Some people will never understand what it is like to be raised by parents who don’t see you. The pain you feel when they put everything and everyone before you. How small and invisible it made you feel when they ignore the love you have for them and choose “it” instead. The “it” could have been drugs, partners, friends, siblings, work, etc…no matter what you did they never seemed to choose you. You may have even had to take care of your parents and become a 2nd parent to your siblings. You found yourself making excuses about why they were not present, why they forgot, and then you learned to numb the pain.
Now you are at a point where it’s becoming more difficult to numb the feelings and to hide your hurt; you want to let go of the hurt/pain from the past. Maybe you have trouble engaging with your parents because they haven’t changed, they still attempt to make you parent them and minimize your needs. They may even try to treat you as if you are still a child.
I specialize in therapy for adult children of emotionally immature parents. The work I do is centered in inner child healing, nurturing you through those memories of a stolen childhood. Inner child healing is about relearning innocence, experiencing safety, validating your feelings, accepting joy, and creating a deep sense of worth.