We are all adults and, at the same time, we are all children. We have a responsible side that knows what it wants and makes it happen, and is able to protect itself from harm. However, we have another side that wants others to be like us, is intolerant of differences, gets frustrated when it does not achieve its goals and places the responsibility for its well-being and blame for its discomfort on others. The distinction between the Adult Self and the Child Self manifests itself in various contexts, depending on the individual.

The journey we make throughout this book is towards recognizing the difference between the Adult Self and the Child Self in order to clarify the direction of our growth. What makes us wake up to our inner reality, free ourselves from what no longer serves us and grow towards finding the best version of ourselves? The answer can be found by looking at our inner child, in order to recover joy, spontaneity and lightness, but also to take care of wounds and traumas, that is, the emotional part that makes us fly into a rage or fall into a downward spiral of exhausting anxiety.

Rossana Appolloni addresses questions inherent to our internal dynamics. For instance, what emotional wounds do we have and how do they arise on a day-to-day basis? How are patterns of behaviour formed and how do we change them? What is the role of attachment in childhood and how does it influence our relationships as adults? The book looks at: the change process; the Hero’s Journey as a symbolic journey that we can all take, thus enabling post-traumatic growth; how to be an emotionally-adult person capable of taking care of oneself; and finally, the importance of walking towards – rather than arriving at – the destination.

Along with a theoretical explanation, all chapters include stories shared by clients, suggestions in the form of exercises and references to episodes of the author’s Ousar Ser Podcast.