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In this paper the writer follows the changing meaning of the word ‘emptiness’ used by a patient in her therapy over a period of several years. He finds that it is possible to witness the journey in the therapy from a state of not-being, described as ‘emptiness’ at the beginning of the therapy, towards a feeling of loss, later in the therapy, when ‘emptiness’ takes on a new meaning. This journey can be seen to be linked with a developmental process from a perception of omnipotence and fusion towards a feeling of being separate.