Women. Knowledge. Change.

The Counseling Center for Women is a nonprofit specializing in psychotherapy for women, in a feminist approach and gender-sensitive therapy

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Psychotherapy

Individual, couples and group therapy, in the clinic and online

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Knowledge, Training & Supervision Center

Expertise in therapy with a feminist approach

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Social Clinic

Groups and workshops for women
Social action promoting women's rights

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We believe
in the power of women.

We work to create a better reality for women in Israel - through therapy, community and social impact.

More about the Center

Women

Therapy

Knowledge

Community

Change

1988Promoting mental health
and women's rights

Thousands ofwomen treated
at the Counseling Center for Women

Hundreds ofgraduates of training
and advanced courses

ChangeCommunity and social
activity

Because every woman deserves a space of her own

To grow stronger. To grow. To make an impact.

Feminist therapy and more...

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Home›About

About

The Counseling Center for Women is a therapy center for women; it offers the general public expertise and knowledge regarding therapy with women and on issues connected to a women’s emotional and psychological world, through deep consideration of her unique characteristics and needs, her inner world, her powers and her relationship with the various cycles of her life.

We at the Counseling Center for Women believe that there are differences between the feminine experience and the masculine experience, and that women are affected in a different way by social, cultural and political factors. Consequently, the need arises to respond to the unique challenges facing women, and to deepen the knowledge, the awareness and the tools for the various emotional needs with which they cope.

The Counseling Center for Women works to advance women by developing and instilling the knowledge and practice of the field of mental health from a gender perspective. The Center, founded in 1988, offers those who turn to it therapy in a variety of therapeutic approaches within three centers of activity: a therapy center, a training center and an enrichment and learning center.

Three centers of activity, one approach

A therapy center, a training center and an enrichment & learning center.

All areas of activity

Home›About›Our Story

Our Story

OUR STORY, LIKE EVERY STORY, STARTED WITH A VISION AND BECAME A REALITY.

In 1986, a number of the founders of the Counseling Center for Women met at the Israel Women’s Network. Together, they devised the vision of establishing a feminist counseling center for women. With the sponsorship of the Women’s Network, a large scale meeting was organized, a gathering of professional women in the mental health field who were interested in integrating a feminist approach into their work. Out of that gathering, a group of 11 women, all clinical psychologists and clinical social workers, came together and founded the Counseling Center for Women, with the purpose of promoting the feminist psychological approach and a gender sensitive viewpoint in the field of mental health in Israel.

ACTION IS NOT A ONE–TIME OCCURRENCE, AND IT NECESSITATED OUR STUDY AND COMMITMENT

For about 2 years, we met twice a month, in order to discuss every possible aspect of the feminist influence on our personal and professional lives, and to study feminist therapeutic literature, which was only in its earliest developmental stage. We also set up marathon meetings in order to define our philosophies and consolidate our commitment.

AND THEN IT HAPPENED

After a year of study and discussion, the ’Collective’ was established, which included the “Founding Mothers” of the Counseling Center for Women. The ’Collective” began to function officially, offering professional clinical services with a feminist orientation, and in 1988 it was registered as a non-profit organization. “We were living out the feminist axiom ’the personal is political.’ We were full of energy and excitement about the possibility of influencing Israeli society in a new and innovative way.” (Brenner, Roseman, Savran and Singer, among the founders of the Counseling Center for Women, 2001)

THE LONGER WE CONTINUED OUR ACTIVITIES, THE MORE WOMEN BEGAN TO HEAR ABOUT THE CENTER AND COME IN FOR THERAPY

Today, more than 300 women are being treated at the Center each week, by a staff of about 25 professional women – clinical social workers, clinical psychologists and psychiatrists – who specialize in therapy with women, and with women suffering from trauma in particular. The Center provides more than 10,000 hours of individual, group, couples and family therapy each year, along with training programs for professional women, educational programs and workshops in the community.

The women who come to the Counseling Center for Women for therapy are dealing with challenges, hardships and mental difficulties that damage their quality of life, such as juggling career and home roles, body image, parenthood and relationships, trauma as a result of sexual abuse, bereavement, eating disorders and more.

We are glad to be a part of a Center that recognizes and cherishes the differences among women. The women who come to the Center, just like its staff members, reflect all of the nuances of society in Israel: younger women and older women; secular, traditional, religious and ultra-Orthodox women; Jews, Muslims and Christians; Ashkenazi and Mizrahi ; heterosexuals and lesbians; veteran Israeli women and new immigrants; women from all economic levels; single, married, divorced and widowed women; mothers and women who define themselves as childless or childfree.

WE EXEMPLIFY THE PRINCIPLE OF EQUALITY, EVEN IN THE WAY WE WORK TOGETHER

All of the members of the staff at the Center take an equal part in setting policies and making decisions. Management at the Center is not hierarchical. It is made up of a number of committees of Center therapists who are responsible for various parts of the organization, alongside the administrative staff. The Board of Directors works in cooperation with the staff, and is involved in developing the vision and resources of the Center and advancing its goals.

We believe that real change happens through contemplation and action within a social context. The Center is also active outside the therapy room, through community projects and through the education and training of professionals and students. We collaborate with many institutions and organizations, with the goal of improving the level of services and therapy that are provided daily to thousands of women through public and private frameworks. In the year 2000, the Counseling Center for Women won the award for “Women Who Have Made a Change in Advancing the Status of Women” from the American Jewish Congress and the Israel Women’s Network.

OUR STORY IS STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS, INFLUENCING THE LIVES OF WOMEN -- INCLUDING OUR OWN LIVES.

"Her-story" is a linguistic coinage introduced in the late 1960s as a feminist critique of the word "history", whose literal meaning in English is "his story". The concept of her-story seeks to present a historical discourse that includes women's and feminist points of view and emphasizes women's roles. This principle accompanies us in the therapy room and when we train women professionals and other role holders - educators, community workers, managers and more - as we maintain that the female life journey has a unique point of view, unique needs and unique aspirations that deserve respectful and tailored attention.

We have shared the story of the Center with you, from its founding until today. As we continue to write our story, we invite you to join us and let us become a part of your story, as clients or as therapists.

Home›Therapy›What is feminist therapy?

What is feminist therapy?

The Counseling Center for Women bases its work on the feminist perspective. This approach, which can be integrated into any type of therapy, sees psychological and emotional problems in general, and of a woman in particular, as a product of her unique personality combined with the social and political context, and the values, of the society in which she lives. The feminist perspective emphasizes a woman’s capability to recognize her desires, her preferences and her true needs, and to enlist her abilities and her inner resources to achieve them. According to the feminist approach, therapy is a partnership between equals.

The feminist approach began to develop during the second feminist wave in the United States during the 1970s. It is as relevant today as it was during those years, in that a deep change has still not taken place in the structure, values and philosophies of society with regard to the status of women, their role in society and the social norms that apply to them.

Feminism challenges the criteria of mental health, which were based on traditional male assumptions, perceptions and therapeutic philosophies, and on stereotypical gender- based values. These include: a lack of psychological knowledge about women and problems with existing methods of intervention; a dissatisfaction with traditional theories of male and female development that set male behavior as the norm and female behavior as deviating from the norm; the exclusion of women from knowledge centers in the field; stereotypes of “femininity” and “masculinity” as healthy behavioral adaptations; the norm of blaming the victims of physical or sexual abuse; the gender-based division of roles in the family and more.

The feminist approach is a therapeutic approach that seeks to empower women and enable them to find their unique voices, through the use of a number of principles:

Challenging basic gender-based assumptions: The feminist therapist helps the client to see the way in which she has internalized negative stereotypes regarding women and femininity. Therapeutic work reduces the pathological view, in that it points to the woman’s strengths, her abilities and her capabilities, and supports an understanding of the need for the defense mechanisms she has used so far. The feminist therapist helps a woman discover the connections between her feelings and behaviors that are preventing her from fulfilling her human potential and her full talents in all areas of life. In this way, the client learns to recognize that the personal is political, courageously examines her inner world, understands herself better, recognizes her strength and thereby broadens her possible choices in various areas of her life.
Minimizing hierarchy in the therapy session: While hierarchy is widespread in society and in many therapeutic approaches (men in relation to women and the therapist in relation to the client), feminist therapy strives to minimize hierarchy and strengthen the point of view that women share similar life experiences and similar challenges, and that every woman, whether she is a therapist or a client seeking therapy, has significant knowledge and experience. In feminist therapy, the therapist is not perceived as the all-knowing expert; instead, respect is given to the client’s interpretation and knowledge of her own life. Feminist therapy supports the de-mystification and transparency of the therapy process: The therapist explains the method of therapy to the client, as well as her insights into the psychodynamic processes that the client is going through. She may share her feelings with the client, along with incidents from her own personal life, to the extent that she believes this will move the therapeutic process forward.
Assertive communication: The feminist therapist encourages the woman to follow her heart and make her desires come true; she allows anger to be legitimate and provides effective ways in which it can be expressed. The feminist therapist is steadfast in her unequivocal stand against exploitation, violence and sexual, physical and emotional abuse, based on the belief that taking a neutral stand regarding abuse in fact blames the victim.

The Counseling Center for Women is the oldest leading therapeutic organization that treats clients using the feminist therapeutic approach. We view feminist therapy as a mission, and believe that the change that clients experience in therapy can lead, in the future, to a change in society outside of the therapeutic framework.

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Non – Profit Documents

Proper Administration Certificate (Hebrew)

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Nonprofit Registration Certificate (Hebrew)

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Tax Withholding Certificate (Hebrew)

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Bookkeeping Approval

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Association Bylaws (Hebrew)

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Financial Reports 2025

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Home›About›Remembrance

Remembrance

Founding mothers who have passed away, and continue to be part of the Center.

Ruth Elraz

London | Jerusalem | 1932-2024

Ruth Elraz immigrated to Israel from England as a young woman in 1954. She studied social work at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and sculpture in London, Paris, and Jerusalem.

Ruthie was a combination of fire, love, anger, activist fervor, and endless personal and social involvement. She was an adoring mother to her only daughter, Danya, and a grandmother whose love and pride in her grandchildren surprised even her.

Ruthie worked for years as a psychotherapist in the Hebrew University’s Student Counseling Services.

Later on, Ruthie was one of the founding mothers of the Counseling Center for Women.

Ruthie was an idealist, a feminist, opinionated, and a central partner in the formation and determination of the Center’s character; in committees, staff meetings, and in all the spaces where the ethical and professional image of the Counseling Center for Women was formed.

Ruth was active for years on the Center’s Steering Committee and in the early years was also responsible for finances and salaries.

Ruthie was a sharp and unconventional therapist.

She had the knowledge and experience and the ability for an inspiring, intelligent, creative, feminist and in-depth clinical analysis.

Ruthie was the “mythic supervisor” of many new students and therapists at the CCW. In her practice as a supervisor, she actually raised a new generation of feminist therapists.

When she walked down the street, it turned out she knew all the dogs in the neighborhood, and she would stop to talk with them (and with their owners).

Ruthie was an activist. She was one of the founders of the ‘Women in Black’, a women’s peace movement, and was also active in the ‘Israeli Committee Against House Demolition’. She did not leave left-wing politics outside the Center and thought that politics should be an integral part of the Center’s existence and operation as a feminist social-therapeutic organization. All of this was fertile ground for many debates and discussions within the Center. For many years, Ruthie was a formative voice of the Center’s spirit and character.

In the Counseling Center for Women’s book of articles, “Women in the Therapeutic Space” published in 2001, an article was published that Ruthie wrote together with team member Marsha Levin Shaviro, “A Meeting with the Other: The Message in the Unspoken Word.”

Click to read the article.

Until the end of her life, close to the age of 92, Ruthie (who had green hair in those days) could be seen moving and rolling in her wheelchair at protests and demonstrations on the streets of Jerusalem.

Each of the Center’s members has her own memories of Ruth Elraz, engraved in her memory and heart.

May Ruthie’s memory be activism for peace, equality, and social justice

Judy Shotten

Canada | Jerusalem | 1924-2020

Judy grew up in Winnipeg, Canada, the daughter of a Zionist family.

As a young woman she came to visit Israel in 1949 with her mother. During that visit and afterwards she felt that her place was in Israel and felt committed to therapeutic, social and feminist work in Israel.

In the '50s and '60s Judy trained at the Psychoanalytic Institute in Jerusalem, and in 1970 she was part of the team that established the first clinic for psychological therapy.

In 1975 she went to the University of Berkeley, California, met her partner Aharon and studied sex therapy, and was a pioneer in bringing the subject to Israel as one of the first therapists in the field of sex therapy.

Judy was a feminist in her whole being and a trailblazer in everything related to viewing the worlds of mental health and sexual health through a gender-feminist lens.

In 1986, Judy joined the collective of women who founded the Counseling Center for Women, a pioneering model of feminist therapy for women in Israel.

Judy remained a dear, meaningful and appreciated member of the organization until her last day. She contributed her spirit, her ideology, her wisdom, her friendship and her love.

Judy's energy and vitality had no limits. She loved to travel the world and kept traveling well into her 90s. She loved to dance and to swim, and did not let age limit her.

