I'm glad you brought this topic up! I've been wanting to explore this type of work more and see what other people's experiences have been...I want to describe what this type of work has looked like for me in therapy but I have a hard time articulating some things-but I will give it a shot:
When I started therapy about 5 months ago-T and I first just started exploring my past, some of the trauma, environment, unmet needs, loses...and looking at how I am stuck now in my responses (emotionally/behaviorally), mostly in times of distress or when I fear abandonment or feel overwhelmed-and how "she" is 10 years old. It started off as writing her a letter-I was the one who thought of this-I wanted to tell her things she needs to hear. I think it was too soon, because after I wrote it and read it one session I ripped it up. I still feel very scared and vulnerable when we talk about her in session, she has shown up (I feel completely different-and it starts off with a little laugh that I know she is very present) but I feel so protective of her that I don't want T talking to her...but I'm working on talking to her-telling her she is okay-not a bad girl, that it's okay to want things, to need things-and to not hurt herself and that we need this now because it's hurting our life now, I am terrified of intimacy and it comes from her-so we are simultaneously working together I guess? I don't know this all seems so confusing now...but T will talk about "her" and how we look at him, where our feelings or actions are coming from, me or her...it's helping me not get mad at myself (why would I hurt a 10 year old for wanting a hug or needing to talk to someone?!)
I recently did homework for my T-about how we can get through the times when we need or want something-without getting mad..and realizing its okay-I did one for me and one for her...I found an awesome poem for me and she colored...I shared mine-she did not...gosh-okay...that's enough for now...this is starting to bring up stuff-and I won't get to see T this week...