I am working with someone, I could use advice: A friend?0

Question by DesertFlower13: I am working with someone, I could use advice: A friend?
of mine hide an “inner child” inside quite a while ago. I need advice on getting someone to “open up” emotionally.

As a child, this friend (an emotional type) was disciplined – in what I would consider harsh ways. The “old school” of thought is that “smacking” and a form of fear would lead to “respect”. This is the situation I am dealing with a friend, as an adult now.

My concern is that when a parent uses fear as a form of respect, sometimes the “fear” forms a type of dependance on the disciplinarian – but this would not be a true form of respect. It would be a reliance for approval.

In utilizing “fear” as a form of discipline … you take a chance on developing a dependancy or pushing someone away.

In the situation I am dealing with, it has created a bond between the parents and child, but it gets weird now. The nuturing parent created opposition in hiding favors for the child that the discplinarian was not privy to. This created a triangle affect. It created a type of “hidden inner child syndrome” combined with “prodical son attitude”. This situation caused an addictive personality to become reliant on other things rather than dealing with emotional issues.

What attempt could I use to break these walls down and find the “inner child”. Deal with the underlying emotional issues in a way that would be caring, kind and compassionate, without blame or putting anyone down?

Best answer:

Answer by blackbelt632
I realize that this is the psychology section but could you work in a little more psychobabble?
Without knowing the individuals how are we supposed to decode your question?

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!