Ukrainian artist Alexander Milov created this sculpture, called Love.
Photo source: Vitaliy Deynega (See more photos here.)
I think this sculpture is brilliant. Often my clients don’t realize that there are young, child parts that are active in them. Often these child parts are triggered by long-standing family patterns, or any interaction that reminds them of their childhood. This may be a need to be seen, acknowledged, heard, loved unconditionally.
In this sculpture, the two children reach to out to each other from within their adult bodies. The adult bodies face away from each other, mired in their own grief and feelings of victim-hood.
Clients who have experienced trauma have their child parts locked away–they often find it difficult to let that child part come out, to be vulnerable, to ask for help, to be seen, loved–unconditionally.
How interesting if we can find a way to give the inner child what it needs on our own, without asking for it from others. In working with clients, I try to unearth and find each client’s compassion for this child part or parts of themselves.
This is called building internal resources, and when my clients find these within themselves they integrate these child parts and their needs, with their adult parts. There is deeper connection within themselves and to others, but most importantly, they know they are resilient within.