As her friend Michal Shonbrun wrote:

"May her soul and spirit continue to dance in paradise, with all the angels above and below.

We wish that the gratitude and our love for Judy will continue to nourish and sustain us on our journeys.

May her soul continue to grow seeds of creativity, compassion, humanity and love".

Judy indeed bequeathed some of her spirit and her love to everyone privileged to know her and work with her.

Our dear Judy passed away at a ripe old age of 96, after a full life.

Marlene Zaslow

United States | Tel Aviv | 1938-2021

Marlene, the youngest in a family of five children, was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

She immigrated to Israel in 1973 with her husband Moti and their two young children, David and Betty.

Marlene grew up with a feminist mother, and in her own feeling she had always been a feminist.

Marlene studied educational and clinical psychology and family therapy, worked in various therapeutic settings for many years, and was always dedicated to creating a better world.

Marlene believed that women needed a safe place for psychotherapy, a feminist women’s space, and so she joined the Counseling Center for Women in 1990, at the second stage of our formation as a leading organization in feminist therapy for women.

The Center was a perfect fit for the wise, enthusiastic Marlene, committed to ideology and to therapy in a feminist approach.

Marlene engaged in individual, couple, family and group psychotherapy, and supervised in all these fields.

She contributed to all of us from her rich knowledge and experience. In addition, Marlene was one of the first EMDR supervisors in Israel.

In the book of articles "Women in the Therapeutic Space", published in 2001, an article by Marlene was published:

"Couples therapy and a support group of mothers who are survivors of sexual abuse".

Click to read the article.

In the article Marlene writes:

"I am grateful that my training in feminist therapy allowed me to listen to women in a fuller way, and to relate to them with all their potential".

At the Counseling Center for Women, Marlene found for herself a community of sisters and partners on a values-driven and professional journey, and the Counseling Center for Women gained one of our dear mothers.

Our Marlene passed away from an illness at the age of 83. She will be remembered with immense, appreciation and warmth for her contributions to the center, with respect, love, and sisterhood.

Home›Therapy›Therapy Center

Therapy Center

A therapy center for women with a feminist perspective

The Therapy Center offers its clients individual, couples and group psychotherapy, based on the feminist psychology approach. Feminist psychology is a therapeutic approach that views society as a significant factor influencing a woman's world, her perceptions, choices, aspirations and ability to fulfill herself; and recognizes women's needs and characteristics as worthy of deep understanding and appropriate, tailored attention.

The team of therapists numbers about 30 women professionals: clinical social workers, clinical psychologists and psychiatrists, specializing in therapy with women and in the issues characteristic of the psychology of women: relationships, singlehood, sexuality, self-image, body image, trauma, crisis, eating disorders, depression, motherhood, mother-daughter relations, pregnancy and fertility, sexual orientation, women and career, coping with illness and disability, and more.

Therapy at the Counseling Center for Women uses a variety of therapeutic techniques and approaches meant to create a secure therapeutic space tailored to the needs of every client; therapy is offered in Hebrew, English, Spanish and additional languages.

Therapy at the Counseling Center for Women takes place at two main branches in Ramat Gan and Jerusalem, as well as at clinics across the country - Pardes Hanna, Modi'in, Kiryat Tivon and the Western Galilee.

The fee for therapy is based on a sliding scale, taking into account the economic and family situation of every client, in order to make quality therapy accessible to every woman who seeks it.

Individual Therapy at the Counseling Center for Women

Intended for any woman coping with suffering, pain or emotional distress, it seeks to support the woman who turns to it, help her find her unique inner voice, empower her, recognize her strength, expand her range of choice and freedom, her growth and personal fulfillment, and bring about an improvement in her quality of life, her family life and the community around her.

The Center's therapists are experts in treating women, deeply familiar with the difficulties and challenges unique to women, and hold the knowledge and tools suited to treating these difficulties and challenges. Therapy at the Counseling Center for Women is based on a relationship of trust between therapist and client; the dialogue that develops between them deepens the client's awareness of her motives, feelings and actions, and helps her cope with the questions, problems and challenges before her, so that she can find within herself the answers, strengths and tools that suit her.

Couples Therapy at the Counseling Center for Women

Couples therapy at the Counseling Center for Women is conducted from an egalitarian approach that recognizes that men and women are raised to fill stereotypical roles that often run counter to the partners' personal tendencies and create conflicts and difficulties in the relationship. For example: different needs for intimacy and sexuality, different patterns of communication and assertiveness, different attitudes toward money, household management and childcare, and more.

Feminist therapy seeks to examine the patterns by which the couple's relationship is conducted, to surface the other voices present within it, and helps the partners see the influence of gender roles on their lives and their relationship; it gives them tools to speak and to listen to one another, and allows them to re-formulate their relationship as one based on egalitarian and supportive foundations, mutual communication and full partnership.

Couples therapy at the Counseling Center for Women is suitable for heterosexual and lesbian couples alike.

Group Therapy at the Counseling Center for Women

January 2021 – A personal growth group opens for women in their 50s and 60s

Registration has opened for growth groups for women in their 50s and 60s, a joint program with the Counseling Center for Women.

For details and registration: contact Hilary Milgrom, MSW, therapist and group facilitator hilarymi@gmail.com

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Group therapy at the Counseling Center for Women serves as a supportive space that allows each participant to experience both acceptance and giving from her fellow group members at the same time. The meeting between different women, who are similar to one another in some ways and different in others, encourages mutual learning and personal growth. The group facilitators, therapists of the Counseling Center for Women, have experience, training and expertise in group psychotherapy.

The Counseling Center for Women runs therapy groups around various topics: challenges of the women's life cycle, relationships, self-image, mothers after childbirth, assertiveness, midlife, personal growth, employment and integration into the labor market, pregnancy loss and more.

Group meetings are held at the Counseling Center for Women branches in Ramat Gan and Jerusalem. In addition, groups can be held at other locations by order of organizations and nonprofits.

For details and to check the option of arranging therapy, please contact us here

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Read about the therapeutic approach, the cost of therapy and who the Center's therapists are.

What is feminist therapy? Questions & Answers

Home›Therapy›Questions & Answers

Questions & Answers

Everything you wanted to know before starting therapy at the Center.

Why come for therapy specifically at the Counseling Center for Women?

The Counseling Center for Women is a long-standing and unique center for therapy, supervision and training in the treatment of women, which has amassed rich and unique knowledge over the 35 years since its founding in treating women and the unique issues arising from the women's life cycle. Therapy at the Counseling Center for Women is conducted at eye level, from a feminist approach that seeks to connect every woman to her strengths and abilities, while giving respect and space to her culture, background, wishes and aspirations, and from an understanding of the social context in which she lives.

The variety of methods, approaches and therapeutic tools available at the Center under one roof allows every client to find a response to her unique needs and difficulties.

I'd like therapy. What do I do?

To receive psychotherapy at the Counseling Center for Women, you are invited to fill in the contact form on the site, or call the Center's offices between 9:00-15:00 and leave your name and phone number. After hours you can leave a voicemail message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Contact phone numbers:

Ramat Gan branch and area 03-6129592/3 | Jerusalem branch and area 02-6785210

Within a few days of your first inquiry, the Center's referral coordinator will contact you and talk with you about the background to your inquiry. Based on the details raised during this call, a first meeting with the therapist will be set for you, after which a therapeutic process will begin, the length of which will be determined by the joint decision of you and your therapist.

Where does therapy take place, and on which days and hours?

The Counseling Center for Women has two branches, in Jerusalem and Ramat Gan; in addition, therapy also takes place in private clinics in Tel Aviv, Pardes Hanna-Karkur, Modi'in, Jerusalem and the surrounding area.

Online therapy via Zoom is also available.

What is psychotherapy? Who is considered a psychotherapist?

Psychotherapeutic treatment (also known as "psychological therapy") is based on conversations, and its goal is to alleviate the client's mental difficulties and suffering and to help build a more stable, flexible and adaptive mental structure for life's challenges. A psychotherapist is any mental health professional who has undergone training in psychotherapy (a clinical psychologist, clinical social worker, or psychiatrist).

Who are the Center's therapists and what is their expertise?

The Center's therapists are clinical psychologists, clinical social workers and psychiatrists with training and experience in treating women.

The professionals at the Counseling Center for Women have extensive experience in psychotherapy with women and have specialized in a wide range of fields, approaches, techniques and therapeutic models (such as psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral and other approaches). The feminist therapy approach advocated by the Center is integrated into each therapist's own approach. The Center also has therapists certified in unique therapeutic methods such as Gestalt, guided imagery, safe touch, EMDR, hypnosis and NLP.

What is the difference between a clinical psychologist and a clinical social worker?

Clinical psychology and clinical social work are two clinical (therapeutic) specialization tracks with slightly different emphases. Originally, the difference between the fields lay in their approach to the individual's well-being: the psychological approach emphasizes the individual's inner world, while the social approach relates to the social context in which the individual operates. Over the years, however, the differences between the fields have narrowed, especially when it comes to clinically trained mental health professionals who have undergone many varied trainings. The therapists at the Counseling Center for Women, whether psychologists or social workers, have clinical training and focus both on the client's inner world and on the external influences and social context in which she lives.

Can medication be prescribed at the Center?

The clinical team of the Counseling Center for Women also includes psychiatrists - physicians whose specialty is mental health and who are qualified to diagnose mental difficulties and offer medication solutions when needed. Consultation with a psychiatrist becomes possible when the therapeutic dialogue leads the therapist and client to believe that medication can provide a significant response to the existing mental state. The medical service is offered only to the Center's clients, at subsidized prices.

How long does therapy last?

The length of therapy depends on many factors, such as the nature of the difficulties and issues we are coping with, the goals we set for ourselves in therapy, and the scope of change we seek to bring about in our lives. An inquiry prompted by a specific crisis or a need for focused therapy may find its solution in short-term therapy. Deeper difficulties that accompany our lives over a long time, on the other hand, may require a deeper and more comprehensive therapeutic process and a wider time frame. Part of the therapeutic dialogue is meant to allow each of us to define the nature and scope of the change she wishes to invest in.

What are the costs of therapy?

The fee per therapy hour is on a sliding scale, ranging between 250-400 NIS. In addition, the Counseling Center for Women offers additional subsidized tracks at lower prices (150-200 NIS).

What types of therapy are available at the Center?

The Center offers a variety of therapy services: individual therapy, couples therapy and group therapy.

Is it possible to start with individual therapy and move to couples therapy?

In principle there is no obstacle. If therapy began with personal sessions and the therapeutic dialogue led the therapist and client to believe that couples therapy could be beneficial, couples therapy can be started within the Center, in parallel to or instead of the individual therapy. The therapeutic dialogue is meant to help us understand the options and choose the most suitable one for us (for example, whether to begin couples therapy with the same therapist or with a different therapist).

Is the Center affiliated with the health funds?

No. The Counseling Center for Women is a private nonprofit operating separately from the public health fund services.

What happens if I don't connect with the therapist assigned to me?

Beyond the importance of the therapeutic approaches of the Center's therapists, the interpersonal meeting is highly significant, and sometimes there indeed is no "click" between therapist and client. In such a case, the therapist and client will try to clarify the causes of this feeling; if needed, the client will be referred to another therapist from among the Center's therapists.

Still have a question?

You can fill in the contact form or call the Center's offices between 9:00-15:00.

Home›Therapy›Our clients write

Our clients write

Words from clients who went through a therapeutic process at the Center

“Last Thursday was the climax of the healing process that I have gone through here … with the amazing guidance and support of [the therapist], I revealed the secret to my brother, who abused me sexually in childhood, and the wound I have been carrying inside me all alone for so many years. I asked for healing for both of us. I put the past and the pain and the sadness behind me. I freed myself from the chains of the secret. And since then … I feel as though I have been reborn. I feel calm and serene, without that oversized burden … the one that I carried all of those years. I also want to thank you, the staff of the Center, for this amazing place, that made it possible for me to experience the process that I went through. This safe, protected place is here because of you.”

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart – for the opportunity you gave me to grow and flourish. I doubt I could have allowed myself such good therapy anywhere else, and I doubt I could have afforded the high fee anywhere else …”

Shalom to you, I am a 39 year old woman and a single mother to a wonderful little boy who is six and a half years old. Three and a half years ago, I went through a particularly difficult divorce process that lasted two years. During that process, I reached the breaking point. I felt a little like a rhinoceros whose horn was stuck in a tangle of branches. I was up to my neck in a complex relationship with my parents, very difficult economic distress and, mainly, without the ability to find the point of light from which I could look ahead. When I came to the Center, I could not see clearly enough to set expectations and to know where I wanted to go. I came to the Counseling Center for Women and, after the intake, began therapy with [the therapist].

In the past, I had gone through therapy with a man; this time, I felt more comfortable in that armchair, I felt that the presence of a woman therapist was coming from a non-judgmental place and, in general, as opposed to other treatments that I had tried, there was an understanding of my need and ability to put my cards on the table. Throughout the therapy, I felt the space that was created because of the feminine prism of [the therapist]. The more that [the therapist] listened to me, strengthening me but never judging me -- the more I could come to conclusions about myself. The feeling was that the picture was much clearer in my eyes. My life was clearer, and from that point on the way to get stronger and to feel secure was easier. I have to state that, all along the way, [the therapist] never gave up on the therapy and on my empowerment. She charges me a symbolic fee for the therapy, while my welfare as a client is the highest priority in her eyes.

