Inner child work with Laura Bass

Does Laura Bass offer inner child work?

Yes. Laura Bass is a psychotherapist who works with adults, and she offers inner child work as part of individual counseling. It is not a course, a package or a set number of sessions. It is one way of looking at what brings you to counseling, used when it fits and when you want it.

Laura's main practice is in Charlotte, North Carolina, and she has a part-time office at The Healing Cottage in Columbus, the Polk County seat. She is licensed in North Carolina and South Carolina. She works with adults 18 and over, and with parents rather than children.

How does inner child work fit into counseling with Laura?

"Inner child" is a popular, informal idea, not a diagnosis and not a single standardized therapy. It is a way of describing how feelings, needs and habits formed early in life can still shape how an adult reacts, especially under stress. Our page on what inner child work is explains the idea and where it comes from.

Laura describes her approach to psychotherapy as holistic, humanistic and integrative, and she works with the whole person: mind, body and spirit. On her about page she writes that simply understanding why you feel or act a certain way does not always change an ingrained, unconscious pattern, which is part of why she offers more than one kind of work. In counseling with her, attention to younger parts of yourself sits alongside whatever brought you in.

That might be one of the concerns she lists: anxiety or depression, grief and loss, shame, trauma, life transitions, midlife questions, or difficulties in a marriage or other relationship. Many people come in for one of these and only later notice how much of it feels old.

The mind-body-spirit option

Some clients want their counseling to include their spiritual life. Laura's complementary trainings, listed on her about page, include certification as an Emotion Code practitioner, Spiritual Direction studies with the Haden Institute, and energy work including Reiki. Clients who want it can bring spiritual healing or Emotion Code work into their sessions alongside counseling.

This is always the client's choice. You decide how much of it belongs in your sessions, and it is entirely fine to want talk therapy alone. Emotion Code practitioners describe trapped emotions from past experiences; that mechanism is not established by scientific evidence, and this work is not medical care, not crisis care and not a treatment for any condition. Our pages on inner child work and the Emotion Code and inner child work and faith say more.

Who might it suit?

People often start thinking about inner child work when they notice a pattern that feels older than the situation in front of them. Saying yes when they mean no. A critical inner voice that sounds a lot like a parent. Reactions in a marriage or friendship that seem too big for what actually happened. A sense of never quite being allowed to rest.

If any of that sounds familiar, our pages on people-pleasing and the inner child, the inner critic and the inner child and inner child wounds in adult relationships look at each one. You do not need to have a name for what is going on before you get in touch. Working that out is part of counseling.

Charlotte or Columbus: which office?

Laura's main practice is in Charlotte, convenient for people in the city and in South Carolina towns just over the line such as Fort Mill, Rock Hill and Indian Land. Her part-time office is at The Healing Cottage in Columbus, about five miles from Tryon on NC 108 and about eight miles from Landrum, which makes it reachable from Polk County and from Landrum, Inman and Campobello.

Because the Columbus office is part-time, ask Laura which days she is there. Ask her too for the address of whichever office you plan to use. Our area pages for Charlotte and Tryon, and the guide to what to expect at the Healing Cottage, have more local detail.

What to know before you start

• Adults only. Laura works with adults 18 and over. If you are a parent working on your own childhood so you can parent differently, that is welcome; see inner child work for parents.
• No promises. Laura does not promise particular results, and no honest therapist will. How inner child work goes varies from person to person.
• Pacing matters. Early memories can bring up strong feelings. It is reasonable to ask how a session will be paced and what happens if you feel overwhelmed.
• She does not prescribe medication. If you take medication, keep working with the doctor who prescribes it.
• Not a crisis service. Laura Bass Counseling's phone and inquiry form are not monitored for emergencies. If you are in immediate danger, call 911; for a mental health crisis, call or text 988.

Questions to ask Laura

Some practical details are best answered by Laura herself, because they change or depend on your situation. When you get in touch, it is fine to ask any of these:

• How do you usually approach inner child work, and which methods do you draw on?
• How long is a session, and what does it cost?
• Do you take my insurance? Laura is in network with several plans; check with your own plan too, and see insurance for therapy in Polk County for what to ask.
• Which days are you in Columbus, and is there a wait?
• Do you offer video sessions, and from which states?
• If I want to include spiritual or Emotion Code work, how would that fit in?

How to reach Laura

Call 704-706-3264 or use the contact page. A short message is enough: your name, the best way to reach you, which office you would prefer, and that you are interested in inner child work. You do not need to explain your history in the first message.

If you would like to know what usually happens next, your first inner child therapy session walks through a typical first appointment.

Common questions