when the ‘good girl’ grows Up: Megan Walsh on reclaiming your voice

in this heart-led episode of all our parts, i’m joined by megan walsh — licensed therapist, creator, and host of good girls gotta heal — for a real convo about inner child healing, relational trauma, and learning how to come home to yourself.

megan breaks down her acronym SAFE (see, accept, free, empower), a simple and powerful guide for navigating the messy but beautiful process of healing the parts of us that were never seen. we talk about how the “good girl” identity shows up in adulthood, how attachment wounds play out in relationships, and why nervous system care is everything.

we also get into creativity as medicine (yes, including her love for acapella 🎶), the power of community, and what it really means to feel safe enough to express your full self.

✨ if you’ve been feeling disconnected or like you’re stuck in old patterns, this one’s for you. it’s soft. it’s grounding. and it’s a reminder that you’re not behind — you’re becoming.

Transcript

 Hello everybody. Welcome back to all our parts. Welcome to all our Parts. If you are new here, I am so excited for my guest today. Her IG is Connect with Megan. She is a licensed therapist that centers around healing the inner child, correcting the perfectionist tendencies that we learned really early and starting a new TikTok.

She's also the podcast host of Good Girls. Gotta Heal. Megan, thank you so much for joining me today, 

jazz. Thank you so much for having me. It is such an honor to be here with you. Of 

course. So why inner child work? It's a phrase we hear so often. 



What spoke, why did that 

speak to you



that's a great question. As. I found that inner child work, I think it's totally been my healing process when I didn't even realize that was it at the time that like, that's what I was doing. Of course in my, 16 years of therapy. So far, when I look back at everything that, that is the heart and the core and the center of everything that has actually resulted in profound change and transformation and growth, and especially in me feeling.

More like me, right? Me feeling more comfortable. Comfortable and grounded and confident in myself, both personally and professionally. And so I feel so passionate about it, and that is why that's become the focus of my work. And of course, I know they say that as a therapist, your ideal client that you work with is really just a former version of you.

I'd say that's true 

here. That is very true. And what does it mean, again, we hear the word inner child. To work with the inner child, heal the inner child. How do you approach it? 

That's a great question. So I've actually wanted to create like a structure around it to make it more clear and to make it more digestible.

Because it is a really when you think of it, it feels very, can feel confusing. What actually is it like my inner child, I'm an adult. What, it can be very vague for. Just the average person who's hearing about it or thinking about it. So I've created an acronym around it actually to help us.

Understand it, deeper, which is the safe acronym, which as I think to step into inner child healing work, we have to establish a sense of safety to do because oftentimes we are revisiting past feelings and experiences that didn't feel safe at the time. And it's important to know that why we revisit this, why we do this work is because our inner child, whether we like it or not, is showing up in our everyday lives.

It's showing up, especially in our relationships because it was a relational, right? It's relational trauma to start with. And so it comes out in our relationships. It's why we keep being attracted to the same kind of partner, that doesn't meet our needs. And we get so frustrated with, it's why we may be feel insecure in our friendships and.

And in our family relationships. So we revisit it in order to help work on these present things. And so when we're revi revisiting it, if we take the safe acronym, the first one is that S we see, right? We see her, we see our inner child, and. And the biggest piece of that is actually like being with her.

Sitting with her in the sadness, right? The isolation, the loneliness, the anger that she felt at the time that nobody sat with her in and,

yep. Sorry. To give you some things to edit out. Okay, we're good in, in sitting with her and sitting with our inner child, especially in sitting with the pain that she felt, we are helping to validate your and her experience. And for so often, right? We, when we're, when someone doesn't sit with us in those emotions and feelings, we develop coping mechanisms and strategies to not feel.

Those feelings, which tends to be for a lot of us, can be that, that people pleasing side, the hey, if I'm just, if I can be good enough for you and what you want me to be, or if I shape myself into what I think you want, then I'm going to feel emotionally at ease. But the second that shifts and I feel like you're mad at me, oh my gosh, I feel right.

I feel so scared and overwhelmed and dysregulated. And so it just creates this dynamic that makes it so hard for us to be connected to ourselves because we're constantly scanning for our own sense of safety in the emotions and the moods and the relationships of other people. So the more that we can sit with ourselves and especially our younger self, and I will caveat that I encourage, I.