Today, I feel like I am looking straight ahead. I am looking straight at myself, something that has a positive influence on every layer of my life. In two years I have published two books, my writings have been published in literary journals and other media and I now have the ability to find points of light in all kinds of situations.”

Home›Training›Training Center for Women and Men Professionals

Training Center for Women and Men Professionals

THE CENTER FOR TRAINING AND WORKSHOPS ON ISSUES OF WOMEN’S THERAPY WITH A FEMINIST PERSPECTIVE

The Center for Training and Workshops has served as a significant cornerstone throughout the years that the Counseling Center for Women has been in operation. It is a professional framework, which works to deepen the familiarity of the professional community in Israel with the feminist approach to therapeutic work with women and with issues that are characteristic of the psychology of women, as well as offering tools with which to implement that approach in the therapy session.

The Center for Training and Workshops provides a response to the various needs of professionals in a variety of fields: women graduate students, mental health professionals, therapists and senior staff members in public services, group facilitators, independent private therapists, multidisciplinary teams, welfare workers in branches of municipalities, colleges and universities and government offices as well as professional staff members in social organizations and community centers.

In the same manner, the Center for Training and Workshops specializes in providing training in peer supervision and egalitarian supervision that contributes to broadening knowledge, empowerment and the improvement of working relations among the staff in dealing with clients.

THE CENTER FOR TRAINING AND WORKSHOPS OFFERS VARIOUS PROGRAMS TO WOMEN AND MEN PROFESSIONALS:

Individual and group supervision

The Counseling Center for Women offers women and men professionals supervision, which is conducted in the spirit of feminist therapy and tailored to the needs of the supervisees. The supervision approach at the Center draws its inspiration from feminist principles and takes place in a supportive, non-hierarchical and non-judgmental framework of peer counseling. The structure of collegial supervision makes a profusion of professional approaches possible, which expands the variety of possibilities for an effective intervention, while, at the same time, creating an opening to additional possibilities among the clients themselves. This format increases staff cohesion and can serve as a professional support group.

Lectures and professional courses

The Center offers lectures and professional courses on a variety of subjects in the field of psychology with a gender-oriented approach: violence against women, postpartum depression, principles of feminist therapy, mother and daughter relations, body image, eating disorders, supervision of colleagues and more.

A practicum program for students

The Center offers individual training in individual and group therapy from a feminist point of view for women who are graduate students in social work. The practicum program is meant for students in their second year of studies towards an advanced degree, and it enables them to get to know the world of feminist therapy, to acquire skills in therapy with women throughout their life cycles, to gain experience in feminist therapy, accompanied by the supervision of a senior clinical social worker in a containing and enabling environment.

A training program for professional staffs

The program offers professionals an in depth familiarity with the feminist therapeutic approach and with subjects characteristic of the psychology of women.

PROFESSIONAL STAFF MEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN TRAINED IN RECENT YEARS:

ONE IN NINE: An organization that supports women with breast cancer. Training of the team of therapists of this non-profit organization on the subject of dealing with breast cancer from the point of view of feminist psychology

THE CENTER FOR PREVENTION OF VIOLENCE IN THE FAMILY, DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, SHU’AFAT – Training at the professional - management level in the field of violence in the family

The Girls' Unit, Department of Welfare and Community Services, Kiryat Gat Municipality: training social workers on somatic therapy and post-trauma

YAD SARAH, THE CENTER FOR THE FAMILY – Training of therapists on the subject of therapy for women from a feminist perspective

And more …

FOR DETAILS AND TO ARRANGE SUPERVISION AND TRAINING FOR PROFESSIONAL WOMEN AND PROFESSIONAL STAFF MEMBERS, PLEASE CONTACT US

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Home›Community›Activities

Activities

The Counseling Center for Women believes that the change in a woman's personal condition, as in her social status, is closely linked to the recognition that women have unique characteristics and needs, and therefore require tailored and fitting attention - in the therapy room, in their couple and family relationships, in the work environment and in the other diverse settings in which women are active and involved. We believe that gender-tailored attention in all life systems is what enables every woman to express her thoughts and wishes, to advance her aspirations, and to improve her own fate and that of those around her.

On the basis of this outlook we established three centers of activity at the Counseling Center for Women: a therapy center, a training center for women professionals, and a community activity center. The centers operate side by side, sharing the knowledge and many years of experience we have amassed in the therapy room, and advancing women in the various arenas of life.

Home›Community›Community activity

Community activity

As a feminist therapeutic-social organization, the Counseling Center for Women is committed to professional-social action outside the walls of the therapy clinics, in various community spaces and for diverse groups of women.

Our activity aims to raise social awareness of feminist issues and of the unique personal and social challenges women face, as well as to develop and provide responses for women in the community.

We operate in two channels: one - enrichment programs and advanced training; the other - support groups for women.

Enrichment programs and advanced training:

The Counseling Center for Women offers professionals in social organizations and in the business sector who work with and for women a varied range of workshops, training programs and lectures on different topics, such as: challenges around the female life cycle; preventing violence in couple relationships and in the family; coping with trauma and crisis; war trauma among women, and more.

Examples of enrichment programs and training we have led in recent years:

Webinars for professionals in women's organizations, Jewish federations abroad, and nonprofits in Israel and abroad on the topic of Israeli women coping with war trauma;

An open community lecture and workshop on the effects of prolonged captivity on the hostages in Gaza and on Israeli society as a whole (in cooperation with the "Bo'u" (בואו) initiative);

Training for volunteers in welfare departments of local authorities on providing service to clients coping with complex post-trauma;

Lectures for team members and coordinators at sexual assault crisis centers on the psychological effects of the war on women coping with past sexual trauma.

Support groups for women:

The Counseling Center for Women's team of therapists initiates and facilitates various support groups for women in the community. We are committed to mapping the needs of different populations of women in Israel and to building group responses tailored to them. The support groups provide a safe space for emotional sharing, consultation and strengthening a sense of personal and group resilience.

Examples of support groups we have run in recent years:

A support group for single mothers and single-parent mothers;

A support group for women evacuated from their homes in the north of the country during the war;

A support group for women whose partners were drafted for extended reserve duty during the war;

A support group for women activists in protest organizations and organizations for social change;

A writing and bibliotherapy group for single mothers;

A support group for women caring for aging parents, and more.

Flyers and recent activities

Home›Team

Team

The Counseling Center for Women's staff includes a clinical team, an administrative team and a board of directors. The clinical team is composed of clinical social workers, clinical psychologists and psychiatrists who specialize in treating women throughout their life cycle. The administrative team handles management, community relations and administration. Since the Counseling Center for Women is a nonprofit organization, it is also based on a board of directors.

The cooperation and the dialogue between the clinical staff, the professional staff and the board of directors assist in the continuous and professional work of the Center.

Jerusalem Branch Team

Meet the staff

Ramat Gan Branch Team

Home›Team›Jerusalem Branch

Jerusalem Branch

The Clinical Team of the Jerusalem Branch

Hila Zemer

Jungian analyst, clinical social worker (MSW) and certified spiritual counselor. Certified supervisor of social work and spiritual care. Her expertise lies in the female life cycle, the mother-daughter relationship, women in the Third Age (or post menopause), divorce, loss and widowhood.

Elisheva HaCohen

MSW in clinical Social Work, Hebrew University of Jerusalem; graduate of the 3 year program in psychoanalytic psychotherapy, the Psychological Service, Hebrew University.

Tali Finelt

MSW from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Graduate of the two-year 'Psychodynamic Approach when working with Adults' Program, The Academic Center for Continuing Medical Education, Tel Aviv University.
Graduate of the 'Animal Assisted Therapy' Program at the Magid Institute, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Dr. Daniel Roe

Clinical Social Worker (MSW) practicing a dynamic, integrative approach. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Tel Aviv University and Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Social Work from Hebrew University. Her doctoral research focused on the role and responsibility of the community in breaking the silence surrounding sexual violence and in creating alternative spaces for justice and recovery. A graduate of diverse international training programs, including Open Dialogue, SE, EMDR, and wilderness therapy, with experience treating sexual trauma and providing politically sensitive, informed therapy.

Tal Shanny

MAAT Movement Therapy, David Yellin College of Education.
Psychotherapy through conversation, embodiment, and creative methods.
Extensive experience working individually with women on personal and professional development, relationships, parenting, creative processes, and navigating crisis or trauma, depression and anxiety.
Incorporates Focusing, Family Constellations, Authentic Movement, Voice Dialogue, and STREAM (a combination of Somatic Experiencing and Movement Therapy).

Hagit Ephraim Patrick

MSW in clinical social work in the field of direct care, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. BA in behavioral sciences and economics, Ben Gurion University of the Negev. Uses a dynamic approach to therapy.

Nurit Barak-Vardi

Clinical Social Worker, MSW, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Specialization in feminist and gender-sensitive therapeutic approaches. Extensive experience in facilitating women’s groups.
B.A. in Sociology and Political Science and M.A. in Sociology of Education (Research Track), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Yael Sasson

MAAT from David Yellin College; Phototherapist,
graduate of the Dynamic Psychotherapy Program in the Psychological Service at the
Hebrew University. Therapist for girls and women in public services and in a private
clinic.

Ester lebovitse

Master's Degree (M.A.) in Art Therapy, Lesley University
Graduate of the Dynamic Psychotherapy Program in Psychological Services, Hebrew University

The Interns

Dr. Inbar Galili-Schachter

Bibliotherapist.
Specialization in psychotherapy using a feminist psychodynamic approach.
B.A. in Psychology from Bar-Ilan University. M.A.A.T. in Bibliotherapy from David Yellin College.Ph.D. in Education from the Hebrew University.
Has extensive experience in group facilitation, mentoring, professional development, and life story research.

Bayan Rajaby

Clinical Social Worker (MSW) with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Social Work from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Her professional experience focuses on sexuality and sexual and reproductive health, including counseling and supporting women navigating unplanned pregnancies and abortion. She is currently undertaking advanced training in sex, couples, and family therapy.

Liora Tas

BA in Social Work and MA in Educational Counseling. Currently pursuing an MSW in Direct Practice at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Experienced in supporting individuals through crises, emotional difficulties, and trauma related challenges.

Home›Team›Ramat Gan Branch

Ramat Gan Branch

The Clinical Team of the Ramat Gan Branch

Anat Argov Urbach

BSW, Hebrew University; MSW, Ben Gurion University; Couple & Family therapist, The Barcai Institute; Group Facilitating, Tel Aviv University.

Tal Shefet – Baron

MSW, Hebrew University; studying psychotherapy with a psychoanalytic approach, Bar Ilan University; certified Counselor in Social Work, Tel Aviv University.

Dr. Rachel Shledletzky-Hart

PHD in Social Work, Bar Ilan University; Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy at the School of Psychotherapy TelAviv; MSW in Clinical Social Work, Bar Ilan University; B.A in Behavioural Science, Ben Gurion University.
Students supervision ,group therapy and couple therapy.
Specializing in: Crisis management, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Complex PTSD, depression and anxiety, sexual abuse, bereavement and loss, problems in couples life and parenthood.

Tali Dayan

Clinical Social Worker (MSW) , holding both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Social Work.
Graduate of the Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Program – Winnicott Center, and certified in EMDR, Level 2.
Specializes in working with women across different life stages, addressing emotional, psychological, and existential challenges.
Integrates a psychodynamic approach with EMDR tools, tailoring each process to the unique needs of every client.

Hany Benaya

I have an MSW in clinical social work from Tel Aviv University and qualified for psychotherapy from the University of Haifa.
I am a dynamically oriented psychotherapist and have experience working in many aspects of our lives.

Noa Efron m.s.w

Social work with clinical specialization in trauma - Haifa University,
Cognitive behavioral therapy - the Israeli program for behavioral therapy
Areas of expertise:
anxiety and depression, trauma, life crises, attention deficit disorder, immigration, fertility treatments.

Yael Shabtai

Clinical MSW, Children’s and Adult psychotherapy; PhD. student in the Department of Gender, Bar Ilan University, research field - motherhood. Graduated from the psychoanalytic psychotherapy program at Bar Ilan University and the children’s psychoanalytic psychotherapy program at the faculty of medicine at Tel Aviv University; MA in clinical social work from Bar Ilan University; BA in social work from Tel Aviv University. Specializing in the field of psycho-medical therapy, trauma, life crisis, depression and anxiety. Group therapist and clinical supervisor. Her private clinic is in Ramat Gan.

Osher Amitay

MSW in clinical social work, the Hebrew University, "Anthroposophic Psychotherapy, “Kelim Shluvim", Animal assisted therapy, Oranim College, BSW, the Hebrew University.

Libby Glicksman

MSW in Clinical Social Work, the Hebrew University. B.A Psychology and Special Education, Tel Hai College. Certification Therapeutic Riding Instructor, TRCI.

