CASE Conf 2025

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I’m a Teacher, NOT a Therapist! Decrease Overwhelm and Empower Teachers of Students w/Trauma Impacts (Room 205 A second floor)

--- “I’m a Teacher, NOT a Therapist!”–These words are heard in team meetings across the country where critical decisions are being made for students with trauma impacts. What is the real message behind this statement?— --- “I haven’t been trained in mental health.” --- “I don’t have the skills to respond to this child’s needs!” --- “This is not what I expected when I became a teacher… I’m afraid I’ll look like a failure!” --- Clearly, this isn’t a black-and-white statement, and it’s not just resistance; it’s an educator’s way of saying something much deeper—“I haven’t been trained in mental health practices; how can I know how to respond to a mind and body that’s in constant distress?” They feel overwhelmed and underprepared, and find it inconceivable that they can be the one to serve the student’s cognitive AND emotional needs. --- Educators NEED and DESERVE a response that validates their legitimate concerns while equipping them with concrete, doable practices that fit naturally within their daily routines. They need to understand why they, as teachers—NOT therapists, are positioned in a uniquely powerful role to see students experience healing from the trauma that causes everyday school expectations to feel like a constant threat. --- Some of the most critical healing required for a student with trauma impacts will never take place in a therapist’s office; it can only occur in the student’s natural environment. It happens in the moment-by-moment interactions within classrooms, hallways, and cafeterias—where the teacher can provide experiences of co-regulation, structure, predictability, safety and healing daily in a way that no other professional can. This is where safety is rebuilt. --- This session provides a grounded, compassionate, and highly practical response to this common concern, equipping educators with actionable strategies to create learning environments that promote healing without stepping outside their professional role.