The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature and meaning of the art therapy experience for art therapists who treat abused children. Participants in the study were six art therapists who performed art therapy for at least two years with 10 or more abused children. Data collection was carried out through in-depth interviews from March to September 2017. In-depth interviews were conducted two to three times per individual, 90 to 160 minutes per session. Data analysis was conducted by applying Max van Manen s hermeneutic phenomenological method. As a result, 24 sub-themes and seven essential themes of the art therapy experience for art therapists were derived. The results of this study could be generalized as follows. First, an art therapist encounters a child who is abused with a variety of complex emotions. Second, art work connects the child with the art therapist, and the art therapist provides the child with a safe and stable environment. Third, when an art therapist encounters an abused child, the therapist has difficulties, such as distrust of the child or non-cooperation of the parents. Fourth, art therapists experience surrogate trauma in conducting art therapy courses with abused children, and grow into experts through personal and professional self-care. Based on such research results, it is expected that the basic data gathered will provide provides practical and useful information in treating abused children in the field related to child abuse.