Tamar Sharon

Graduate of the Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Program, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University.
M.A Art Therapy, Kibbutzim College of Education.
B.A Art History and Interdisciplinary Studies, Tel Aviv University.
Treats using a dynamic approach and art.
Treats teenagers and adults and offers Parental training at a clinic in Tel Aviv.

The Interns

Shahar Polchek

Master of Social Work (MSW), Advanced studies in direct therapy track, Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Work, Hebrew University, Jerusalem.
Specializes in gender sensitive, relational dynamic therapy. Combines multiple therapy tools (Mindfulness, Buddhism inspired treatment and trauma-informed work).

Ronny Soudry

B.A. in Behavioral Sciences, Ben-Gurion University.
Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) with specialization in the Clinical Treatment Track, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
In addition, I am a Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher and provide Rehabilitation Basket (Sal Shikum) support services for individuals with Complex PTSD (CPTSD).

Home›Team›Board of Directors

Board of Directors

Moriah Shlumot

Chair

Joint Head, Board of Directors
A graduate of the Bet Tzvi School of Theatre Arts; BA in Law from the Chaim Shtriks Law School, the College of Administration; today she works as an attorney, specializing in the defense of human rights. Moriah was the CEO of the Counseling Center for Women from 2003 to 2011.

Hagit Guz

Chair

Joint Head, Board of Directors
Bachelor's degree in Accounting and Economics, The Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Master of Business Administration (MBA), major in finance, Ben -Gurion University. Israel construction finance manager of Intel Israel.

Rakefet Ginsberg

Board of Directors
BSW, Tel Aviv University. MSW,Tel Aviv University. She was a shlicha for the Jewish Agency to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Today she serves as the
Assistant CEO of the Masorti Movement.

Bella Savran

Bella is a clinical social worker and one of the founders of the Counseling Center for Women. In memory of her parents, Frieda and Arie Halpern, Bella established a fund which subsidizes psychological therapy for women of limited means. She was a pioneer in the area of awareness groups for adult children of Holocaust survivors, and published articles on the subject.

Joyce Rosman Brenner

One of the founders of the Counseling Center for Women. A psychotherapist, a senior lecturer at Yeshiva University in New York and the coordinator of the Block Program for the Wurzweiler School of Social Work in Israel. Joyce has been active in feminist circles in Israel since she made aliyah more than 30 years ago: She served as the first Reform representative to be appointed to the position of member of a city religious council; she was one of the founders of the Center for Women’s Consciousness in Netanya; she is the chairperson of the ‘Gender Issues as an Area of Specialization’ committee at the Union of Social Workers in Israel. Joyce has served as a member of the Board of Directors since 2002.

Dr. Simi Mizrahi

has been a feminist activist since 1975 and has played a significant part in social feminist activism in Israel. She was among the founders of the Tel Aviv Rape Crisis Center, and one of the initiators of "Tz'ena Ur'ena", an organization for women's culture and feminism. In addition, she took an active part in lesbian-feminist organizations, including Aleph and Kelef. In 1990 she joined the Women's Counseling Center as a therapist, where she worked until mid-2024. Since 2025 she has served as a member of the center's Board of Directors.

Ayala Felsenthal Dovrat

Holds an LL.B. from Tel Aviv University and an M.A. in General History from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Ayala currently serves as Chief of Staff to the Chairman of the Board of Directors at a leading Israeli bank. With extensive legal experience specializing in labor and employment law, she previously served as the bank’s Legal Counsel for Human Resources.

Home›Team›Administrative Staff

Administrative Staff

Ronit Uliel Mirkin - Co-CEO

Co-CEO

Ronit is a clinical social worker with a specialization in trauma. She received her MA from Haifa University.
For over a decade Ronit held several executive positions and prior to her start at CCW, she was the Director of Administration, Quality and Regulation in the Department of Mental Health in the Ministry of Health.
Ronit has extensive experience in treating sexually abused women. At the Bnei Zion Medical Center she was a therapist and group coordinator.

Yael Levin - Clinical Co-CEO

Clinical Co-CEO

Clinical social worker and psychotherapist, certified supervisor in Social Work by the Tel Aviv University, lecturer.
MSW specialization in the field of women and gender, Bob Shapell School of Social Work, Tel Aviv University.
Certified Psychodynamic Psychotherapist by the Israeli Association for Psychotherapy.
Lecturer in the psychodynamic psychotherapy program for the treatment of sexual trauma, Bar-Ilan University.
During studies in the Relational Psychotherapy Approach, the program for advanced studies in psychotherapy,
Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University.

Tali Rayn-Aloni - Resource Development Manager

Resource Development Manager

Tali holds a B.A. in English Literature and an M.A. in Communication (Research Track) from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, as well as a Certified Information Specialist diploma from Beit Berl College. Over the past several years, she has worked in nonprofit organizations and healthcare institutions in information and knowledge management roles. She believes in the transformative power of feminist psychotherapy to foster personal growth and social change and sees mental health care as an essential pathway to women's well-being and empowerment.

Moran Moas

Over the last fifteen years I have worked with women in various settings:
As a doula, shiatsu therapist for women, family constellation therapist.
I believe that working with women further connects me to that world and I feel at home.
Throughout the years I learned a great deal and I participated in various professional
trainings – massage for pregnant women, doula certification, therapist through the
International School for the Study of Systemic Constellations in Israel.

Netta Levavi - Office Manager Jerusalem Branch

Office Manager, Jerusalem Branch

BA: Education and Gender Studies
Diploma in Ceramic Design, Tel Hai College
Netta has a private business designing and teaching ceramics, which she established seven years ago.
In the past Netta was the Media Director and Office Manager of The Benyamini Contemporary Ceramics Center in Tel Aviv. She was a guide for various art and design exhibitions and organized and produced art and cultural events throughout Tel Aviv.
Photo credit - Rotem Sinai

Amit Sher - Content Development Coordinator

Content Development Coordinator

Clinical Social Worker (MSW), Tel Aviv University.
MA in Gender Studies (Bar-Ilan University) and BA in Psychology (Tel Aviv University).
Works with women facing life changes and crises, using a feminist dynamic approach.

Home›Team›Audit Committee

Audit Committee

Sandy Birnbaum – Aronovitz

BA in psychology and English literature, Hebrew University; MA in clinical psychology, University of Haifa; authorization as an expert in clinical psychology by the Ministry of Health of the State of Israel; licensed to conduct therapy with hypnosis by the Ministry of Health of Israel; graduate of a course in couples therapy from the Shiluv Institute for Couples and Family Therapy in Jerusalem.

Ronny Perlman

one of the founders of CCW.
B.A in Spanish and English literature.
M.A in counselling.
Diploma in Narrative therapy.

Home›Knowledge›Press and Media

Press and Media

Interview with Rakefet Ginsburg, Chair of the Executive Board of the Counseling Center for Women (Hebrew)'B'chol Hazchuyot' radio show, 1.04.2019, minute 42:40, 104.5fm

Interview with Rakefet Ginsburg, Chair of the Executive Board, Counseling Center for Women (Hebrew)'B'tachshov Tov', 103fm, 31.3.2019

Watch

Interview with Hila Zemer: Is aging different for men and for women? (Hebrew)'For Adults Only', 103fm, 29.03.2019

Watch

Interview with Rakefet Ginsburg, Chair of the Executive Board, Counseling Center for Women (Hebrew)'Rava Le' on Galgalatz, 10.12.2017

Watch

Ways of coping with the breach of therapeutic confidentiality (Hebrew)Attorney Moriya Shlomot, Executive Board member, Counseling Center for Women, London & Kirschenbaum, December 2017 (Hebrew)

Watch

Emergency conference: Who will protect the confidentiality of sexual assault victims? (Hebrew)Tamar Dresler, Maariv, December 2017 (Hebrew)

Watch

From the therapy room to the courtroom - about the emergency conference, on Keren Neubach's program (Hebrew)Rakefet Ginsburg, Chair of the Executive Board

Why They Took Mother's Day Away from Us (Hebrew)by Iris Mor (Hebrew). Ynet Parents, February 2009

Watch

Free the Disturbance Inside: Psychotherapy Exposes Self Enslavement (Hebrew)by Michal Ya'ir-Kisin (Hebrew). NRG, Health

Reunion (about workshops for mothers and daughters) (Hebrew)by Tamar Rotem (Hebrew). Achbar Ha'Ir, Children, 14.6.2009

'Single Woman' - A Dirty Word? Feminist Therapy on Singlehood (Hebrew)Sadot website, National Center for Psychological Services, December 2008 (Hebrew)

Watch

Society and Me (Hebrew)Ha'aretz, July 2008

Watch

When a Boy Only Wants to Wear Pink Clothes (Hebrew)Ynet, June 2008

Watch

'Change of Life': Get Past the Barrier and Flow with Power (Hebrew)Ynet, December 2007

Watch

Removing the Taboo: Sexual Assault on Kibbutzim (Hebrew)by Ruti Sinai (Hebrew). Ha'aretz, 2.6.2005

Watch

Being Single - Problem or Opportunity? (Hebrew)By Janet Baumgold-Land (Hebrew)

Dealing with sexual dysfunction, by Judy Siegel-ItzkovichThe Jerusalem Post, 15.10.05

Does the state care about women's mental health? (Hebrew)Riki Cohen, Saloona (Hebrew)

5 Myths About Rape (Hebrew)Tammuz Kolber, Onlife (Hebrew)

Watch

What Israel's Spate of High Profile Sex Scandals Says About Its Culture/ The Times of Israel

Home›Knowledge›Media Posts

Media Posts

What is feminist therapy, anyway? #1 (images in Hebrew)

Thanks to... Karen Horney (images in Hebrew)

October 7th is not over yet... (images in Hebrew)

When the present meets the past (images in Hebrew)

What is feminist therapy, anyway? #2 (images in Hebrew)

Thanks to... Judith Lewis Herman (images in Hebrew)

What is feminist therapy, anyway? #3 (images in Hebrew)

Thanks to... Carol Gilligan (images in Hebrew)

Professional Articles

– This page is under construction –Professional articles will be uploaded soon

Home›Knowledge›Hiring

Hiring

Home›Donate›Donations

Donations

Help Us to Help Women! Transform the life of a woman today by making a gift to CCW! Help us to help other women make changes in their personal lives and receive tools to create a better future for themselves, their families, and their community.

A donation of 25$ will help subsidize one hour of gender-sensitive therapy, a donation of 100$ will help subsidize one month and 1200$ will help subsidize a year of therapy.

For US Donations

US tax deductible donations over $25 can be sent by check or by wire transfer to: PEF Israel Endowment Funds Inc. (501C3), 630 Third Ave., 15th floor, New York, NY10017. Please make sure to enclose a note with the donation indicating that it is recommended for The Counseling Center for Women, I.D. number 58-0130789.

To donate in the honor or memory of someone, please indicate the name of the person and your contact email in your note to PEF so that we can inform them.

For UK Donations

UK tax-deductible donations can be sent to: Jerusalem Foundation, Prism the Gift Fund, 20 Gloucester Place, W1U 8HA, London UK. Please kindly specify Counseling Center for Women, I.D. number 58-0130789, on the cheque.

For Israeli citizens, your donation is recognized by the Israeli Income Tax Authority, according to Paragraph 46a.

You can donate to the Counseling Center for Women in one of the following ways:

For US Donations

Credit card donations can be sent through PEF by Causematch.

Donate

For international Donations

Credit card donations can be sent from US, Israel, Canada and UK through Jgive

Donate

Bank Transfers

You can send us a donation through wire transfer.

Bank: ISRAEL DISCOUNT BANK LTD

Bank Number: 0011

Branch Number: IDBLILITXXX

Number IBAN (23 digits): IL840110850000004376317

Currency of Account: US.DOLLAR

Beneficiary's Name: The Counseling Center for Women

Beneficiary's Address: ROKACH RAMAT GAN 52542 12

Check Donations

Check Donations can be sent to:

The Counseling Center for Women

12 Rokach St.

Ramat Gan, Israel 52542

Round-up for Good (Israeli Credit Cards Only)

The Round-Up system allows you to round up your credit card transactions to the nearest shekel and donate the agurot that you rounded in full. For example: Buy something for 78.60 NIS? Your bill will be rounded up to 79.00 NIS and 40 agurot will be donated to the charity of your choice out of a wide variety of eligible charities.

Round-up for Good

Legacy Giving

Another way to leave your mark on the future: a bequest in your will, assets, or naming the Center as a beneficiary.

To the Legacy program

For donations please contact us here

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Home›Leaving a Mark

Leaving a Mark – Leave a Legacy Behind You

There are things we leave behind us that keep changing lives

Watch on YouTube

Each of us has values, beliefs and goals that are close to her heart. A donation to the Counseling Center for Women through an estate allows you to give these values lasting meaning and to ensure that in the future, too, women will be able to receive the emotional, professional and sensitive support they need.

An estate donation is an opportunity to leave a personal mark, to express women's solidarity and to be a partner in building a future in which every woman, regardless of her financial situation or life circumstances, will have the possibility to receive quality mental-health treatment, to grow and to become stronger.

