French psychotherapist Lise Bourbeau describes five universal emotional wounds that often arise in childhood and profoundly shape the way we are, feel, and relate to others. When left unacknowledged and unhealed, these wounds remain with us into adulthood, creating patterns of suffering and repetition.

1. Rejection

It arises when the child feels that his or her existence is not wanted or accepted.

👉 Impacts on adulthood: intense fear of not being good enough, difficulty exposing oneself, tendency to isolate or hide to avoid facing the pain of being rejected again.

2. Abandonment

It arises when the child perceives a lack of presence, support or emotional acceptance.

👉 Impacts on adult life: emotional dependence, fear of loneliness, constant need for attention, incessant search for validation and difficulty in trusting the stability of relationships.

3. Humiliation

It happens when the child is ridiculed, compared or embarrassed in his spontaneity.

👉 Impacts on adulthood: difficulty setting limits, tendency to self-abandonment, excessive responsibility for others, feelings of unworthiness or shame in expressing desires and needs.

4. Betrayal

It arises when important promises are not kept or when trust is broken.

👉 Impacts on adult life: need for control, jealousy, difficulty trusting, tendency to create rigid expectations about others, oscillating between idealization and disappointment.

5. Injustice

It arises when the child feels that he or she is not treated fairly, is compared or experiences excessive demands.

👉 Impacts on adulthood: perfectionism, rigidity, difficulty expressing emotions, constant self-demand, tendency to be extremely critical of oneself and others.

✨ These wounds are not eternal sentences. Recognizing them is the first step to transforming them. By looking compassionately at our inner child and releasing the identifications that still hold us back, we can live more freely, authentically, and lovingly.

Healing primordial wounds is, in essence, returning to who we always were: whole.