103 boundaries would not be respected or that she would be molested . To help her feel safe , Malebo ’ s mother waited for her outside the therapy room , which seemed to help .
Malebo also showed signs of regression . She played baby-like games , on her own , and often with her back to the therapist . Male dolls were not included in her play , or they were thrown violently across the room .
The therapist was patient and for a long time just allowed Malebo to feel safe in the room . Gradually , Malebo turned towards her as she played . She began to make eye contact at the start and end of sessions .
The pain she felt was palpable . The therapist often felt helpless and sad that she could not do more .
The Centre also offered Malebo ’ s mother therapeutic support , to help her process her feelings of guilt , rage and heartbreak . She took a long time to accept and , when she did , it became apparent that the mother had been afraid that , if she had sessions ( even with a different therapist ), she would be privileging her own pain and denying Malebo care that she needed .
The mother had reported the uncle to the police , which caused a deep rift within the family . Other family members condemned the mother for ‘ betraying ’ her brother . As a result , the mother and Malebo were cut off from most members of their family . The mother felt extremely lonely .
Malebo was in psychotherapy for 18 months . Over time , she communicated more , sometimes in words but mostly through drawings . She would often draw a car , a police car or an ambulance . Through these drawings she communicated the terrible abuse that she had experienced and the absence of anyone to help her . She talked to the therapist about the male dolls she flung violently across the room , about the man who abused her , and about her feelings of rage towards her mother who had not been there to protect her . It was extremely difficult for Malebo to acknowledge this rage and disappointment because she loved her mother : it helped Malebo to transfer these feeling to the ‘ mother ’ therapist .
The mother enrolled Malebo in school . Initially she struggled to adjust . The language was new , the context was new , and she would often feel different and isolated . She was not only very wary of adults , but also male pupils . At the same time , Malebo clearly wanted to learn : she was a bright child who grasped concepts quickly and started to excel scholastically . This indicated her potential to be extremely resilient .
After 18 months , she ceased to attend sessions . The day she finished , Malebo drew a picture for the therapist . She put the therapist in the centre of the paper , with a sunset and the words ‘ thank you mam ’. It showed that this young girl , who had faced unimaginable abuse , had found a way to work through her experiences with an adult who she had slowly come to trust .
APPENDIX