The choice you make today can change the lives of many women tomorrow.

The Counseling Center for Women – A Legacy of Action and Impact

The story of the Counseling Center for Women began in 1986, when nine trailblazing women professionals in the field of psychotherapy united around a shared vision: to make professional, feminist and gender-sensitive mental-health treatment accessible to women in Israel.

In 1988 the Center was established, and since then it has become a unique and significant organization in the field of women's mental health in Israel. Today the Center provides professional and subsidized mental-health treatment to hundreds of women every year, through a team of certified and experienced psychotherapists, at its branches in Jerusalem and Ramat Gan and at additional clinics across the country. The Center accompanies women from all population groups and at all stages of life, and offers them a safe, containing and empowering therapeutic space, with no time limit on the duration of treatment.

Alongside its therapeutic work, the Center is a home for knowledge, training and professional development for the next generation of psychotherapists, and works to advance a therapeutic approach that recognizes the influence of social, cultural and gender processes on women's lives.

The vision that guided the Center's founders continues to lead us today: a society in which every woman will be able to receive quality and accessible mental-health treatment, without dependence on her financial ability.

Through an estate donation you can take part in the continuity of this vision, support the Center's stability and future, and ensure that this important work continues for the coming generations as well.

CCW Team at the Marathon, Year 2023

First Days of the CCW Collective. Bottom from Left to Right: Joyce Rosman- Brenner, Judy Shotten, Bella Savran. Middle Row from Left to Right: Janet Goldstein, Jo Oppenheimer, Ruth El-Raz. Top Row from Left to Right: Janet Baumgold-Land, Ronny Perlman, Esther Eillam, Iris Singer.

How Can You Give?

There are several ways to include the Counseling Center for Women in your personal legacy planning. Every donation, of any size, is meaningful and can help us continue to provide mental-health treatment to women who need it.

A Donation Through a Will

You can include the Counseling Center for Women in your will and bequeath to the Center a defined sum of money, a specific percentage of your estate, or a specific asset of your choice. This is a meaningful way to ensure that the values that are important to you continue to be expressed in the future as well.

A Donation of Property and Real Estate

You can choose to bequeath real-estate assets to the Center, such as an apartment, a house, land or an investment property. These assets can become a significant resource that supports the Center's work over many years.

A Donation of Funds and Financial Assets

You can bequeath to the Center funds from bank accounts, securities, investments and additional financial assets, according to your wish and your estate planning.

Naming the Center as a Beneficiary in Life Insurance or a Pension Savings Plan

In suitable cases you can choose the Counseling Center for Women as a beneficiary in a life-insurance policy or a pension savings product. This option may allow you to support the Center even without a change to your will.

How to Begin?

Your legacy can be part of the story of many women – women who will receive a safe space, support, hope and an opportunity for growth and change.

If you are considering including the Counseling Center for Women in your will, we would be happy to talk with you, answer questions and think together about how you can leave a meaningful mark through a donation to the Counseling Center for Women.

The Center's details for drawing up a will:
The Counseling Center for Women (registered nonprofit)
Nonprofit number: 580130789

For further details and a personal conversation:
03-6129592/3
resource@ccw.org.il

Every inquiry will be received with sensitivity and discretion.

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Ramat Gan Branch

For therapy in Ramat Gan, Pardes Hanna, Modi'in, Western Galilee and Kiryat Tivon: WhatsApp message0547407881

Ramat Gan office: booking training, lectures, support groups and other matters03-6129592/3

office@ccw.org.il

12 Rokach St, Ramat Gan

Jerusalem Branch

For therapy in Jerusalem - WhatsApp message054-777-8136

Jerusalem office02-6785210

office-jer@ccw.org.il

4 Rav Ashi St, Jerusalem

Home›Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

In accordance with Section 13 of the Protection of Privacy Law, 5741-1981, the "Counseling Center for Women" nonprofit (hereinafter: "the Association") is committed to respecting the privacy of the users and visitors of the site, and sees protecting your privacy as part of its feminist and professional values. The Association undertakes to safeguard the personal information provided to it and to act with transparency and care at every stage of handling inquiries.

Collection of information: If you wish to contact us in order to receive emotional therapy within the Association, you will be asked to provide basic personal details including: full name, phone number, email address, reason for inquiry. Providing these details is done of your own free will and with your consent; you are under no legal obligation to provide the Association with any personal information. However, without providing the information, you will not be able to receive the services offered by the Association.
The database and its use: The data collected about the user noted above is kept in a database of the Association, which undertakes to use this information in accordance with this privacy policy and/or in accordance with the provisions of any law, and for the following purposes: contacting the applicant for a personal conversation and checking suitability for therapy. Matching a suitable therapist according to need. Internal management and improvement of the services provided by the Association. Contact regarding participation in conferences/lectures/training offered by the Association. Contact regarding participation in online and in-person support groups facilitated by the Association. Contact regarding donations to the Association. The Association does not transfer personal information to third parties, except in the following cases: to fulfill the above purposes we make use of service providers, such as cloud computing platforms and hosting providers (in Israel or abroad) and information system providers; by legal obligation or authority, or pursuant to the instruction of a competent authority, or for the purpose of legal defense;
Retention of information: We will keep the information for the time needed to fulfill the purposes of use of the information detailed in this privacy policy, or for a period required by law. Information security and the applicant's rights: The Association takes appropriate security measures to protect personal information. However, they can never provide absolute immunity; therefore, we do not commit that the services will be completely immune from unauthorized access and misuse of the information stored in them. Every applicant is entitled to request to review the information collected about her and to request its correction in accordance with the provisions of the law. Database controller: 'Counseling Center for Women'. You can contact us on this matter by sending an appropriate inquiry to the email address: office@ccw.org.il . Or via a contact request on the site https://ccw.org.il/
Cookies and local storage: The site does not set cookies and does not use analytics or tracking tools. It saves only two preferences in your browser: display language (ccwLang) and accessibility settings (ccwA11y). This information stays in your browser and is not sent to us or to anyone else. YouTube videos load only after you click them, through youtube-nocookie.com.
Policy updates: The Association reserves the right to update the privacy policy from time to time. Any change will be published on the site and will take effect on the day of its publication. This version meets the requirements of Section 13 of the Protection of Privacy Law, 5741-1981, and is adapted to the website of the "Counseling Center for Women" nonprofit.

Home›Newsletter›Registration Open for the 2022-2023 Growth Group

Registration Open for the 2022-2023 Growth Group

Unofficial translation of the Hebrew original.

We are happy to announce that registration has opened for the 2023-2024 growth group for women in their 50s and 60s,

A joint program with the Counseling Center for Women. The group will meet on Zoom.

For more details: https://bitly.ws/LzQn

For any questions, please contact

Hilary Milgrom, MSW, therapist and group facilitator.

Important: include your mobile number in the message

hilarymi@gmail.com

050-773-4862

Home›Newsletter›Newsletter December 2023

Newsletter December 2023

Unofficial translation of the Hebrew original.

March 17, 2024

The Counseling Center for Women continues to operate as a therapy center, providing psychotherapy services to women with a feminist approach, also during wartime.

Some of our clients are coping with war trauma, in the first circles of harm (clients who lost their closest family members killed in the war; clients whose family members are held hostage, and more).

Even women who are not in the first circles of harm report growing mental distress around the disaster and the war. The need for mental health care is intensifying in the current period.

With the outbreak of the war, team members of the Counseling Center for Women enlisted as volunteers in various civil society initiatives in Israel, mainly initiatives providing mental health assistance to victims of war trauma.

As part of this volunteering, they went as psychotherapists to centers for evacuated families across the country; gave emergency mental health assistance, by phone or online, to victims of war trauma, and facilitated online support meetings.

Since the start of the war, the Center's therapists have initiated and facilitated a variety of online support meetings, free of charge, for different groups of women, including single-parent and solo mothers; English-speaking women; women aged 50+.

In the coming period the Center will operate additional support groups for women, focused on needs we are identifying at this time; among them a support group for single women, a support group for partners of drafted soldiers, a supervision group for therapists on treating women coping with war trauma, and more.

For the past year the Counseling Center for Women has been a partner in the Coalition of Women's Organizations for Equality, a coalition engaged in social activism, lobbying, advocacy and protest, in order to influence government policy in the fields of women's rights and women's social status. The coalition works to increase women's representation and to make women's voices heard in the home-front cabinet and the war cabinet, and also places issues critical for women in wartime on the agenda.

The Center takes an active part in various coalition initiatives to raise international awareness of the crimes of gender-based violence committed against women and girls on the Black Saturday of October 7, by appealing to UN-Women, feminist women's organizations and other organizations around the world.

In addition, the coalition placed on the public agenda the growing danger to women's safety and lives around domestic violence, due to the change in firearms regulations that led to a dramatic rise in the number of personal weapons in Israel, without proper supervision and control processes. Unfortunately, the results of this dangerous move were not long in coming: during November we witnessed a 45% increase in the number of calls from women victims of violence in relationships and family to the designated emergency hotlines in Israel. Some of our clients are women victims of violence in relationships and family, and they report in therapy an experience of danger and intensified mental distress in this period.

The Counseling Center for Women was one of the partner organizations in an online conference initiated by the "Bonot Alternativa" (Building an Alternative) nonprofit, marking November 25 - the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The conference took place during the week of

26-30/11/23. Yael Levin, the Center's Co-Clinical Director, gave a lecture at the conference on "Feminist therapy for women in wartime".

The Counseling Center for Women specializes in treating women with a feminist approach and gender-sensitive therapy, with expertise in the war's unique effects on women's minds and lives.

Our team of therapists provides an optimal therapeutic response tailored to the current needs of women coping with the war crisis.

Therapy is given at our centers in Jerusalem and Ramat Gan, online and in person, and at our satellite clinics in Modi'in, the Western Galilee and the Pardes Hanna area.

It is hard to wish a happy Festival of Lights these days... and yet we wish that the light of the holiday candles will fill all our hearts with hope for better and safer days, coming soon! We promise to continue working with full vigor to advance better women's mental health, as well as processes of feminist social repair. Your generous donations help the Counseling Center for Women stand by our commitment to provide subsidized individual and group mental health care to women in economic distress, which is growing during the war.

Happy Festival of Lights!

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

Donate via JGIVE Join Round-up for Good

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.

Home›Newsletter›Newsletter August 2024

Newsletter August 2024

Unofficial translation of the Hebrew original.

August 15, 2024

Newsletter 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

Home›Newsletter›Even in the Eye of the Storm - Continuing to Support Women

Supporting Women in the Midst of It All‏

June 20, 2025

Dear partners and friends,

In these increasingly uncertain times—now intensified by the new Iranian front— The Counseling Center for Women remains a steadfast source of strength, healing, and hope.

As the conflict expands, both our devoted psychotherapists and the women they serve face a landscape of ongoing crisis and trauma. For many, the current situation is reactivating painful past experiences.

Our therapists are carrying a dual burden: supporting their clients through immense distress while grappling with the impact of this crisis on their own families and lives.

Despite these challenges, we are responding with purpose and determination.

One of our most important initiatives currently is the implementation of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) trauma training for our psychotherapists. This evidence-based approach

is a critical tool for trauma recovery and a powerful expression of our commitment to providing the highest standard of care.

We are proud to share that our highly trained psychotherapists have started offering EMDR intervention to their clients, particularly those struggling with war-related trauma. EMDR supervision groups

are underway, and we are well into the implementation stage of this vital project.

The Counseling Center for Women is dedicated to expanding its support projects and continuing education initiatives to ensure our team is equipped with the necessary resources to navigate current

challenges with resilience and expertise.

As one psychotherapist recently shared:

“The EMDR training was professional and highly relevant to therapeutic work and to the difficult time that Israel—and women in Israel—are currently experiencing. It offers an effective and research-based approach to trauma treatment

and beyond. It enhanced my professional abilities, opened new avenues of thought, and assisted me in my role as a therapist.”

We share this with you not only to update you, but to thank you. It is your unwavering support that makes this work possible.

Together, we are ensuring that women in Israel do not face trauma alone—and that those who care for them are equipped, empowered, and never left behind.

With deep appreciation and hope,

The Counseling Center for Women

Donating through PEF

that it is recommended for The Counseling Center for Women, I.D. number 58-0130789. (Due to COVID, please send checks only through the Postal Service , as no-one will be able to sign for UPS/FedEx etc.)

Donating through Fidelity

Please email Fidelity with cc to info@pefisrael.org ,

stating the date and amount of your gift, including the name of your fund at Fidelity and your recommendation for the donation to go to Counseling Center for Women, I.D. number 58-0130789

For bank transfers or checks : please email office@ccw.org. il

Home›Newsletter›This Passover we not only remember our past

This Passover, We Yearn For Liberation‏

April 11, 2025

Help us help women

For Credit Card Donations

Donating through PEF

for The Counseling Center for Women, I.D. number 58-0130789. (Due to COVID, please send checks only through the Postal Service , as no-one will be able to sign for UPS/FedEx etc.)

