In every lecture hall, there are students with a history of traumatic experiences. These can significantly affect learning, the experience of the study process, and the general well-being of students. During their studies of social work, students encounter content that can raise personal and sensitive topics, so it is very important that professors know how to recognize distress and respond to it appropriately. The purpose of the research was to investigate how students and educators at the Faculty of Social Work experience the discussion of sensitive topics in the pedagogical process and how course providers respond to potential emotional outbursts of students. The qualitative research is based on two focus groups with students and five interviews with professors. The findings show that many principles of a trauma-informed approach in the pedagogical process are already present, but their implementation is not systematic and varies between individual pedagogues. The pedagogue plays an important role in addressing difficult topics, and their approach can significantly influence how students deal with challenging content and how they experience the learning process itself. The key elements of a safe space have been identified as providing information about the content and triggers in advance, the possibility of adjustments, respecting personal boundaries, and the voluntary sharing of personal experiences. It has been shown that there is a discrepancy between how pedagogues assess their practice and how students experience it. The way professors respond in cases, where emotional responses are triggered during lectures and exercises, has also proven to be particularly important. Recognizing distress, addressing it, and offering support are of key importance. The students also highlighted the importance of possibility of temporary retreat, adjusting obligations, and directing them to appropriate sources of support and assistance. The research showed that students often have limited information about existing forms of assistance, which is why it is also an important task for the faculty to better inform students.
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