Anyone to, in doing this work to have a picture of yourself present, like a picture of your child self present with you? I, of course I don't have mine with me right here but at my other desk I do have one. And just to be able to look at her and to be able to say oh, girl, I see how, I, see how sad you are and how scared you are.

And for her to be seen in that way is actually meeting the emotional needs that went unmet for so long. And so in meeting those needs here, and now we're giving our adult self permission to feel sad, to feel angry, to not feel like, okay, I have to say yes to this thing with my friend because they're gonna be mad at me if I don't, when you're like, I'm really overwhelmed and actually I can't do it.

Yeah. And 

we get, when we honor that, we stay true to ourselves. And then actually we, sure it's uncomfortable at first, but then we feel more regulated afterwards because we've, we stayed aligned so. So that is the S portion. The A is accept. So we want to accept her for all that she is, all that she feels, because again, so much of our inner child wounds go back to the ways in which we felt like pieces of ourselves, all our parts, right?

Pieces of our, were. We're not acceptable and that, I can't be angry because then I don't feel safe in this relationship. So I have to be good. I have to be exactly what you want me to be in order to feel safe and everything. Again, everything goes back to that sense of safety and connection. I.

Often with our primary caregivers. And so we wanna accept all the parts, especially the messy ones, especially the ones that feel like they're failing or are imperfect. Because again, those are the ones that cause us the most anguish and trouble in adulthood. And it's, and of course, this is one I still deal with all the time.

Every day. It's one that is, it's never gonna be fully quote unquote fixed. But it's one that I can have a more compassionate relationship. Two, when I remember. I need to accept this part of me. Because that younger part needs to know she's allowed to be messy.

She's allowed to say a bad word. She's allowed to tell someone, this is what I really want for dinner, so there's that part. Then, F is free. So this is to really free yourself from the responsibility for other people's emotion. Freeing yourself for all of the responsibility that you've taken on yourself that you feel like, oh, this is my fault.

I am so inherently bad or unworthy. When really it was right, the your caregivers inability to offer you healthy and safe emotional attunement. Yeah. And so being able to do that shift is such a key, powerful component to remember, it's not your fault. It's not your fault, right? You were a kid, you had needs that weren't met.

And then E is to empower. So we want to empower these younger parts of you. Giving her permission. For me, a big piece of this is play and creativity. So when we're kids, naturally we explore the world through our play, through our art, through our music, through our songs, through our dance. And so many of us, that part of us gets shut off.

Whether. Whether we are feeling traumatized, so we're like actually not able to step into a playful self, or it is that, you've been told like you're not a good singer or your art sucks. And then we all of a sudden feel like, okay, not good enough. Can't engage in it. This is why I went into music therapy as my entry point into, therapy work because for me, expressing myself through song was the only way I could have access to my real feelings.

Okay? Like I will read and look back at songs that I wrote as a teenager. And I remember at the time thinking like, this isn't about anything. This is just me making this up. And then I read it again and I'm like, Aw, sweet girl. Yeah, you were dealing with your abandonment stuff in songs, so really empowering through, I.

Being able to be creative, express yourself, and also work on expressing yourself, inside of your relationships in a way that is clear, that is direct, that is where you're setting boundaries, holding boundaries. Really making your needs and your feelings known. With the people around you.

So to me that is what sums up what inner child work is. It's really this thread between sitting with these younger parts of you and threading in all of the unmet needs into your, and meeting those needs in your day-to-day life today. 

I love the permission piece that you really emphasize, and it's, when we think about giving our adult selves our present selves permission, we're really giving, we're really tapping into that unhealed part of us who I.

Couldn't always say no if they didn't wanna do something. Yeah. Who couldn't make a mess through play, who couldn't do whatever it may be. And so we are like, there's like multiple layers of healing that's happening and there's multiple corrective experience that's happening when we give, present us permission to do the thing that our younger selves couldn't do.

Yeah. 

Oh, it's the best. It's it's because when you like think about like, how would your younger self feel about that? Oh my God. They'd be like, cool, this is great. Awesome. Wow. Like what a relief. That we finally get to do it. 

