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In contrast to traditional verbal based therapies, art therapy relies heavily on symbolic communication. The use of symbols allows the child to evoke feelings represented by images, thus creating a realm of safety that the child can feel comfortable sharing emotions within personal metaphors created through the art expression. Evidence of the therapeutic effects of symbolic expression has been evidenced even outside of the formal therapy setting. Israeli youth dealing with the assassination of Prime Minister Y. Rabin created street art, graffiti, as a means of a collective trauma coping mechanism (Carey). Within the context of formal therapy, the child feeling a sense of security is essential to the treatment of trauma. Besides the child, one other figure is critical to the recovery process, the therapist. Surprisingly, the role of the therapist has a significant importance to the child’s recovery. First, an active presence of the therapist is needed in order for any change to occur. The therapist works as the facilitator; they witness the creative work, act as the helper with the materials and tasks, are the sustaining force in the creative process, and provide a sage receptacle for any powerful feelings that may arise through art or conversation (Malchiodi). The therapist also gives the child a supportive, secure environment. He/She represents a nurturing, benevolent entity that offers the child a change to express with unconditional acceptance, a key factor in the therapeutic process especially for traumatized children. Art therapy can furthermore be seen as a visual narrative that gives the child the “potential to tell stories, convey metaphors, and present world views” (Malchiodi) through the image itself and the child’s response to the image. The art created is a form of personal externalization of the problem or trauma (a visible projection of thoughts and feelings). Along with the visual narrative, therapists often encourage the child to talk about their art. However, one must recognize the pitfalls of verbalizing with children both during the process of and following creating the art. Regarding during the process, some children may not have established enough trust with the therapist and consequently not talk. On the other hand, the questions the therapist ask may be too probing, say a child may be fearful of revealing a family secret, and therefore will not respond. After the process, a therapist may find that asking “why?” may generally be unproductive because often it is difficult for the child to articulate and explanation or because they simply do not have an answer to give. To counteract this, therapist can take the “not knowing” approach in which the therapist describes what they see in the picture and then observes how the child responds. To illustrate, the therapist may ask, “I wonder what (object) is thinking?” and then wait to hear the child’s response or comment (Malchiodi). Realistically, one simply does not know what an image means to another individual. It is the therapist’s job to interpret to the best of their ability what the image means to the child. In the “not knowing” approaching, the therapist conveys interest in learning about the drawing, giving the child an opportunity to explain the elements of the image from their perspective.