ABSTRACT
Two art educators/art therapists who have worked in special education and regular school settings for 60 years, collectively, share their reflections from personal experiences as art teachers in creating environments in which students who have experienced a range of adverse childhood experiences, including psychological trauma, feel safe expressing themselves through art making. Personal stories, professional experiences, successful strategies, and effective techniques for building relationships and supporting students in the art room are shared. This chapter demonstrates the importance of an art teacher’s ability to realize that images students create may reflect issues the student is dealing with regarding personal crisis or trauma. It also develops an awareness of potential need for support from other professionals to help the student and the art teacher. The importance of acknowledging the student’s art and the art teacher’s concern about the student’s best interests is integral to the student’s ability to use art as a means to express him- or herself when in crisis.