And you mentioned music being a really healing and creative outlet for you.

Yeah. So much so that you sing acapella. I believe 

I do, yes, I do sing acapella. I've been. Actively in an acapella group since, actually, since high school to be honest. But in college, I was in an all female acapella group, Allah pitch Perfect. And it actually pitch Perfect came out, I think around that time.

So that was fun. But then actually I didn't know this was a thing, but there was some post-collegiate, like semi-professional acapella groups in New York, when I was living there and. Really just full of 20 somethings who all did college acapella and didn't wanna stop. And so I did that for seven years.

Then when I moved to back to Chicago, there was, a girl in my group in New York who we both were from Chicago and always joked like when we settled down with our families and go back we'll start one, one day. And then we did. So a year ago we started. Another group here, and we meet every few weeks, every two weeks.

And we sing fun songs. We perform, we had a show, about a month ago, and it's so much fun. It's a really nice way, number one, to connect, like this is actually such, the reason I've done it for so long is it is this beautiful source of community. 



Anytime that I'm working with, a client who is feeling.

Disconnected or feeling like they're not having community. I'll always say finding something that you, that is like a set meeting that you go to regularly. It's a beautiful way for nobody to have to be in charge of saying Hey, do you wanna hang out at this time? Do you wanna hang out at this time?

But it's set right. You know that I'm gonna go there and these people are gonna be there. And then naturally, over time, you develop really meaningful relationships and connections and especially to share it in music is just really extra powerful. 

When you were sharing about it. That was my first thought.

Is the community, the connection aspect. You all sharing and a passion together. Getting to be creative together. Being able. To collaborate, especially create something meaningful together like that. That's the first thing that came to mind. And I imagine that was one piece of what drew you to it, but also it sounds like a lot of healing your inner child has been getting in spaces where you allow yourself to feel seen.

Yes, totally. Totally. And to have my voice be heard. This is probably why I'm recently obsessed with this mini microphone. I just did a I ordered one because I'm like, let's see what it's all about. And I it has activated this inner child part of me that is like, Ooh, this is fun. My voice is amplified because that, that is whew.

Direct line to my stuff is just right, not. Not having a voice and feeling really quiet and small. And so anything that amplifies it, whether it's singing the tiny microphone it actually is really, a beautiful connection to that part. 

Yeah. What. Feels challenging about allowing your voice to be heard at times.

So when you go to post on socials, oh my God. Starting a new social media venture, getting a tiny microphone. What? It sounds like it has been healing, but what's the other side 

of it? Totally. Oh my God. Terrifying. It is terrifying. I think especially, as the, the Instagram platform grew and of course, it, grew a lot as a result of one, one reel.

And so that happened very quickly and all of a sudden I went from 2000 followers to 75, 80,000 followers. And being like, oh my God. Lots of more eyes are on me. And that was really scary. And it was that thing of you want something to happen, and then when it does, you're like, wait, holy crap.

That actually felt really scary and actually made me right. The wound came up and made me wanna be more quiet. And to be like, whoa. Too much. It's too bright. And of course it, it's related to that being seen part and especially that links back to your inner child stuff. So many of us, when you're not emotionally attuned to in the most healthy, connected way.

You don't feel seen. And so then when you are, it can be, it can actually, can be really dysregulating because then all of your insecurities come up and you're like, Ugh. What if I say something wrong? What if this isn't, what if this doesn't land? What if they think I sound dumb or stupid? That is totally like a filter that I do have to go through anytime, especially I share something that is me talking.

And of course that is something I think why really starting the podcast and sticking to the podcast has been really important is because I know that I need to strengthen that, I need to get more comfortable with that. And really own it because if I'm being. If I'm being really like honest and authentic with myself, you know what I actually feel like, yeah.

I love, I actually love that. I love to share and to teach and to talk. Like it's the reason why like the one-to-one work with a client is just where I excel and I love, like to me, I'm not self-conscious about what I'm saying or how I'm saying it when I'm with a client because I'm so connected in that way.

Yeah. The thing I think with social media is that you're doing this, but you're not having that like direct. Connection back with someone. Yes, people are liking and commenting, but it is more, it's more superficial. And then I think sometimes you get stuck as to like, where's the meaning in it, because inherently, like I get so much value from relational components.

