Winner of a 2025 CMA Book Award from the Catholic Media Association: Healing and Self Help (First Place).
The wounds we carry from childhood—whether from trauma, neglect, or unmet needs—often remain hidden, yet they continue to affect how we relate to ourselves, others, and God. No matter how much time has passed, our “inner child” remembers.
In Befriending Your Inner Child: A Catholic Approach to Inner Healing, licensed marriage and family therapist Brya Hanan offers a gentle and faith-centered path toward emotional and spiritual wholeness. Written with compassion and clinical insight, the book helps readers explore their deepest wounds and invite God into the process of healing.
Part one explains why it is essential to befriend the inner child and how acknowledging these buried emotions can lead to profound transformation. Part two provides practical tools—rooted in psychology and Catholic spirituality—for walking with God toward peace and integration.
Hanan presents her “Five A’s” of healing to guide the journey:
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Anchor yourself in God and in your God-given body
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Acknowledge your feelings and notice where they surface
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Attune to your wounds, core beliefs, and distressing emotions
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Ask God to reveal what you need and how to cooperate with His healing work
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Act with consistent compassion toward yourself
Through real-life examples, case studies, and her own experience of “reparenting” her inner child with God’s grace, Hanan shows how anyone can experience deeper freedom and self-understanding. Each chapter includes exercises, reflections, and charts to help readers apply the lessons in a personal way.
If you desire greater peace, confidence, and connection with God, Befriending Your Inner Child will help you discover the path to authentic healing and divine love.
About the Author
Brya Hanan is a Catholic licensed marriage and family therapist and certified family trauma specialist. She is the owner of Hanan Hope and Healing, a private counseling practice based in Arizona.
Hanan earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology with a minor in Catholic studies from Loyola Marymount University and a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Holy Names University. She creates webinars and resources focused on Catholic approaches to emotional healing and is the author of God Whispered Gently, a children’s book inspired by her own story of inner restoration.
