Hanna* was a 5 year old girl, in reception year at school referred to me for play therapy due to her increased emotionality and withdrawal in response to a disruptive home situation. Hanna and her half sister until recently had lived with their mother however both children's fathers were fighting for custody of their daughters. At the point of referral Hanna's half sister had moved out of home to live with her father while Hanna remained living with their mother...

This is her story…

During her ten play therapy sessions Hanna played out her ‘muddles’ and fears metaphorically, using figurines, sand and water. Within the safety of the playroom Hanna developed her story of three chameleons who lived in a river. One chameleon in particular feared the threat of the crab, who continuously tried to pull the other chameleons out of the river. Hanna told me how the chameleon could not sleep at night for she had to keep watch over her friends; she was tired and scared.

Week after week Hanna played her story, expressing and exploring her inner world at her own pace. I sat quietly besides her, touched by her vulnerability and perseverance. I gently reflected the emotions surrounding the characters and expressed my empathy for the struggle the chameleons faced. I 'wondered' aloud about the needs of her characters. Gradually Hanna discovered the needs of the chameleons, ways to make them feel safe and ‘unmuddled’. As Hanna began to transfer these ideas and coping strategies into her own world, her story progressed…

The chameleons were nourished and cared for – they spent entire sessions eating “special vitamins” until, one day, the chameleon who had been tired and afraid was no longer so. She felt safe in the knowledge that she knew where her friends were when they were not in the river and in her knowledge that they would return…and finally Hanna too, felt safer and