Mine doesn't feel separate - I sometimes go into a place where I feel very childlike and young. At other times I can more or less function as adult and the child isn't around. When I'm feeling a lot of sadness or grief I can feel very young. When I've been rejected or hurt I'm definitely aware of the child and try to comfort myself by hugging a soft toy etc. I struggle to retain a sense of my adult when I'm totally in the child, which is frustrating for T as she wants me to 'comfort myself' during those times. My child side appeared when I met this T as there was an instant 'knowing' this T was right for the hurting and vulnerable aspects of myself.