They Should Look After Me: Micro-process Analysis of a Meaning Complex in an Abused Child

Caring for others in the narratives of abused children is contradictory. Their perceptions are altered because the abusing adults often distorts this reality. By studying their narratives from a semiotic and dialogical perspective, the transformation of meaning can be appreciated moment by moment. In this paper, a path of psychological growth in which difficulties unfold as dynamics of relational tensions is presented. For this purpose, sequential events of individual psychotherapy sessions between a seven-year-old girl and a therapist are analyzed focusing on her relational world. Aspects of the transformation of the child’s meanings about the care provided by family members and her relational network are displayed. It is concluded that the child can elaborate on the notion of care although she does so with a high level of tension and ambivalence of meaning. Finally, the scope and limitations of this methodological approach for psychotherapeutic practice are discussed.