Healing The Wounds of History

Photograph taken Penny Felbrich at the Tsuglagkhang temple,

residence of his holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala.

When our personal stories intertwine

with those of our peoples ...

When the bridge between the personal and the collective

has become a pathway to unravel who we really are ...

When the dreams, the memories and the language

of our ancestors scream through our body and soul

looking to have a space to be expressed ...

When life appears to have no more meaning unless

we reveal the secrets that have been passed down

from generation to generation

and history has so patiently archived ...

When life becomes a part of the mystery,

because only the mystery can hold the extremes

of cruelty and torture, of maquiavelic minds planning to overpower another, of the endless differences amongst peoples from the same land, of the humiliating acts

that arise from fear of meeting that which is diffferent,

of fighting to call a beautiful flower something else...

than just what it is... a flower ...

It is only the voice of art, ritual and community

that can create a healing space

to hold the depths of the scars of history ...

only a story, a song or an image can soothe our soul ...

and plant new seeds for those coming after us ...

Poem written in 2001 after the bombing of Afghanistan

In Healing the Wounds of History we invite people from different generations, nationalities, and cultures to gather and acknowledge, reflect and move towards healing their personal and collective wounds. The model offers an integrative way of working by combining intercultural communication, conflict resolution and ethno-therapy with the expressive arts.

It involves the telling of stories, different drama therapy structures, and sometimes poetry, visual arts, movement, music and/or ritual.

Each of us has been touched by the hand of historical trauma, either directly or indirectly.
Rage, guilt, fear and shame are often passed down
from one generation to the next. To be embodied and understood, historical trauma needs to be retold and experienced in a personal way.
By providing a bridge between the personal and the collective experience, in a safe and supportive environment, the expressive arts help people free complex webs of feeling, heal deep wounds and put ghosts of history to rest.

There is so much beauty and healing in a gathering of this kind. Participants often leave
the experience having felt 'understood by the power of shared experience', 'seen by the power of being witnessed', and 'deeply touched by the power of shared tears, pain, laughter and sacred silence'.   Groups occur within a context of deep respect to every legacy and story, and to the holder who chooses to embark in such exploration.

My involvement in this project began by being part of a group of therapists, gathered by Armand Volkas, to explore our collective and historical legacy. This exploration made me aware of the richness and complexity that lies behind the bridging of the personal and the collective. Through the process I was able to release past stories that needed to rest, as well as establish a more engaged and embodied relationship to my legacy and the gifts I recieved from it. This is the intention I bring to my groups.
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Healing the Wounds of History was founded in 1989 by Armand Volkas, MFT, RDT. Armand has developed innovative programs using drama therapy and other expressive arts for social change, conflict resolution and intercultural communication. For additional information

www.livingartscenter.org/index.html

www.dramatherapist.com

ALMA QUE CANTA

A Journey into the Soul - Un Viaje al Interior