So it definitely triggers, some deep insecurity pieces, that's for sure. 

Yeah. I just actually recently recorded a solo episode on talking about how corrective it's been. To show up on social media to create a podcast. Yeah. To go from someone who would prefer being invisible, to now being someone who is slowly but surely becoming more comfortable with being visible.

And how empowering it's been and how my inner child is like looking up and is oh my goodness, you're like. You're like, letting me show up in the world and be myself. So 



When you say that there's so many feelings that come up with healing the inner child. There's like joy, there's like excitement there.

And allowing, and there's also the fear that is conditioned at us. There's the 

what if 

they don't like me? What if they don't like what I have to say? What if they don't agree with me? It's totally. Yeah. So many layers to it. 

It's so hard and so much of it too is like having to be like, okay, they're gonna think what they want and if it doesn't resonate with them, that's okay. And that it's my work to do to be able to tolerate that discomfort and also be able to know, and also almost two to de gamify it, 'cause I, all of us, everything, every single one of us here listening there is this game gameness to social media of like, how many likes are you getting, how many views are you getting, how many shares?

How it's ugh. That's the goal. But also it's not, and I think especially when it comes to our inner child, I think a place where I know I get stuck is when I've noticed myself being focused on that. And Oh, it is totally coming up in actually starting to post on TikTok, as we have hated about,

because I'm like, I have not posted there ever. I have zero. I have a large problem on Instagram, like zero people there. And so that whoa. Totally. Bringing up all of the am I allowed to go here? Will people like me here? Yeah. 



And. How that insecurity has totally been at the surface.

But also, again, I then I bring myself back to what is my goal? Like, how am I, what is my goal of doing this at all? And it always comes back to you know what, I wanna be a vessel for someone else to really see themselves, to really see their experience and to. Step deeper into their own healing work to then eventually experience the release of the old wounds. Or the reconfiguring your relationship to them. Because as you're seeing me go through in real time is that the wounds are present. The insecurities are present and really the work has been to, okay, I can reframe, I can, I can totally bring compassion to that part of me that is feeling insecure, reset.

Understand my intention and let that be the guide. Yeah. The intention is the guide, not be the likes of use all of that and that. 

That is so important to emphasize is that whenever we step out into a new venture, whenever we're trying something new, trying something totally out of our comfort zone, we have to remember our larger why.

Because the likes, the views, all of it is fleeting. You don't necessarily connect with every single person that you engage with on social media. And so when that moment of. At least for me, wanting to run or wanting to be like, okay, you know what? I'm just closing all this down. Yes, do something else.

I have to remind myself that there is a larger purpose, there is a larger why to why I am doing this. And that totally is a really grounding force. 

Yeah, absolutely. I actually experienced this in real time yesterday, after going to the Boston Marathon a few weeks ago to watch my sister-in-law run it.

My husband and I both have run in the past, like I've did a lot of running, in my early to mid twenties with like always doing so a half marathon because that was the only thing that would get me to run consistently was to have the goal at the end. But I haven't run since before getting pregnant with my son.

So that's gonna be like. Three years ago now. And I was like, okay, I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna, it's a nice day. I've got more time in my calendar this week. I'm gonna put my gym shoes on and I'm going to go for a run. Honestly, I get 0.4 miles in and I'm like, holy crap, this is really hard.

This is way hard. Why does this feels so hard right now? And of course the content creator in me was like, you know what? I can make a lesson outta this. Was I really like distracting myself from the running. Yes. But I, I like did a little video for, a broadcast channel and said, you know what? I am doing this right now.

I really wanna stop. I, everything in me wants to stop because this feels really hard. And I feel like I can't do it. And I know. Now, right now, this is the short term discomfort in service of the longer term goal of, yeah, I want to be right. I wanna be reconditioned and able to run because I know what's good for me.

And this, getting through this really hard beginning part is it takes a lot, right? It takes a lot of consistency and dedication. And it's gonna be hard for a while. But eventually I know it'll get easier. And that's the piece we have to hold on to. Yeah. And especially as it relates to this social media, to our healing journey to, to all of it.

