Where Water Flows: Dr. Gemma Andaya on Healing the Inner Child Through Ritual, Nature, and Self-Compassion

Send us Fan MailThere's a version of you that still remembers how to feel deeply, trust fully, and love without conditions. Somewhere along the way, life taught you to protect, suppress, and move on without truly healing. What if healing is not about fixing yourself, but returning to the part of you that was never broken? In this grounded, soulful conversation, Avik sits with Dr. Gemma Andaya, licensed psychotherapist, founder of POJ Wellness, and author of Where Water Flows. Together they explore inner child healing, why disconnection shows up as disproportionate reactions, the role of nature-based rituals in real recovery, and how to come home to yourself in a world that rewards constant doing. About the Guest: Dr. Gemma Andaya is a licensed psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, and founder of Point of Juncture (POJ) Wellness. She specialises in trauma-informed care, inner child healing, somatic practices, and spiritual integration, and is the author of Where Water Flows: Letters & Rituals to Heal & Uplift the Sacred Child Within. Key Takeaways: Healing is not linear or finite. It's a spiral, more like water moving through its cycle than a checklist you complete. The inner child is one of many parts living inside us. Shaming or labelling those fragmented parts won't heal them. Bringing them back into the whole will. A reaction out of proportion to the present moment is rarely about the present moment. It's often unresolved emotional charge from the past asking to be seen. Real reconnection doesn't always start with introspection. Sometimes it starts with stepping outside and bonding with running water, the earth, the elements. Progress doesn't mean the old patterns never resurface. It means they come less often, less intensely, and with less collateral damage. The inner child speaks through the body, not the mind. Two hands on your body, a slow scan, one honest question: what do you need. That's where the conversation begins. Connect With the Guest: Website: https://pojwellness.com/  Book YouTube LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drgemmaandaya Episode Chapters: [00:00] Cold Open — A Version of You That Was Never Broken [02:10] Decolonising the Self: Returning to the Earth's Rhythms [06:30] Healing as a Spiral, Not a Finish Line [10:45] Susto and the Fragmented Self [15:20] When Reactions Are Bigger Than the Moment Itself [20:00] Speaking to Water: A Simple Practice for Reconnection [24:40] Talking to the Inner Child Through the Body   (timestamps approximate) Want to be a guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life? DM on PM - Send me a message on PodMatch DM Me Here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/avik Disclaimer: This episode is produced for educational and informational purposes only. 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Guest views are personal and do not represent the host or Healthy Mind by Avik™. The Network does not verify or endorse guest statements. Nothing here is medical, legal, financial, or professional advice, please consult a qualified professional. Engage critically. Third-party content referenced under fair use. Guests are responsible for their own statements. Concerns? Contact us | Full disclaimer.By listening, you accept this disclaimer in full.