Donating through Fidelity

Please email Fidelity with cc to info@pefisrael.org , stating

the date and amount of your gift, including the name of your fund at Fidelity and your recommendation for the donation to go to Counseling Center for Women, I.D. number 58-0130789

For bank transfers or checks : please email office@ccw.org. il

Home›Newsletter›In Review 2025

In Review 2025

December 30, 2026

Partners & Friends Shalom,

As 2025 draws to a close, we wanted to look back on months that have challenged all of us — personally, socially, and nationally. Mental-health services in Israel, already strained after years of underfunding, continue to struggle under the weight of growing needs. Women face deepening socio-economic hardship, alongside an erosion of personal safety and basic rights. And the long, painful war has left a profound emotional imprint on our hearts and Israeli society.

One in five adult Israelis is coping with depression, anxiety, post-traumatic symptoms, or significant difficulty in daily functioning. Yet, since October 7 th ONLY an additional 1% of Israelis have found care within the public mental-health system. These realities underscore the importance of the Women’s Counseling Center’s work.

We want to share with you a glimpse of our efforts over the past year — efforts shaped by resilience, learning, and a deep commitment to women’s emotional well-being.

The Counseling Center for Women (CCW) continues to serve as a professional and compassionate home for women seeking meaningful therapeutic support. We provide high-quality psychotherapy rooted in feminist, trauma-informed, and gender-sensitive practice, accessible through a sliding-scale fee structure that ensures care is within reach for women from all communities in Israel.

CCW is a hub for professional training. Students, interns, and practitioners join us for rigorous, thoughtfully designed clinical education. Many begin their training during their master’s program and choose to remain with us for one or two additional years, deepening their practice through supervision, clinical seminars, and hands-on experience. This investment in training strengthens the next generation of feminist therapists and ensures continuity of high-quality care.

Through our Training Center, our psychotherapists provide workshops and supervision to a wide range of professional teams — from domestic-violence treatment centers to programs supporting young women finding their way out of prostitution, and staff in organizations assisting women nationwide. These collaborations expand our impact and strengthen the broader network of support available to women.

In recent months, our therapists completed intensive training in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), an evidence-based method proven effective for trauma and anxiety. The ability to integrate EMDR into our clinical work has become especially meaningful during this turbulent period, offering women new pathways for relief and healing.

Alongside the clinical work, we have devoted time to organizational reflection and conversation: re-examining our mission as a feminist therapeutic and social organization, redefining priorities, and listening closely to the evolving needs of women in Israel today. These dialogues are strengthening our shared purpose and guiding our next steps.

As we enter a new year, we wish for gentler days, renewed strength, and more light — for each of you, for the women we serve, and for Israeli society as a whole.

We look forward to continuing this important work together, with gratitude for your partnership and trust.

With warm appreciation,

The Counseling Center for Women’s Team

Donating through PEF

US tax deductible donations over $25 can be sent by check or by wire transfer to PEF Israel Endowment Funds Inc . (501C3), 630 Third Ave., 15th floor, New York, NY10017. Please ensure to enclose a note indicating that it is recommended for The Counseling Center for Women, I.D. number 58-0130789. (Due to COVID, please send checks only through the Postal Service , as no-one will be able to sign for UPS/FedEx etc.)

Donating through Fidelity

Please email Fidelity with cc to info@pefisrael.org , stating the date and amount of your gift, including the name of your fund at Fidelity and your recommendation for the donation to go to Counseling Center for Women, I.D. number 58-0130789

For bank transfers or checks : please email office@ccw.org. i l

Home›Newsletter›International Women's Day 2026

International Women’s Day

March 9, 2026

Home›Newsletter›Mid-Year Snapshot 2026

Mid-Year Snapshot 2026

September 7, 2026

The first half of 2026 has continued to test the resilience of women across Israel. Ongoing war, repeated security escalations, and prolonged uncertainty have significantly increased the demand for mental health services. Throughout these extraordinary months, CCW has remained committed to providing accessible, high

quality psychotherapy while supporting our dedicated clinical team. Why CCW Matters

Since 1988, CCW has been dedicated to providing accessible, professional psychotherapy for women, advancing feminist, gender-sensitive clinical practice, and strengthening the knowledge and skills of mental health professionals working with women. Today, more than ever, we remain committed to ensuring that women can access high-quality mental health care during a time of prolonged conflict and uncertainty.

Highlights from the First Half of 2026

Supporting Women

Over 200 women received subsidized individual psychotherapy across CCW’s branches and satellite clinics.

Despite the challenging timing due to the war with Iran, we have successfully launched our first pilot support group in Jerusalem, “The Second Shift: Empowering Women Caring for Aging Loved Ones,” designed for women who are caring for aging parents. Participants reported meaningful emotional support and practical coping tools. We are grateful to our partners at the Women of Vision of the Jewish Foundation of Greater New Haven for supporting part of this project.

Supporting Our Clinical Team

Our therapists completed a professional workshop on sexuality and psychotherapy for survivors of sexual trauma , generously supported by the Gandyr Foundation . • Marathon 2026: A two-day professional retreat held in February, bringing together

CCW therapists. This year, we focused on in-depth discussions of feminist psychotherapy during wartime, sharing clinical knowledge and strengthening resilience.

Continued integration of EMDR therapy into our clinical work, expanding evidence based treatment for women coping with trauma.

Strengthening Our Community

Coming Together – A Conversation with CCW (July 12, 2026): Our annual Town Hall brought together friends, donors, and supporters from around the world to hear about the evolving mental health needs of women in Israel and CCW’s ongoing response. Watch the recording

Home›Newsletter›Newsletter June 2023

Newsletter June 2023

June 11, 2023

“My time at the Center helped shape my identity as a manager and as a therapist and gave me the tools I needed to conceptualize it.”

Dina Shalev, former student of the CCW training program

The student internship and training program at the Counseling Center for Women (CCW):

One of the CCW’s key objectives is to serve as a knowledge hub and professional training center for students in therapeutic professions.

The Counseling Center for Women is a recognized professional training framework for students in the final year of their Social Work Masters’ degree program. It focusses on women’s mental health care and gender-sensitive mental health care.

The practical training at CCW gives an extensive look into the world of feminist therapy; it deepens the theoretical knowledge and helps the students acquire skills in the fields of treating women in crisis and other challenges that arise during a woman’s life cycle. The students receive personal and professional supervision throughout the program guided by psychotherapist trainers from CCW’s staff. The students are an integral part of the staff and participate in staff meetings, annual clinical seminar and the training groups. The Center is an organization with a tradition of collaborative management, which allows the students to learn and experience in an empowering, inclusive environment.

We interviewed two former students about their experience at CCW and learned what they are up to now. Read their interviews below!

Spotlight on Dina Shalev and Gil Eppstein – Former students of CCW’s practicum program

Dina Shalev

Executive Director and Head of Advocacy, Lada’at

Tell me about your experience at CCW and how it impacted you:

I really wanted to be accepted to the student training program and did everything in my power to make it happen. As luck would have it, I was accepted. It was the most meaningful experience I had during my degree. It was the year I learned the most, the year I gained the most practical tools and received hands-on therapy experience. It helped build my identity as a social worker and therapist. My supervision was extremely professional. Today I am the Executive Director of Lada’at, the leading organization in Jerusalem promoting healthy sexuality and sexual and reproductive health, working to ensure that all individuals have full access to information and are supported in making the right choices for themselves. I was working there as the Counseling Center Coordinator before I became the E.D. There are certain elements I learned based on the feminist theory that I put into action at work. I learned a great deal about organizational management through the staff, joint work and from communication : how to problem solve, how to bring up issues within the staff, and how to learn from each and every staff member. I never once felt that my opinion was not important. I felt I could contribute and receive support. On an organizational level, I learned a tremendous amount and that is what I took with me to my current position.

Did you know you wanted to be a manager prior to the program?

No. At the time, I was head of the Counseling Center for Lada’at and felt the position was becoming too small for me. I thought I would finish my degree and become a social worker; I did not plan to manage an organization right away. Although I imagine my supervisor, Hila Zemer, a senior therapist at CCW, would say otherwise. As I finished my degree, the previous E.D. at Lada’at stepped down and I was offered the position. My supervision at CCW truly helped guide me through my decision process.

Do you use the tools and knowledge you received at CCW?

Yes, maybe not one specific thing but there are certainly nuances. My time at the Center helped shape my identity as a manager and as a therapist and gave me the tools I needed to conceptualize it. It made me see what a feminist organization looks like, not just on a personal level. These are all things that helped shape my professional identity as a therapist as well as a director.

How did your time at CCW influence your current position?

I matured during my year at the Center, and it is less likely that I would have accepted my current role without it. It was an extremely intensive and meaningful year. I came to my current role with a whole new set of skills and knowledge. I truly love all the therapists at the Center.

Any final thoughts?

I wish CCW all the best! I think it is an amazing place and I believe it is way more than just practicing therapy ….there is a certain type of magic there.

Gil Eppstein

Social Worker for Youth and Young Adults At-Risk in the Social Services Department for the Yehud-Monosson Municipality

Tell me about yourself-where you work now and how you got to the CCW student training program:

I have a Masters in social work and have been working in the welfare department for the last two years. I work with at-risk youth and am in contact with all the educational leaders, the police, everything that relates to the youth. I love my work and I am extremely happy with it. I enjoy being a social worker. I got to the Center by chance, at the last second. There happened to be an open slot and I was accepted to the program. I am extremely grateful for how things worked out. It was more or less my first time practicing traditional therapy. It was amazing! When I began at CCW, I instantly felt like a part of the team . I was not just a student, I felt like a colleague, and I was treated as such — the staff invited me to speak up, ask questions, and consulted with me. During supervision they encouraged me to speak up, I was seen as an equal. I was able to hear from the other therapists and about their caseloads. What I thought and what I felt mattered and was important to hear. It was an unforgettable experience! I consistently felt comfortable, I did not get a sense of hierarchy — the concept of feminist theory was ever-present.

Had you experienced a feminist framework prior to your time at CCW?

Yes, from my time at university and it was part of my agenda, so for me, it made sense. That being said, I learned a tremendous amount since it is one thing to learn and a whole other to see it in action. I experienced it in the therapy room, during supervision, within relationships in the Center, and the idea of a cooperative organization.

What tools and knowledge did you take with you?

I learned about the need to continue learning, especially from Dr. Simi Mizrahi, a senior therapist at CCW, who was constantly learning, asking questions, training others, never believing she knows everything; that was so influential for me. I learned how important it is to be a part of the staff. I learned that there is a broad spectrum of feminism across generations and that that is okay. I learned that there is no one treatment system and there is space for all. I learned that I wanted to be a therapist and that I have the ability to do so. I know that I can still consult and confer with my supervisor, which is extremely special. The staff at CCW remain women that I love and miss. I still feel that I am part of CCW — every time I see an ad or post about the Center, it gives me a sense of home. I am proud to say that I was part of CCW!

How did your time in the CCW student training program influence your current role?

I think a lot of unexpected things throughout my studies had a deep effect on me. I had a feeling that I was in the right place, I was where I was meant to be. I saw the path of other therapists at the Center which gave me validation for the path I was choosing, and it gave me hope for the future.

Any final thoughts?

I highly recommend to students to join the program. But you must be ready and willing to commit to learning, to work, to go through a process, to ask questions, and know your inner courage. I really love the Center.

Help us help women

Transform the life of a woman today by making a gift to CCW!

For Credit Card Donations

DONATE through PEF

DONATE through J-GIVE

Donating through PEF

Donating through Fidelity

For bank transfers or checks : please email office@ccw.org.il

Home›Newsletter›Newsletter March 2023

Newsletter 03/2023

March 18, 2023

CCW Newsletter:

Special Edition March 2023

“As therapists, our professional commitment is beyond our clinics.”

How is CCW responding to the proposed judicial reforms?

Members of the CCW staff were among an estimated 100,000 Israelis gathered outside the Parliament (Knesset) in Jerusalem on February 13th to protest the recent judicial reform proposed by the current government. The protests continued well into the weekend throughout the country, and outside the Parliament again on February 20th when the first reading of the reform bill took place.

CCW recently took another stand for justice by joining the Coalition of Women’s Organizations for Equality. The coalition is formed by tens of Israeli women’s organizations from different ends of the political spectrum. It takes joint action in the struggle against the current proposed legislation and other policies that may harm women’s status. In so doing, the alliance aims to preserve Israel’s democratic infrastructure and ensure women’s rights in Israeli society.

We at CCW are very concerned by the split within Israeli society that the proposed reform is causing. The politicians in government are trying to speed through changes without taking the time for a through bipartisan professional examination of details. If passed, the bill will pose a danger to civil rights and liberties that will directly and adversely impact women, minorities, the disadvantaged and populations-at-risk.

Top photo: CCW Director of Operations and Partnerships, Ronit Uliel Mirkin, during the demonstration in Jerusalem.

Bottom Left: CCW Therapists Liat Ron and Tali Dayan

Bottom Right: CCW Therapist Michal Friedman

Left Photo: CCW Clinical Director, Yael Levin, addresses the crowd during the demonstration in Jerusalem.

Right Photo: CCW therapists, Janet Baumgold Land and Idit Levin.

What is proposed in the current judiciary reform?