I also hear you navigating, you've crushed in one area or you've crushed running before I. And you're now allowing yourself to go into a very different platform. And so you see where you have been successful, where you are successful, and I imagine there's a part that's do I have to step over here?

Can I just stay where it's already safe? Where it's already established? Where I know the landscape, where I already know what's happening. 

So true. 

Same with running, same with TikTok. But you are allowing yourself to say, you know what, there's a larger why there's a larger purpose. And I am safe.

I am in a safe space to step into a new, into new territory or retry. Yeah. Similar territory. Totally. 

Yes. Oh, it's, it is. So the chapter I am in, yeah, you're right. And I love the link. Thank you for linking that in, in so many ways. 'cause it's the same, it is absolutely the same. And it actually has been one that I've been resisting for a while.

But it, like I have felt it of okay, this has worked in one way. And great. Like it, it is I'm so proud of all that has, I've built from it in the past year, like really proud of myself and know like when the, like the little knowing the whisper comes in of it's time to keep.

Growing and time to expand. I'm like, no. But yeah, it's safe and comfortable here and I just, I don't wanna have to do anything different. And if I wanna stay in alignment with the larger goals that I have for myself, yeah. Gotta, I have to reach out, I have to expand. My business manager actually really wants me to be active on LinkedIn.

I was like, interesting. Okay, sure. I don't know what that, I do not know what the landscape is over there, but we'll see. Different vibe than TikTok, I'm sure. But truly, yeah. Having to be this to be new and to start something new, I think actually it's a great way to connect back to your inner child as well.

Just to remind them. To remind this part of me that right is so worried of, oh my gosh, are they gonna like me here? It's you are worthy, right? You are worthy. And. Whoever aligns with you here is gonna align with you, but you are gonna continue again to do the work that you feel passionate about and let that continue to be the goal.

We'll connect offline on LinkedIn. I'm over there a little bit, so are you. Tell you what it's my gosh. I can tell you what it's like over there. It's, I love it. Oh my gosh. Okay. Yes, it is a different planet, but something's cooking over there for sure. Okay. But yeah, I'm so resonating with so much of what you're saying.

Honestly, this week is the first week that I've really looked at my social media analytics, so I've been in this space now for a year and a half, and I yeah, the cushion that I have right now, I'm like, okay, I have this safe cushion that I know things are interesting. I know things are growing, and so now I can look at, what is actually engaging and exciting? Yes. What do I need to do more of? What can I do less of? And that's a nice space to be in. And that tugs on the inner child part of me that feels like they have to do everything. 



Oh God. Yep. All 

the things you need to be the master of all. Yeah. And you are, sorry.

I'm totally giving validation to that part. And because they know they need to hear it. And of course making space for the like, and you don't have to you can focus on what brings you joy and what's, what are the things you feel resistant to okay, let 'em go. And honestly, to me that was TikTok for a long time.

I'm like, I don't even, I don't go there. I don't look there. I just don't use it. It's very much the millennial in me and, and, but I don't know. Something even, but Okay. Side note for the listener. Jazz and our friend Becca and I, were. We are doing another cool venture opportunity, and we communicated on Friday where I said, guys, I'm really tired.

I'm really tired of all the effort. And the daily, like just, it's like Groundhog day every day. When with social media. And then literally on Sunday, I post on TikTok and jazz is Hey, yo, oh, welcome to the party. I was like, yes. It says I want to stop and literally joins a new platform.

But hey the energy is there. And actually I'm like, I'm feeling like, you know what? Cool. This feels fun and new and exciting and actually the creative way that meets the creative side of me that wants to like, explore and play and see what. What happens over there 

and we are growing and evolving, so we're learning that we can stop at any time if there's a platform that isn't resonating as much.

If there is content that we wanna lean more into, that inner child gets to have choice. Has so much autonomy in looking at TikTok and saying, you know what? I wanna slow down over here and focus more on Instagram. Or I wanna, how can I bolster the podcast? What do I need to do to make steps towards that?

Yeah. That's the beauty of inner child healing, I feel is like the fluidity that comes with it is 

yeah. 

It's not just one thing that the inner child needs. It's flexibility. It's being able to choose it's autonomy, it's independence, it's joy and creativity. It's so many things.

