Natural child: Has the natural qualities we are born with; joyful, playful, precious, vulnerable, dependant, spontaneous; has a full range of feelings, is generous, oriented to learning, intuitive, creative, enjoys mastery... (see also Aspects of a Healthy (authentic/true) self.

Wounded Child: The part whose needs were not met, who was abandoned, neglected and/or abused, whose feelings and experiences were rejected, exiled, buried or stuffed.

Adaptive Child: The part who "rescues" the wounded child by adapting to the requirements/demands of the care givers, becoming focused on the external cues for physical and emotional survival at the necessary expense of both the Natural Child and Wounded Child. It needs containment, is unable to heal.

Addict/Codependent: Grows out of the adaptive child's mistaken belief that painful feelings resulting from abandonment, neglect, and/or abuse cannot be handled directly. Fear, anger, shame, guilt, and/or pain must therefore be avoided through some external means which, in effect, medicate, block, or deflect them.

Nurturing Parent/Functional Adult: Is developed from the natural potentials we are born with but need to learn how to access and manifest to maturity. Nurtures the Natural Child, helps the Wounded Child heal and contains the Adaptive Child; nurtures differentiation autonomy and connection toward interdependence.