Abstract
These reflections were written after an encounter with a fourteen year old girl on a recent programme of Emotional Education held at the Atlow Mill Centre in the Derbyshire Dales. This child was taken into care after abusive treatment by her family which left her traumatised and deeply distrustful. Her carers could not get her to communicate and were on the brink of referring her to a psychiatric unit. It is an attempt to demonstrate the difficulties (both psychological and institutional) that face anyone working with severely traumatised young people.