While there is a need to introduce change in some aspects of the judiciary system, the current reform includes several important clauses that will reduce the power of the judicial system by granting excessive power to the legislative branch. This will negate the essential democratic principle of checks and balances. These include: introducing an override clause to bypass Supreme Court decisions with a 61-member majority vote in the Knesset, curbing the Supreme Court’s power to abolish laws that it deems are no longer just and appointing legal advisors by ministers rather than by a neutral system.

Clinical director of CCW, Yael Levin, stressed the importance of speaking out publicly against such measures in one of her articles: “As therapists, our professional commitment is beyond our private clinics. It is our duty to make our voice heard in the media, marking the ethical boundaries explicitly, even when they are different from the mainstream norms.” (The article appeared in the Israeli news outlet Mako in Hebrew.)

Here at CCW, we are looking forward to cooperating with women’s organizations to make an impact and bring positive change to preserve democracy and women’s rights.

The sign reads, “Democracy is good for the soul!”

Happy International Women’s Day 2023!

Help us help women

Transform the life of a woman today by making a kind gift to CCW!

It is from support of donors like you that we can continue to provide subsidized therapy hours in addition to a safe and caring environment for these women.

A donation of $25 subsidizes one hour of therapy

A donation of $100 subsidizes one month of therapy

A donation of $1200 subsidizes a year of therapy

Even the smallest donation goes a long way.

Thank you!

For Credit Card Donations

DONATE through PEF

DONATE through J-GIVE

Donating through PEF

Donating through Fidelity

For bank transfers or checks : please email office@ccw.org.il

Home›Newsletter›February 2023

February 2023

February 18, 2023

“The Times They Are-a-Changin”

The Counseling Center for Women operates on a tradition of joint management of all members. The Center is managed in partnership by two directors: Ronit Uliel Mirkin and Yael Levin . Joint management reflects the feminist values at the base of our organization. It reflects the challenge of traditional models of power and hierarchy, the decentralization of power and creation of networks of communication and cooperation. We are committed to empowering women and social and professional action for the advancement of women.

Meet Our New Co-Directors

Ronit Uliel Mirkin

Director of Operations and Partnerships

A bit about Ronit:

Prior to her start at the CCW, Ronit was the Director of of Administration, Quality and Regulation in the Department of Mental Health in the Ministry of Health

Ronit’s professional background includes an extensive focus on therapy for women by women

She was in charge of intake as well as supervision groups for social work students at the Multidisciplinary Center in the Bnei Zion Hospital

Ronit is highly experienced working with sexual assault survivors, women facing drug abuse issues and prostitution survivors

Ronit volunteers for a project which provides meals to prostitution survivors

For the last seven years Ronit has been part of Israel’s top netball women’s league

Ronit has been with her partner for 17 years and they have four boys

Ronit is 180 meters tall

Ronit loves to travel, especially to the desert

She loves to read and listen to music

Ronit loves going to concerts

She is a foodie who enjoys a good cup of coffee and a chocolate cake with Italian Amarena cherries on top

Ronit’s hope for this year at CCW is to open as many doors and opportunities as possible, to build bridges between CCW and the community as well as creating as much outreach as possible for women by women

Yael Levin

Clinical Director

A bit about Yael:

Yael has been a social worker since 1994

She began her career as a community social worker in Jaffa working with Jews and Arabs

As an undergraduate social work student, she volunteered for the Tel Aviv Sexual Assault Crisis Center

There she participated extensively in activist movements, and was exposed to feminism

She was a volunteer for the center’s hotline

She was a support group facilitator for incest survivors. Her clinical supervisor was Jo Oppenheimer, one of the founders of CCW

Her time at the Sexual Assault Crisis Center led her to CCW

Yael teaches psychoanalytic psychotherapy for treatment of sexual trauma at Bar Ilan University

Yael is also studying in an advanced program of relational psychotherapy at Tel Aviv University

Yael is married to Benny and together they have two girls

Yael loves poetry

Yael enjoys singing and says in her next life she wants to come back as a singer

She is active in the social workers’ union

In 2010 Yael and her family enjoyed three months of travel in New Zealand and Australia

During her thesis period, Yael spent the majority of her time at cafes enjoying a cappuccino while researching and writing

A Message From Our Directors:

“The political is personal” and vice versa – the social status of women directly affects their personal and physical situation, and the mental health of women and those close to them. Now more than ever, psychotherapy for women is becoming intertwined in social as well as political aspects that affect the lives of women. This is an ongoing social and professional challenge that has been a focus of our therapy at CCW.

The Counseling Center for Women is a feminist organization whose goal is to create social change. CCW is comprised of women therapists who are committed to providing quality psychotherapy services to women using a feminist approach. The Center directs its activity to various focal points: providing quality psychotherapeutic treatment for women, professional practice bringing the feminist perspective to therapists and social workers in mental health fields, and social activity aimed at changing the social status of women.

The Power of Therapy

B, a woman in her 30s from a religious background began therapy to overcome negative body image issues and low self-esteem. She is a non-native Israeli which can add additional stresses to daily life. B expressed feelings of hopelessness to her therapist, fearing she would not have the “perfect life” i.e. married with kids.

Feminist therapy helped B work through her inner struggles. Together with her therapist, B explored her past to determine why she was having negative feelings about herself. While it was a long, uphill psychological journey, she overcame her negative self and body image. She realized her value and found a partner who also saw her value.

B says that without the therapy she received at CCW, she would not have attained what she has now : a partner and children as well as feeling happy and confident.

CCW was clearly the right place for her.

It is from support of donors like you that we can continue to provide subsidized therapy hours in addition to a safe and caring environment for these women.

A donation of $25 subsidizes one hour of therapy

A donation of $100 subsidizes one month of therapy

A donation of $1200 subsidizes a year of therapy

Even the smallest donation goes a long way.

Thank you!

Help us help women

Transform the life of a woman today by making a gift to CCW!

For Credit Card Donations

DONATE through PEF

DONATE through J-GIVE

Donating through PEF

Donating through Fidelity

For bank transfers or checks : please email office@ccw.org.il

Home›Newsletter›Newsletter - December 2021

NEWSLETTER – December 2021

Dear Friends

As we light the last candle of Chanukah and prepare ourselves for the coming year, we want to wish you happy holidays and a wonderful new year!

May light always shine in your lives and bring health and peace…

During this time of giving, we hope that you will remember the Counseling Center for Women and our work of supporting women going through emotional difficulties.

Your support makes a real difference in women’s lives. Below we share with you a short letter from one of our clients:

“I came to CCW during my first pregnancy. It was a period full of happiness but also full of doubt, anxiety and fear. My therapist at CCW was professional and devoted and provided therapy with love and warmth.

I don’t have the words to express the gratitude I have for the therapy I received during this time when I experienced many difficulties, changes and tough challenges. My therapy showed me new ways of looking at my situation and made it possible for me to find the hidden power to cope with it.

I am thankful to CCW for allowing me to continue therapy by providing a subsidy which gave me the opportunity to receive support during one of the most difficult times of my life.”

Wishing you a wonderful festive season.

A donation of 25$ will help subsidize one hour of gender-sensitive therapy, a donation of 100$ will help subsidize one month and 1200$ will help subsidize a year of therapy.

I.D. number 58-0130789. To donate in the honor or memory of someone, please indicate the name of the person and your contact email in your note to PEF so that we can inform them.

Home›Newsletter›Newsletter - October 2021

Newsletter – October 2021

CCW Newsletter October 2021

CCW Therapists Continue to Help Women as Covid Continues

October 10 th marked World Mental Health Day which aims to raise awareness of mental health issues worldwide. While social distancing and lockdowns have become a necessary reality during Covid, they also increase isolation. In that sense, the current crisis has once again proven that mental health is just as important as physical health, both equally impacting the quality of life.

From around April 2021 (marking a year since Israel’s first lockdown) the emotional effects of the difficult past year were clearly felt where the public mental health system was unable to respond to the high demand revealing a serious shortage in mental health services. At CCW we also experienced a huge influx of women in distress who turned to our clinics in need of psychotherapy.

CCW therapists emphasize that the extra pressure and uncertainty created by the pandemic conditions have exacerbated the psychological challenges that many women face. In particular, a growing number of women from low-income groups are currently coping with even harsher economic conditions as they have not been able to return to work.

Below we share with you stories of two clients who were affected by the Covid crisis and how therapy at CCW helped them during this time.

Story of R.

R., a woman in her 30s and married with two small children, came to CCW because she and her husband were experiencing marital problems. Covid had a serious impact on the family as it significantly lowered her husband’s income. The financial stress and worry caused her husband extreme anxiety and frustration which negatively affected his relationship with her and the children. This in turn increased the tension and distress at home which was already present before Covid.

The therapy which R. received at CCW helped her understand the dynamics in the relationship between her and her husband. They both came from difficult homes and together were re-creating patterns of behavior at home which they both wanted to avoid. Through therapy R. found new ways of breaking these disruptive behavioral patterns, and acquired tools to react differently to her husband, thereby reducing distress at home. Subsequently she became a source of stability in the family and created a safe space which was critically needed by her two small children .

Story of M.

M., in her 50s, began her therapy at CCW during Covid after her husband was diagnosed with cancer. Their two children remained at home when schools were closed during lockdowns. In addition, the children could not visit their friends as they were afraid of getting Covid and passing it onto their sick father.

M. was forced to cut back on her work hours as she needed to help her sick husband and take care of the children. This significantly lowered her income and coupled with the difficult situation at home, left her feeling suffocated. While her husband had an operation, she stayed with him for two weeks without leaving the hospital.

As a result, she suffered from extreme anxiety which was made worse by financial worry. In addition, during this time her husband was blaming her for many issues, causing her to feel insecure and to believe that she was guilty for everything – which added to her feeling of going mad.

Through therapy at CCW, she realized that it was the situation which was mad and not her. Therapy helped her find her inner strength and resilience, enabling her to cope with this crisis situation rather than deteriorating her mental state. The fact that she could have access to therapy and continue her sessions through Zoom was a critical part of the healing process.

Help Us to Help Women

Transform the life of a woman today by making a kind gift to CCW!

A donation of 25$ will help subsidize one hour of gender-sensitive therapy, a donation of 100$ will help subsidize one month and 1200$ will help subsidize a year of therapy.

For Credit Card Donations

DONATE through PEF

DONATE through J-GIVE

Donating through PEF

Donating through Fidelity

For bank transfers or checks : please email office@ccw.org.il

Home›Newsletter›Newsletter - May 2021

Newsletter – May 2021

Dear CCW supporters, we began working on our latest newsletter before the unfolding of recent events that erupted in Israel and Gaza. We pray for peace and quiet for both sides and hope that violence will come to an end as soon as possible.

CCW Therapist Karen Shachar Fernandez Amar Retires After 27 Years

CCW therapist Karen Shachar Fernandez Amar was a familiar face to many CCW donors and supporters over the years. Apart from being a senior therapist at CCW, she was an active member of the CCW fundraising team since the beginning and represented CCW on many occasions and trips abroad.

After 27 years, Karen recently retired from CCW as a therapist. She joined the CCW staff in the 90s after finishing her MSW degree in the US and coming back to Israel. The fact that CCW is a grassroots feminist professional therapy organization where women learn from each other, attracted Karen to the Center.

We spoke to Karen about just two of her numerous clients, whom she helped significantly over the years and how feminist therapy changed their lives for the better.

Story of M.

M. in her 40s and mother of three came to CCW when she was pregnant with her 3 rd child. She turned to CCW for therapy because she realized that she did not love all her children equally, something which caused her extreme distress. She had looked for a place that could really help her without being judgmental about her situation and thought that CCW’s feminist perspective would suit her world view as a woman.

During her therapy, M. examined the reasons behind why it was difficult for her to be close to one of her children and what that child represented for her. Therapy at CCW created a safe space for her where she could speak openly about her issues and eventually, over time, she found the capacity to love all her children equally and for who they are.

Story of R

R., married and mother of 3, was a client at CCW, and after Karen decided to retire, she continued her therapy digitally through Zoom. According to Karen, accommodating the conditions of therapy to the clients’ needs is one of the most important aspects of feminist therapy.

R. came to CCW because she was feeling extreme anxiety and having panic attacks. She was overweight and struggling with a compulsive eating disorder. In addition, she had a difficult family history as her mother had passed away from breast cancer and her father had died of AIDS.

When she began therapy at CCW, she was working in an abusive work environment where her two male bosses were always putting down women at the office. They frequently commented on her weight. R.’s husband was also condescending towards her, and R . felt that she did not have control of anything in her life and that she ‘just wasn’t good enough’.

With the help of therapy that R. received at CCW, R began a new journey where she left the company to establish her own business. She said that this would not have happened were it not for CCW and Karen, who helped her find her strengths.

Being in therapy for many years in various places, she had mentioned to Karen , that no one had been so supportive of her. When R. began therapy at CCW, she was paying full fee. While she continued her sessions at the Center, her husband got fired from his work. To enable her to continue therapy and change her life for the better, CCW offered her a subsidized therapy fee.

We wish Karen the best of luck with her future endeavors and there is no doubt that we will be keeping with close ties with her in the future.

