At just five years old, Olena has already experienced more than most of us could imagine. She has been placed in a children's home for the second time after enduring a series of traumatic events that no child should ever have to face. When we first met Olena, we were concerned about her mental and emotional well-being. Her fear, pain, and the visible scars of her past made it clear just how much this little girl had been through. It was also clear how significant the challenge before us would be.

While most children her age are developing social, cognitive, and emotional skills—learning to count, write, communicate, and regulate their feelings—Olena was different. She was like a frightened, wounded animal. She had no desire to engage with the world around her, including the other children and adults at the home. Her language understanding was limited, and her vocabulary consisted of just a few words. Her attention span was fleeting, and she displayed hyperactive, restless behavior. Self-regulation was almost non-existent, and her distress manifested in self-harming behaviors like pulling her hair, poking her eye, and biting her hands.

Step One: Building Trust

Our psychotherapist's first and formidable task with Olena was to establish trust. In the initial sessions, Olena was deeply distrustful, observing our therapist from a distance with wariness. She avoided interaction, often hiding behind furniture or approaching only to growl, never engaging in play. For those first few sessions, we allowed her to observe everything as the therapist introduced different toys and activities into our environment. It was a slow and gradual process, but her curiosity began to override her fear. She started to come closer, examining the toys and then discarding them, always retreating quickly.

A breakthrough came when the psychotherapist began setting up small scenarios of "failure" in the games—situations where she would pretend to lose something or need help, like when she "lost" a doll’s hat behind her back. To the therapist’s delight, Olena responded by laughing and helping me find the missing object. Slowly, she began to understand that the interactions were safe and that the adult was someone she could trust. After a while, she started greeting the therapist with a high five, allowing her to take her hand as they walked to the therapy room and sitting next to adult voluntarily.

Step Two: Nurturing Curiosity and Joy

Once we had established a foundation of trust, the next step was to encourage Olena's natural curiosity and joy—two essential ingredients for learning and development in any child. Creating an environment where she could explore, discover, and feel joy in the process was crucial. The therapist filled our sessions with playful activities: blowing bubbles, sculpting with playdough, painting, playing soft toys, singing, and incorporating movement-based games. Each session became an opportunity to not only build new skills but also experience the simple pleasures of play, inspiring us with the joy Olena found in her learning journey.

We also established routines—greeting and parting rituals—that gave her a sense of structure and safety. Simple rules were gradually introduced, and we created a framework for our sessions that Olena could rely on. Slowly, her attention span increased. She began engaging with activities for extended periods, asking questions like "What's this?" or "Where is...?" as she explored her surroundings. She even asked for permission before taking toys, showing a growing understanding of social interaction that made us all proud of her progress.

Step Three: Developing Skills, One Step at a Time

With trust and interest firmly in place, we began focusing on the next stage of Olena’s development: building cognitive, emotional, and communication skills. This involved expanding her vocabulary, improving her articulation, and enhancing her attention span. We worked on developing her memory, thinking processes, and understanding of the world around her. Each session became an opportunity to practice sorting objects, identifying similarities and differences, and recognizing patterns.

Equally important was addressing her emotional regulation. Olena initially reacted to challenges with aggression or self-harm. Through our work together, she learned healthier ways to cope with frustration and disappointment. We practiced emotional expression and coping strategies, and over time, her aggressive behaviors diminished.

A Brighter Future for Olena

The results of our time together have been remarkable. Olena now speaks in phrases and sentences, her vocabulary has grown significantly, and her language understanding has improved. She is able to focus her attention for longer periods and demonstrates improved thinking skills. She can now identify and sort objects, find similarities and differences, and enthusiastically engage in problem-solving activities. Most importantly, her emotional regulation has improved, and she no longer exhibits self-harming behaviors.

Olena’s journey is far from over, but her progress is a testament to the power of patience, trust, and tailored therapeutic support. She is no longer the frightened, detached little girl I first met. Today, she is curious, engaged, and ready to continue her journey of learning and healing.

Olena's story reminds us that even in the face of immense hardship, with the right support and care, every child has the potential to heal and thrive. We are committed to walking alongside her every step of the way.