What is trauma informed behaviour for an art therapist?

Photo by Happy Face Emoji on Unsplash

Trauma-informed behaviour for an art therapist means understanding how trauma affects people’s emotions, bodies, and behaviours, and creating a safe, supportive, and empowering environment for clients who may have experienced trauma — even if they don’t explicitly talk about it.

Here’s a breakdown of what that looks like in practice 👇

🌱 1. Safety

• Create a physically and emotionally safe space — calm, predictable, and non-threatening.

• Allow clients to choose where to sit, what materials to use, and when to start or stop.

• Avoid sudden movements, loud noises, or unexpected touch.

🤝 2. Trustworthiness and Transparency

• Be clear about boundaries, session structure, and confidentiality.

• Explain what you’re doing and why (e.g. “We’ll spend 10 minutes on drawing, then talk if you wish”).

• Keep your tone consistent, honest, and calm — clients need predictability.

💬 3. Choice and Empowerment

• Encourage clients to make their own choices in art-making.

• Never force sharing or interpretation — the process matters more than the product.

• Reinforce their sense of control and agency (trauma often removes it).

💗 4. Collaboration and Mutuality

• Work with clients rather than on them.

• Use language like “Let’s explore together” instead of “I’ll tell you what this means.”

• Value the client’s lived experience as much as your professional knowledge.

🌸 5. Cultural, Historical, and Gender Awareness

• Be aware that trauma can be collective (linked to culture, displacement, racism, or war).

• Respect identity, background, and personal meaning in art materials or symbols.

🖌️ In an art therapy context:

• Allow the art to act as a container for overwhelming feelings.

• Focus on sensory regulation through materials (texture, movement, rhythm).

• Avoid intrusive interpretation — instead, invite reflection gently:

  “What does this image feel like for you?”“Is there a part you’d like to change or add?”

In short, being trauma-informed as an art therapist means seeing safety, empowerment, and compassion as the foundation of every session — before any “treatment” goals.

For more detailes watch video: https://vimeo.com/334642616?fl=pl&fe=sh