Absolutely. And it's that permission, right? That permission to wherever you are is okay. It's not a failure, right? You don't have to be perfect that you get to make another a choice today, in this moment that aligns with you here and now. And that can be different from a day ago, from 10 minutes ago.

But the more that you return to yourself in the present moment and listen to what you need, what you want, the better. Man, I just 

Took note of that 'cause I needed to hear that. For sure. It's being able to change knowing that. You are returning to yourself every single time. Every time you allow yourself the space to grow, you are returning to yourself.

Yeah. And this is, like everything that you're talking about is so in line with, your show name of good Girls gotta Heal.

Yeah. Yeah. Because it's taking that, so many of us, I think, identify with the role of the Good girl, right? The one who does it all? Who does it all, quote unquote.

Who gets, good grades, who shows up for everybody in her life, who follows the rules, does not get in trouble. All of these things that, this mask essentially that we've learned to wear in order to feel safe and connected. But underneath, right underneath the mask, it doesn't look the same on the outside.

There's a lot of, maybe there's a lot of anguish and anxiety and spiraling and depression and so much, yeah. Tension and discord internally that doesn't match the external view. And so much of this work, the goal is how do we make it all right? Integrated? How do we make the internal experience external?

And that is through the permission that all the messy stuff inside gets to be expressed outside and he will still be loved, right? You'll still be loved and accepted and anybody that doesn't right just might not be for you, and that's okay. And we can have hard conversations with them, but we don't need to make ourselves smaller or lesser or shift and change what we actually want in order to make someone else feel more regulated.

No. We really have to just learn to, again tolerate the discomfort of what it means to, for someone else to have to not be a hundred percent okay with us. And maybe the things that we want that aren't in alignment with what they want. 

Oh. The early stages of that and even sometimes 'cause every situation is the same and also different, but that is a really hard place to get to, I feel like.

Yeah. 

Oh my God, it's so hard. It's so hard. And again, it's one that I don't think ever gets it doesn't, like I'm never walking around being like, yeah, you could be mad at me. And I am so okay with it. It's really okay. You're mad at me and I have to again, have to come back to, am I being honest, right?

Am I being authentic is like my inner truth. External. It is. Okay. It's my boundary set. Great. So my work is done. The disappointment or the frustration and the anger is theirs to do. And then of course there's a whole lot of sadness when it's maybe someone who isn't doing that work or can't do the work or, you're, you don't trust that they ever will.

So then it comes back to you with some grief to feel and, having to sit with with the fact that you can't fix someone else to be who you need them to be for you. 

Oh, it, I always, when I'm working with clients, I always say you are very, there's a lot of nuance to this, but I always say.

Their feelings are not your responsibility. And there, and yes, we always wanna consider the people that we love and care about. We always want to keep, people in the forefront, to not turn into a selfish person. Yeah. And when we get to a space where we start abandoning ourselves completely, where we start abandoning

our own feelings, needs, boundaries, yeah. We really have to look at the clear distinction between what's ours to carry and what is the other person's work to do, because, yeah, for good girls who have grown up trying to keep the peace, trying to make everyone in this space comfortable there is. A bit ago was also ours and it was confusing.

And it was muddled and it was a lot of work to be able to parse what was the difference, what was, yeah. The distinction between the two. 



But truly what is someone else's work? Is their work and you get to internally scream, you get to internally have all the feelings and remind yourself that you are giving yourself permission to return to yourself.

You're giving yourself permission Exactly. To advocate and stand up for yourself. 

Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. I use this example with clients all the time to, to explore boundaries. Like I'll say my 2-year-old. He will write one of his favorite activities is to walk on up and smack me and so much.

Usually it's when it always happens. If I'm on my phone and he wants attention, that's the sign that I take. It's not that he's a bad kid, we're gonna bring in Dr. Becky here. It's not that he's a bad kid, that he hits me but it's telling me something. But I can also say, hey.

You can, Michael, you can be frustrated, right? I'm gonna validate your feeling, can validate feelings all day, but I'm not gonna let you hit me. 



And that's another way with adults, is that you can be frustrated. I'm not gonna let you speak to me that way. I'm gonna hang up the phone or I'm gonna leave the room.

