Art therapy postcards:

Abstract

This research article draws on a master’s thesis. Inherited perpetrator trauma may result from a family legacy of past familial collaboration with the South African apartheid regime. This historical narrative emerges from a familial relationship with the artist Irmin Henkel, the author’s step-grandfather. Henkel was known as the official portrait painter of the 1960s apartheid regime Cabinet. A heuristic self-study and arts-based approach were used to create a five-step protocol that art therapists can use to treat inherited perpetrator trauma. The approach used postcards as an art therapy tool. I repurposed family photographs into postcards to engage with the past. I also wrote reflective narratives. Inherited perpetrator trauma theories were used. A dialectical thinking approach was used that considers more than one perspective. Three main themes emerged: guilt, denial, and toxic shame. The creation of postcards from historical family narratives successfully uncovered the themes. The protocol has not been tested beyond the self-study. However, the use of museum spaces and the theory of object relations is considered in this article. Making toxic shame conscious and confronting and transforming this trauma can prevent a repeat of past historical transgressions and encourage healthier relationships to self, family, community and a broader South African society.