Kate Silverton has spoken about how she has learned to reconnect with her 'inner child' after experiencing sexual abuse in her early years. The former news presenter said therapy helped her recover parts of herself that felt lost, joking that she has had 'about 200 years of therapy' and now feels as though she has a 'little family' of selves within her. She described mentally checking in with different parts of herself, including her teenage self, to manage anxiety and challenging situations.

Silverton revealed in 2024 that it took her five decades to release what she called a dark weight of shame linked to the abuse. She explained that children who experience trauma can feel as though wounded parts of themselves are pushed into exile, which may later contribute to mental health struggles. By acknowledging and comforting her younger self, she said she has found a sense of safety and healing.

Since sharing her story, Silverton said she has received many messages from others describing how shame shaped their lives. Now a qualified child counsellor after leaving journalism to study child psychology, she has urged survivors to seek support and remember that the shame of abuse does not belong to them.