ABSTRACT
This chapter is a theoretical and reflective exploration of an approach to drama therapy in the postcolonial context of South Africa with prepubescent boys who have survived multifaceted trauma. The repercussions of intergenerational, psychosocial, developmental, and chronic current trauma and oppression are considered. The authors explore the impact of this to the therapy alliance, including when client and therapists hold different racial identities. The transformative potential of an approach to drama therapy that is child-centred and focused on symbolic embodied play is discussed. The emphasis is on discovering how the body can be used for expression, creativity, generativity, and safety, rather than harm and destruction. In the same way that the trauma in postcolonial contexts is multifaceted, so is the responsibility of the therapist when embarking on the drama therapy journey with children. This responsibility can be viewed as concentric circles: the fullness of the child and their story, the conscious awareness of the therapist’s positionality within the therapy relationship regarding histories of power, a sensitivity concerning the specific drama therapy approach, and the context. It is suggested that when these circles are navigated, there is a possibility of creating new narratives centred on resilience and connection without denying the realities of the past.
