Can 'reparenting' yourself make you happier?

Ms Laura Wells, 54, a fitness coach in Fort Worth, Texas, felt silly when she first tried giving herself a hug. Then, she realised, "it really helps".

- Christina Caron

NEW YORK - Ms Laura Wells, 54, a fitness coach in Fort Worth, Texas, felt silly when she first tried giving herself a hug. Then, she realised, "it really helps".

It is one of the ways she is attempting to "reparent" herself - by meeting emotional needs she says were neglected during her childhood.

The idea of reparenting has been around for decades, but the practice has flourished in recent years as interest in trauma-informed therapy has soared.

In reparenting, patients are empowered to find their hurt "inner child" and help it feel loved so that they can develop a stronger sense of self and better relationships with others.

It is not an easy process. "I'm always telling people, reparenting your inner child is messy, uncomfortable and awkward," said Ms Nicole Johnson, a licensed professional counsellor in Boise, Idaho, and the author of a new book on the topic.

But when her clients acknowledge their pain and view it through the lens of their younger selves, they tend to have more self-compassion and gradually drop the coping mechanisms from their childhood that are no longer helpful.

Reparenting originated in the 1960s, when therapist Jacqui Schiff encouraged her patients with schizophrenia to live with her and then regress back to childhood. She assumed the role of a caregiver and cradled her clients, even asking them to wear diapers.