Because that's, that is not something I am allowing into my inner space. Yeah. Because I'm not absorbing that, that's not mine. That's yours. And if you can figure out a way to, to communicate that in a more connected, compassionate way, I am all about compassionate, connected conflict.

Because. It can be right Conflict can be compassionate and connected. Once we all regulate, we can speak to each other in really connected ways that help each other feel heard and feel seen, which is, is the root of every conflict ever. Is just someone really wanting to be validated and seen by the other person.

And so part of this work too, is really learning to get to that place where you are, right? You're such an advocate for yourself and what you will and won't allow to be absorbed. 

I need to learn how to train that into my dog. So if he wants attention, he'll smack the phone outta my hand.

Uhhuh, he's not a ca I wish he would be a content dog, but he hates the camera. He doesn't look at it. Wow. But especially if I'm sitting on the couch on my phone. Yeah. He's

yeah, wax it right outta my hand. What's your dog's name? Harper. Harper and I think I saw a picture, a doodle, right?

Golden doodle. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, okay. My molly is a golden doodle. So yeah, I had the same experience of the, and pet me. So I 

just put my phone down. Haven't quite figured it out yet, but hey, we're take, 

we take 

it one step at a time. 

I know, totally. And really validating, validating or highlighting the behavior we wanna see. When they're sitting, or honestly, for my son, it's, when he is, when he comes over and says, can you help me? Yes, of course. I love how you asked me that, right? Like really highlighting and giving a lot of love and validation to, to those really connected moments where it's the behavior we wanna see.



Yeah. I hope this episode for my listeners just feels like a hug to their inner child. I know. That's how I feel right now, being able to talk with you and as a final question, I love to always leave something tangible. What is the first step you always offer your clients when they want to do the work of healing their inner child?

I, I think I'd go back to the picture, getting the picture because that is actually gonna that's going to put you into relationship with her in a more tangible way. So this way to see her and to say, Hey, there you are. I see you. And then to be able to be with her in that way and just if you can just validate what you see her feeling.

I see you feeling maybe sad or curious or overwhelmed. I see that. And letting that can be it. Because for many, I have many clients who, in my group program that I do, we do a module on it and it can be a really hard one. It's a really hard one for people to even step into because there's so much charge to it of oh, I don't even wanna go back there.

But unfortunately the only way out is through. And so the only way to keep those wounds from impacting us. Every day is to step in. And so I just like to just spend that gentle moment of just looking at her, validate what she's feeling, and then we can dive in deeper into the experiences she went through and how can we be with her and be present to those and then go deeper.

But I think that's a good way to start.

Yes. And as would tack on establishing safety too. 

Yes, of course. Of course. Yeah. And, and I would let yourself think about what are the ways in which you feel safe? Who are the people you feel safe with? And then what are the, literally like the items in your environment that make you feel like cozy and safe?

Like to me, like getting under the covers in my bed. Oh my God. Best feeling ever. When I'm here in, in the office, like sometimes I'll bring a fuzzy blanket because that makes, that feels a bit more grounding and helps my nervous system feel more at ease and safe. So really thinking about what are those, who are those people?

What are those spaces and tangible things for you. 

Yes. Everything that, that, if you're interested in connecting with Megan and ah. 

Play on your 

interested in connecting with Megan, finding her Instagram or TikTok. Everything will be linked in the show notes as well as her podcast. Good Girls gotta heal.

And as a final question, I'm asking all of my guests, what is your commitment to yourself for 2025? 

Ooh, great question. I love this. My commitment to myself to, for 2025, I think, is to do the hard new things. Is to let myself lean into that and trust myself and trust that I. That it will continue to lead me where I want to go, even if I don't feel it at this moment, but just that leaning into the new, tolerating the discomfort, trusting myself and moving into the unknown.

Very nice. Thank you so much for joining me today. Thank you, Jess.

 Thank you all so much for tuning into this episode. Make sure you tap the bell to stay in the loop with new episodes dropping every Friday. If this episode spoke to you, I'd be so grateful if you left a review. It helps others find the show and reminds me why I keep showing up. And if you wanna keep the conversation going, come hang with me on socials at Healing with Jasmine.

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