Unofficial translation of the Hebrew original.
August 15, 2024Newsletter August 2024
Dear friends,
Ten months have passed since the October 7 attack by Hamas and the start of the Iron Swords war. As Israel faces one of the most challenging periods in its history, the Counseling Center for Women's team of therapists continues to assist hundreds of women, through quality, gender-sensitive individual therapy, as well as by facilitating online support groups.
The range of clients at the Center is wide, including: women who lost their loved ones at the Nova festival and in the southern communities; a client whose family members are held hostage in Gaza; clients whose partners are drafted; women coping with various emotional difficulties related to the war; and women for whom the war events surfaced past traumas, including sexual abuse and sexual violence.
In addition, since the start of the war, the Center's therapists have initiated and facilitated a variety of support groups, free of charge, for different populations of women. To date the following support groups have been established: two groups for single-parent and solo mothers; English-speaking women; two groups for women whose partners are drafted; and one group for evacuees. In addition, a professional supervision group was facilitated for women therapists working with women, on treating war trauma with a feminist approach.
Below are several personal stories that shed light on the meaningful therapeutic processes made possible at the Counseling Center for Women. These processes are also made possible thanks to the generosity of our partners. We express our heartfelt gratitude for this welcome and meaningful support.
N.'s story
N., in her late 50s, a mother of two, began therapy at the Counseling Center for Women a month after the October 7 attack. Her eldest son G., 30, was at the Nova festival together with his good friend; both were murdered by terrorists.
N. was unable to find out what happened to G. on the day of the attack, because communication with him had been extremely limited. Due to the chaos on the ground and the high number of casualties, three days passed before official representatives confirmed the death of them both. Three weeks after G.'s funeral, N. learned of G.'s heroism in saving women who were with him in a shelter. One of the survivors met with G.'s family and shared the story.
N. shared that G. was a sensitive, brilliant and very talented young man. He was creative, athletic, an excellent manager, a person who loved people and had a tremendous sense of humor. He lived life to the fullest. He was "the glue of the family" and played an important role in keeping everyone together. G. was engaged and was planning to propose to his fiancée.
According to N., therapy at the Counseling Center for Women helps her cope with the difficult grieving process. N. shares that during therapy she can freely share her feelings and her pain with her therapist, and cry if she wants to. N. is a woman who loves to help and give to others. Throughout her life she has volunteered in various roles. Her past includes a history of sexual abuse, and currently she volunteers at an organization that helps women survivors of violence. At the Counseling Center for Women, she prioritizes her own needs and focuses on what matters in her own healing process.
R.'s story
R., in her late 20s, began her therapy at the Counseling Center for Women hoping to reduce the intensity of post-traumatic symptoms after experiencing rape in her past. Before coming to the Center, she had never sought mental health assistance. The past sexual assault led to a mental breakdown, following which she decided to seek help. Today she lives with her parents and is in rehabilitation.
The sexual assaults, violence and kidnappings that took place on October 7, which were widely covered in the media, caused a severe regression in R.'s mental state, after she had been in a stable mental condition before the attack. Following the news reports, R. barely left the house and began suffering from sleep difficulties. The fears, the anxiety and the rape trauma she had been through resurfaced.
During therapy at the Counseling Center for Women, R. said she manages to talk about her painful experience in a safe space. The trust built between her and her therapist allows her to freely share details about her condition. The feeling that she is not alone calms her and allows her to continue her rehabilitation process. The therapy gives her tools for coping more effectively with emotional challenges.
Support groups for evacuees
Many Israelis living near the border, in the north and south, were evacuated from their homes after the October 7 attack. Since then they have been housed in temporary accommodations, including hotels, youth hostels or homes designated by the state. The online support group for women evacuees from the north was established by the Counseling Center for Women and is accompanied by a psychotherapist from the Center, Dr. Rachel Shadletzky-Hart, who is herself evacuated from her home. The group creates a sense of togetherness and allows its members to discuss feelings and experiences that are hard for them to share with other people.
