The journey to healing can take many roads. Two of those paths – therapy and art – intersected earlier this summer in Israel. Leyla Sandler participated in the process.
A licensed, independent clinical social worker in Virginia and Washington D.C., Sandler has worked in child abuse, specifically in forensic services.
Now, while owning and operating a mental and behavioral health company, Sandler is completing her doctorate in social work. Through a class at the University of Southern California, in pursuit of new certificate program, she studied visual social work. “I’m drawn to personal stories, documentaries, and visual images. I took this class to determine what are other areas of impact,” she says. “The depictions are raw, vulnerable, and real – a felt experience, one that can bring the research literature to life – one that others can connect to that transcends race, sex, age, etc.”
While seeking experiences and opportunities related to the senses, Sandler became connected with Healing Ink, a nonprofit that provides tattoos for survivors of mass violence. According to its website, “Healing Ink, Israel covers the scars of terror survivors and IDF soldiers injured in combat.”
Healing Ink extends beyond Israel, however. In December 2019, Healing Ink spent time in Virginia Beach offering tattoos to survivors of the mass shooting that had taken place at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center that May. Twenty-nine survivors, family, and first responders participated in the event, which was part of UJFT’s Jewish Community Relations Council’s Israel Today.
Tattoos, says Sandler, are more than body art; they have an ability to transform experiences. They offer healing, empowerment, and personal change in meaningful ways. “Tattoos can serve as memorials for loved ones or provide closure after traumatic events, helping people find meaning and heal over time. Numerous academic studies highlight the positive impact tattoos can have on individuals’ well-being journeys.”
Tattoos are a powerful, yet often underutilized form of healing, she notes. “The healing process through tattoos is personal and varies from person to person. Tattoos can transform emotional trauma into physical expression, commemorate significant events, invite dialogue, enhance beauty, or cover scars to help erase painful memories. While we can’t change past events, we can control our response to them.”
In July, Sandler spent a week in Israel with the group. “I wanted to see the process and help make it more trauma-informed. The tattoo itself only accounts for part of the process.”
Healing Ink embodies a comprehensive trauma-informed ethos. This term represents several key components essential for trauma-informed practice, reflecting a holistic approach to understanding and supporting those affected by trauma. “To include those they serve, of course, but also the tattoo artists, who must also be safeguarded from traumatization,” says Sandler. All involved, she says, must be mindful of the humanness of humanity, recognizing that the experience of trauma is unique to everyone, its impact, and each person’s resulting experience.
Chosen from an application process that includes sharing personal stories, 129 people received tattoos during this session in Israel. They collaborated over three days with RSR Group, part of an international group of tattoo artists who donated their time, hearts, and talents to design and administer the tattoo.
Drawing on her expertise, Sandler offered insight into leveraging an intentional, ethical, dynamic, and informed approach to healing, given the weight of the collective trauma.
“I assisted in ensuring that any service is centered around the rights, well-being, experiences, journeys, and needs of individuals who have suffered harm,” says Sandler. “Services should actively engage the tenets of trauma-informed care and go further to include healing-centered engagement. I provided some input on best practices to enhance the process around receipt of the tattoo, not obtaining the tattoo, such as considerations of the space, clarity of instructions, warm handoffs, and formulating questions when obtaining the necessary information.”
Sandler says that people, especially those who have experienced trauma, need to be met where they are. What they need and what they want is the most important.
Sandler did not ask these victims of trauma to revisit their stories. Instead, she asked about the symbol of the tattoo and what it represents to them. “Tattooing, storytelling, and creative modalities are great if someone is not prepared to discuss their trauma yet. It’s the start of the process that’s psychologically safe and relevant to the healing process.”
Choosing a tattoo design, Sandler says, allows those who have experienced trauma to regain their voice. “You can cover a scar and make it something beautiful – you can have choice over what it looks like.” The choice in where a tattoo is placed factors in one’s pain tolerance.
A trauma-informed tattoo artist is someone who ensures a respectful and supportive experience for clients by asking for permission before any physical contact, acknowledging when a client needs to pause or stop the process, and being attentive to the emotional aspects of getting body art. This approach signifies a personal and societal evolution towards greater empathy and understanding.
Among those receiving the tattoos, Sandler met parents who lost children at the Nova Music Festival, survivors of an attacked kibbutz, and service members who were injured. “Everyone was touched in a very significant way by October 7,” she says.
The tattoo scene is a culture unto itself; it has an underlying, unifying factor, Sandler explains. She recognized the communal feel of healing, surviving, and hope.
Sandler was surprised when people thanked her for listening and for coming. “They’re the ones living on the border and fighting for peace. The level of empathy, considering their circumstances, was still so great. They just want peace.”
Sandler’s message is simple: whether you have a specialized skillset or not, take action – even if that action is simply showing up, listening, or holding a hand – it is one thing to care, it is another to participate in caring. If you have a skillset to assist with those who have undergone traumatic circumstances, being present and showing that you care is imperative. “Collectively, these actions will lead towards the rebuilding of the society with intergenerational trauma,” she says. “Any little bit makes a difference. As part of the wider diaspora, it is beneficial, or dare I say, an imperative.”