When people talk about inner child work, they often picture a small child—innocent, curious, maybe hurt or scared. But there’s another powerful voice inside many of us that doesn’t get as much attention: the inner teen.

The inner teen is bold. Sensitive. Sarcastic. Exhausted. She might roll her eyes when someone says, “You’re doing great!” or slam the door when a boundary is crossed. He might rebel against rules, not because he’s defiant, but because no one ever let him choose his own path. They might flirt, over-share, ghost everyone, numb out, or people-please like a pro. Not because they’re dramatic—but because it was never safe to just be.