This past Friday marked World Mental Health Day, and a friend posted something on Facebook that stopped me mid-scroll. He shared an AI-generated image of himself with his younger self, explaining that he'd heard a therapist suggest this exercise for anyone struggling with childhood trauma. The idea was simple but profound: use AI to create a picture of your present self doing something fun with your younger self. Even without childhood trauma, he noted, it's still pretty powerful. I could see how this could be helpful with several of my clients and was intrigued enough to give it a try.
So I then fired up Google's Gemini AI and uploaded the same two photos with a straightforward prompt asking it to show us doing something fun together. What came back was surprisingly moving: images of adult me and kid me running trails, kicking a soccer ball, building sandcastles. Looking at these AI-generated scenes, I felt something unexpected. There was my younger self—the kid who didn't always feel seen or understood—now accompanied by an adult version who could offer what that child needed most: presence, playfulness, and acceptance.
This exercise connects beautifully with work we do in Emotionally Focused Therapy, particularly through EFT Trainer Ryan Rana's Individual Attachment History Inventory. One of the experiential activities Rana guides therapists through involves asking clients to bring their younger self "into the room" during sessions. It's a powerful moment when we ask: "How do you feel about that kid? What would you tell them?" This isn't just nostalgic reflection—it's an invitation to meet our vulnerable, younger selves with the compassion and understanding we may not have received back then. When clients can look at their childhood selves with empathy rather than judgment, something shifts. They begin to reparent themselves, offering the comfort and validation their younger self desperately needed.
What my friend's Facebook post reminded me is that this healing work doesn't always have to happen in a therapy room. Sometimes it can start with something as simple as asking AI to show you what it would look like if you could go back and be there for yourself. The technology may be new, but the need it addresses is ancient: the longing to tell our younger selves, "You're not alone. I see you. And we're going to be okay." Whether it's through a carefully guided therapeutic process or a spontaneous experiment with artificial intelligence, the message is the same—and it's one that can genuinely change how we see ourselves today.
Now on with this week’s Ohio EFT Newsletter:
How To Spot When You’re A Hypocrite.
by Elizabeth Bernstein on October 13th, 2025
Research shows that we are quick to spot it in others, slow to recognize it in ourselves. Here are ways to check yourself.
Breadcrumbing And 3 Other Dating Red Flags You Should Watch Out For.
by Sarah Gundle on October 13th, 2025
As a therapist, I’ve been able to zero in on four reliable signs that it may be time to pull the plug, or at least pay close attention.
The Therapist Next Door.
by Christina Caron on October 13th, 2025
College students are meeting with “embedded” counselors in dorms and academic buildings, with promising results.
A Plea From Doctors: Cool It On the Supplements.
by Ashwin Rodrigues on October 13th, 2025
As Americans take more gummies, pills and powders than ever, some physicians are trying to convince patients to be a bit more careful.
The Pressure Of Dating With A Fertility Deadline.
by Catherine Pearson on October 13th, 2025
For some single women in their 30s and 40s, their biological clocks add unwelcome stress to an already fraught process.
‘Stethoscopes In The Sand’: Why I’m Rethinking AI’s Role In Medicine.
by Lena S. Wen on October 13th, 2025
If used correctly, the technology could achieve what traditional reforms could not.
Our Next Ohio EFT Virtual Call Is Friday, October 31st.
by Ohio EFT on October 13th, 2025
Join us at 9:00am Friday, October 31st, for our continuing online discussion about Emotionally Focused Therapy. We’ll be continuing our journey through the 9 steps of EFT with Step 3 this month. Here’s a link for the call.
The Burden Of Being Estranged From A Parent.
by Katie Roiphe on October 13th, 2025
I wish my husband and his father could reconcile, but some kinds of pain are better left unexplored.
Seeking Motivation To Exercise? Here’s How To Stick With A Routine.
by Jorda D. Metzle on October 13th, 2025
If you’re not enjoying your workout, chances are you won’t do it again.
