Annie's_Mind, that's such a great question. I could so relate to some of those "inner child" comments you were thinking.

I arrive at my therapy sessions as my adult self but sometimes we work deliberately with younger ego states. One we have worked with a lot was me at about age 5. And we have also done infant and me as a young woman about age 18. T wil sometimes prompt me to hold conversations with them during our sessions: adult me talking to younger ego state me. Or sometimes my T will ask, what is she feeling right now (the younger ego state)? Or what does she want to say to you right now? This has been helpful to me at getting at some core issues from my past.

Maybe it could help in therapy to acknowledge your competing adult and child statements if you "name" them. Like say to your T, "I want to say 'hi, how are you?' but my child wants to say 'I have missed you so much!'" Then you have expressed both points of view and your T will understand these competing views that you experience.

sunny