The group participants believe that while most people understand their situation, they cannot deeply grasp the meaning of being evacuated. Staying far from home and not knowing when they will be able to return makes them feel "groundless" and "dependent" on the goodwill of others. Many participants shared that they feel anxious and very worried that their homes will be destroyed by rockets.
During the nine months since their families were evacuated from their homes, they were moved several times. Each time anew, their children had to adjust to new environments and schools. The children are deeply affected by the ongoing war and some of them need mental health assistance. Many of the participants feel "fed up" and are physically and emotionally exhausted. Some have experienced emotional breakdowns.
The group helps find practical solutions to dilemmas arising from the evacuees' complex situation. For example, one participant was caring for her sick brother, her elderly mother and her family at the same time. She spoke about the emotional price she pays, alongside the fear of moving to a home of her own and leaving her mother and brother behind. Through the support and encouragement she received from the group, she managed to move and rent a house with her family. Another member of the group was unable to share and accept the fact that she was suffering mentally and needed help; for her, this was considered taboo. With the group's help, she opened up and sought psychiatric assistance. Although the process took time, little by little she began to recover.
Further updates
The Counseling Center for Women's team of therapists has been working continuously since the start of the war. The therapists face personal and professional challenges unlike any they have experienced before, as well as significant secondary trauma. The Center, in an effort to address these difficulties, provides professional supervision on issues related to war trauma, in order to enable the team to continue treating women effectively.
The Co-Clinical Director of the Counseling Center for Women, Yael Levin, gave several lectures: three lectures to a group of twenty social workers from the welfare department in Bnei Brak. The group members, religious and ultra-Orthodox, received knowledge and tools on how to cope with treating sexual trauma.
A lecture for psychotherapists and social workers on feminist-approach therapy for women with war trauma, during a webinar on women's issues organized by Bonot Alternativa.
Two lectures at the Tel Aviv Sexual Assault Crisis Center, on feminist therapy in wartime.
The welfare services of the Ramat Gan municipality approached the Counseling Center for Women with a request to organize a professional workshop for their employees on personality disorders. A therapist on behalf of the Center, Natasha Grodsky, facilitated the workshop.
The Counseling Center for Women collaborates with Ladaat ("To Know How to Choose"), a leading Jerusalem organization promoting healthy sexuality and women's fertility. Ladaat refers women coping with severe mental distress to the Counseling Center for Women. The Ladaat team attended an introductory workshop at the Center's Jerusalem branch. The Counseling Center for Women team is expected to attend a similar workshop at Ladaat's offices in Jerusalem.
The Counseling Center for Women will chair a panel discussion on feminist psychotherapy for women during wartime, at the National Conference for Social Workers taking place in September 2024. The Center's Co-Clinical Director, Yael Levin, as well as Center therapists Hila Zemer and Rachel Shadletzky-Hart, will speak on the panel.
Special thanks to our partners
Frieze Family Foundation
Sarah Gottesman
Della Worms
To all our partners and donors, who support us during this difficult period, we are grateful for your contribution. We all hope you know how moving and meaningful it is for us.
Help us help more women!
Your donation will allow us to continue providing quality psychotherapy to women who can only reach therapy thanks to the subsidized price.
A donation of 100 NIS - helps us subsidize one hour of therapy
A donation of 200 NIS - helps us subsidize 2 hours of therapy
A donation of 400 NIS - helps us subsidize one month of therapy
A donation of 4,800 NIS - helps us subsidize a full year of therapy
A donation of any amount, even a small one, is welcome and meaningful.
With warm regards,
The Counseling Center for Women Team
The "Counseling Center for Women" nonprofit is a recognized public institution under Section 46 of the Income Tax Ordinance, so that for every donation over 190 NIS to the Counseling Center for Women you are entitled to a tax refund of 35% of the donation amount. For example: if you donated 1,000 NIS, you are entitled to a refund of 350 NIS.
