things, and families often pass down patterns they never had the chance to examine themselves. By exploring your early experiences, you gain clarity and compassion for both yourself and the people who raised you. That understanding opens the door to change.
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That’s very common. Inner child and attachment work doesn’t require perfect memories. Often the feelings you carry in the present — self-doubt, shame, fear of abandonment, or difficulty trusting — tell the story of what may have been missing. Together, we’ll follow the threads of those feelings to uncover and heal the younger parts of you.
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This work is gentle and collaborative. We’ll pay attention to how your younger parts show up in your thoughts, feelings, and relationships today. You’ll have space to express emotions that may have once felt unsafe or “too much.” Over time, you may find yourself feeling more grounded, more secure in relationships, and more compassionate toward yourself.
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You don’t have to know your “attachment style” or be certain you need inner child work before starting. Many people come in simply feeling stuck in patterns they can’t explain — maybe you keep choosing unavailable partners, struggle with self-worth, or feel anxious about being abandoned. If you notice that your reactions in relationships feel bigger than the situation at hand, or that certain feelings trace back to something deeper, this kind of therapy may help. Together, we’ll explore at a pace that feels safe for you, with curiosity rather than judgment.
Contact Me
Ready to take the next step? Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or to request a consultation.
