Julien is an 11-year-old boy who comes to see me with his mother because he says he lacks self-confidence. In fact, when he’s in class, even though he knows the answers, he rarely answers his teachers’ questions. This leads to unrewarding comments on his report cards. Julien explains that he feels alone in front of the class.

I notice that, during the intake, he often keeps his head down. The young boy has no trouble entering trance by focusing his attention on a coin he holds between his index finger and thumb. The rule of the game is “when the coin falls to the ground, your eyelids close and you go completely inward, perfectly calm and relaxed.” A light deepening — going down three floors in a beautiful, bright elevator, accompanied by an arm movement — brings Julien onto a path deep in nature. He moves forward without his feet touching the ground, until he reaches a clearing. After lighting a big fire, the boy sits down in front of it. Beforehand, Julien had imagined his goal — “I am confident in myself in every circumstance, I feel strong and proud” — in the form of a symbol: a golden cup.

I invite him to throw the symbol far away, to keep it close to him, or to look inside it. Julien decides to throw the object into the tall grass in front of him and studies the spot closely. The boy then sees the grass move and says in a hushed breath: “It’s a deer... he’s big.” The animal approaches Julien, looks him straight in the eye, and tells him that to have confidence, you must lift your head, feel the weight of your antlers, and keep your neck both firm and supple. He also tells him that the gaze must be direct and intense, with great calm. Julien agrees with the deer that whenever he needs its presence in class, he will grab his wooden ruler. Then the majestic deer will come to help him lift his head with confidence. In exchange, the animal asks Julien to draw him and hang the artwork somewhere visible in his room. Julien thanks his new ally and returns from trance on the count of three. His gaze has changed and his posture seems stronger. A month later, I heard from Julien’s mother, who was proud that her son had received the class council’s congratulations for his change in behavior when speaking aloud. The majestic deer did indeed seem to be keeping its promise to accompany the boy.