Every October, World Mental Health Day gives us an opportunity to talk more openly about lived experience, mental health and the things we don’t always see. This year’s theme, “Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change,” feels particularly important because lived experience is not simply about telling a story.

What are our children learning about themselves through the way they experience being parented? Most parents are not trying to teach their children that they need to earn love, suppress emotion or make everybody else happy. But sometimes we respond less thoughtfully because we are tired, overwhelmed or simply human. One sentence does not create an attachment difficulty. It simply reminds us that what we mean and what another person experiences are not always exactly the same thing.

Reconnecting with your inner-child can be an important part of healing. When I talk about your 'inner-child', I'm talking about the younger parts of you that were shaped by your earliest experiences and relationships, as children. Those experiences don't simply disappear because you grow older. Instead, they can quietly influence how you experience yourself, other people and the world around you. Healing begins by wondering, "What happened to me?" And then "What do I need now?"