Home›Newsletter›Passover Greeting - 2021

Happy Passover 2021

March 22, 2021

Help Us to Help Women!

Transform the life of a woman today by making a gift to CCW! Help us to help other women make changes in their personal lives and receive tools to create a better future for themselves, their families, and their community.

A donation of 25$ will help subsidize one hour of gender-sensitive therapy, a donation of 100$ will help subsidize one month and 1200$ will help subsidize a year of therapy.

I.D. number 58-0130789. To donate in the honor or memory of someone, please indicate the name of the person and your contact email in your note to PEF so that we can inform them.

For credit card donations through PEF, please click below.

DONATE through PEF

For other available options for making a gift, please see the button below or visit us at http://ccw.org.il/en/donations/

DONATE through J-GIVE

Home›Newsletter›In Memory of Judy Shotten (1924-2020)

CCW Founding Mother- Judy Shotten (1924-2020)

With our deepest sorrow, we regret to inform you of the loss of one of the founding mothers of the Counseling Center for Women: Judy Shotten .

Judy was born and raised in Winnipeg, Canada in a very Zionist family. She came to Israel in 1949 and as a social worker, she helped create many institutions in Israel such as the first mental health clinic in the country and the first psychology clinic at Hebrew University.

In 1986, she joined the collective of women who founded CCW, Israel’s pioneering feminist therapy clinic, and remained a precious and appreciated member of the organization until her passing.

Being one of Israel’s first licensed sex therapists, Judy was a true feminist, a trail-blazer and a pioneer in mental health and sexual health. During her long career, she helped and inspired countless number of women via her therapy work.

Her energy and vitality had no limits: she was a world traveler, hiked well into her 80’s, swam and loved to dance.

As one of her dear friends Michal Schonbrun wrote, “May her soul and spirit continue to dance, in heaven, with all the angels above and those below. May our love and gratitude for Judy continue to thrive and nourish us on our journeys. May her heart presence continue to germinate more seeds of creativity, compassion humanity and love.”

We would like to share with you a short video on Judy’s days at CCW. Please see the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovpw6gcsLTs

CCW welcomes donations in honor of Judy Shotten commemorating her legacy and extraordinary career in helping many women. The donations will be used to subsidize gender-sensitive therapy for women.

I.D. number 58-0130789. To donate in the honor or memory of someone, please indicate the name of the person and your contact email in your note to PEF so that we can inform them.

For credit card donations through PEF, please press below.

DONATE through PEF

DONATE through J-GIVE

Home›Newsletter›Newsletter - December 2020 - A View from the Therapy Room

Newsletter – December 2020 :-A client’s perspective

Dear Friends

May this year bring us new beginnings, growth, empowerment and new hope for a successful and healthy new year!

Before the year is out, we hope that you will remember to support us, in what has been a challenging year.

Your support helps us make a real difference in women’s lives . Demonstrating just that, is a letter which we were touched to receive from a CCW client this year:

“We have just come to the end of a year of therapy and I want to thank you very much for your guidance, support and your ability to listen, understand, and allow me to grow.

You gave me tools to help me make peace with myself and to come to terms with what I had gone through. For the first time in my life I was able to embrace my inner child, the teenager and the battered woman: I was able to make peace with all these different parts of myself, which cannot be taken lightly. Before my therapy I was unable to do so, since I was filled with shame and guilt.

It’s true that I had been working on myself for years, but I still could not talk about the sexual abuse, nor did I share with those closest to me what I went through. Inside I knew it was that which was destroying me and which did not allow me to develop any long-term relationships.

With CCW’s help, I realized that my low self-esteem had repeatedly led me to choose partners who were not right for me at all.

After I had completed our therapy sessions, I was able to create a couple relationship from a place of self-acceptance and self-love, and although the relationship did end, the fact that it lasted for a quite a few months strengthened me greatly.

I am now embarking on a search for a relationship, not from a place of need, but rather from a place of strength and empowerment.

Thank you for everything!’”

Home›Newsletter›Newsletter - November 2020

Newsletter – November 2020

CCW Newsletter November 2020

CCW Continues to Support Women during Covid-19

Similar to many countries around the world, the coronavirus has become a chronic reality for Israel. As authorities struggle to keep the spread of virus under control, the government issued a second nationwide lockdown which began on Rosh Hashana and lasted for a month. Since then certain restrictions have been eased but many sectors remain closed.

The coronavirus crisis continues to have a serious effect on women especially those who face emotional as well as financial challenges. A growing number of women cope with even harsher economic conditions during the crisis as they have been put on unpaid leave or lost their jobs. Therefore, CCW has made changes to keep women in therapy during this time when they need it the most. Online therapy through digital means and increased financial support allow many women to have access to therapy which they otherwise could not have had.

Client Story

One such woman is S. who began her therapy at CCW because of her drinking problem. She is an ola hadasha with a traumatic past. She lost her father at a very young age and made Aliyah with her aunt leaving her mother behind. She had a close relationship with her aunt, but unfortunately lost her to cancer in Israel. She was transferred to a boarding school and after finishing high school, she went on to complete her army service. After the army, she travelled and came to back to Israel. However, she was never able to settle anywhere permanently and moved from one friend’s house to the next.

The coronavirus crisis had a devastating effect on S. as she was forced to leave her job in the city center and went to live in the suburbs. Since she does not hold a driver’s license, her means of transportation was very limited which made it impossible for her to physically continue therapy. Being unemployed during a time when the employment opportunities are scarce, the conditions would have forced her to leave her therapy at CCW. Online therapy and increased financial support during Covid-19 has allowed S. to stay in therapy.

S. is currently working with her therapist and making great progress in overcoming her emotional challenges and moving to a stage where she can be more stable.

Support Group for Mothers Carries on Its Work

Despite the Pandemic

The CCW support group for mothers who underwent a traumatic childhood continues to meet and provide tools for growth, recovery and resilience during Covid-19. Since face to face meetings were no longer possible and the participants felt the need for continuity, the group moved to Zoom in

March 2020.The Corona crisis added extra pressure and uncertainty to other emotional challenges that women face. For instance, a member of the group, an Oleh chadasha, lost her father to Corona but she could not travel to grieve with her family due to corona restrictions. The group played a crucial role in helping her during this challenging time and provided support in coping with her loss.

CCW Initiates Online Discussion Groups on Challenges during Covid-19

CCW therapists are for the first time organizing online discussion groups, open to the public by Zoom, to discuss the challenges that women face during Covid-19.

In these intimate groups, the participants will share their experiences during this difficult time and receive tools on how to cope better with the current crisis. The groups will focus on three main themes: singlehood, parenthood/intimacy and mood swings during coronavirus.

Help Us to Help Women!

A donation of 25$ will help subsidize one hour of gender-sensitive therapy, a donation of 100$ will help subsidize one month and 1200$ will help subsidize a year of therapy.

I.D. number 58-0130789. To donate in the honor or memory of someone, please indicate the name of the person and your contact email in your note to PEF so that we can inform them.

For credit card donations through PEF, please click below.

DONATE through PEF

DONATE through J-GIVE

Home›Newsletter›Newsletter July 2020

Newsletter – July 2020

CCW Newsletter July 2020

CCW During the Coronavirus Crisis

The worldwide coronavirus pandemic has created a new and difficult reality for most countries, including Israel. At the beginning of March, the Israeli government instituted a six-week national lockdown in order to stop the spread of the pandemic.

During this time, CCW took the necessary steps to adapt to the changing reality and continue to work with women who seek its support and help. CCW therapists began to provide online therapy through digital means to address the clients’ needs and make therapy accessible to all.

Moreover, CCW provides subsidies for 70% of its clients. However, a growing number of these women are coping with even harsher economic conditions during the crisis as they have been put on unpaid leave or have lost their jobs. Therefore, CCW further increased subsidies for these clients.

A Client’s Personal Story During Covid-19

The pandemic has been having a major impact on women especially those who face emotional abuse at home or who go through depression, anxiety, or illness, or are dealing with trauma and post-trauma.

We would like to share with you the story of M. who began her therapy at CCW during the lockdown. M. turned to CCW after all attempts to bridge differences with her husband failed. The lockdown created a harsh reality for M. as both she and her husband, who emotionally abused her, began working from home. Her three children were also at home since there was no school. During this time, M.’s husband alienated her oldest daughter from her to the point that she stopped talking to her mother. The emotional abuse was at times on the verge of becoming physical causing M. to lock her bedroom door while she slept because she was so afraid.

M. met with her CCW therapist digitally and their online therapy sessions helped her cope with her difficult reality at home during the lockdown. Despite M.’s contribution to the family’s income, her husband always had control over the family’s finances. Therefore, she felt that she had nowhere to turn and was feeling great despair and loneliness.

M.’s therapy at CCW helped her take the necessary steps to leave her husband and to move to a place of her own where she could feel safe. After the lockdown ended, M. went back to her work place and took on an additional position enabling her to be more independent financially. M.’s therapy at CCW continues to give her the necessary tools to get out of her abusive relationship and change her life for the better.

CCW Launches ‘Round-up’ Campaign !

CCW began a new fundraising campaign for its supporters in Israel through the Round-up system. Round-up (Igul Letova) enables Israeli credit card users to give a monthly standing order to round up their credit card transactions to the nearest round amount. For instance, when a person buys something for 18.80 NIS, the card will be charged 19.00 NIS and the remaining 20 Agurot will be donated to CCW. The average monthly donation is 5 NIS.

If you have a credit card linked to an Israeli bank account and would be interested in joining this campaign, please click below.

Join Igul Letova

Help Us to Help Women!

A donation of 25$ will help subsidize one hour of gender-sensitive therapy, a donation of 100$ will help subsidize one month and 1200$ will help subsidize a year of therapy.

I.D. number 58-0130789. To donate in the honor or memory of someone, please indicate the name of the person and your contact email in your note to PEF so that we can inform them.

For credit card donations through PEF, please click below.

DONATE through PEF

For other available options for making a gift, please see the button below or visit us at http://ccw.org.il/en/donations/

DONATE through J-GIVE

Home›Newsletter›Passover 2020

Pesach 2020

April 1, 2020

Help Us to Help Women!

US tax deductible donations over $25 can be sent by check or by wire transfer to PEF Israel Endowment Funds Inc. (501C3), 630 Third Ave.,15th floor, New York, NY10017. Please make sure to enclose a note with the donation indicating that it is recommended for The Counseling Center for Women, I.D. number 58-0130789. To donate in the honor or memory of someone, please indicate the name of the person and your contact email in your note to PEF so that we can inform them.

For other available options for making a gift, please see the button below or visit us at: http://ccw.org.il/en/donations/

Donate to CCW through JGIVE

Home›Newsletter›Newsletter - COVID-19 March 2020

March 2020 – CCW in Corona Times

March 28, 2020

Dear Friends,

In the midst of the global Corona crisis, our clients have been continuing to come to the Counseling Center for Women for psychotherapy, encouragement and tools to help them cope with today’s difficult new reality.

As you may know, 70% of CCW clients receive a subsidy for their therapy. Unfortunately, a growing number of these women are being forced to leave therapy that they especially need during this time as they have been put on unpaid leave or lost their jobs.

In order to address our clients’ needs, we are now providing remote therapy through digital means, making our services accessible to all especially under these unusual circumstances.

One of our therapists explains, “Corona comes up in every therapy session – especially the issues of economic worry and isolation from family members and friends. Those with existing depression and anxiety, and older members of the community are the most highly affected.”

We would very much appreciate your continued support at this critical time. Methods for donating are noted below, including donations through PEF by credit card.

Heartfelt thanks in advance.

Wishing everyone good health and strength in the weeks ahead.

The CCW team www.ccw.org.il

A donation of 23$ will help subsidize one hour of gender-sensitive therapy, a donation of 95$ will help subsidize one month and 1150$ will help subsidize a year of therapy.

I.D. number 58-0130789. To donate in the honor or memory of someone, please indicate the name of the person and your contact email in your note to PEF so that we can inform them.

New at CCW! We now accept credit card donations through PEF!

Please enter the link below to make a donation.

DONATE through PEF

For other available options for making a gift, please see the button below or visit us at http://ccw.org.il/en/donations/

DONATE through J-GIVE

Home›Newsletter›Newsletter December 2019

December 2019 – Newsletter

December 31, 2020

CCW Newsletter December 2019

Paying It Forward

At the Counseling Center for Women (CCW), we are grateful to have encountered generous women who extend a helping hand to others after they themselves have received help at CCW. This is the story of one such woman, Ruth, who is in her seventies. She decided to come to therapy at CCW after it was suggested to her by one of her daughters. Her successful therapy at CCW motivated her to give a gift to the organization after hearing from her therapist Beth (as seen on the left) that the Center was celebrating its 30 th anniversary this year.

“I thought that there are other women out there who cannot afford to pay for therapy. I wanted to make a donation for them, like a fellowship in university. I wanted to reach out to women who are not even aware that therapy can really help them.” She chose to donate to CCW because it is an organization for women by women. She described her therapy at CCW as touching on deep issues as well as giving her practical tools. She said that her therapist Beth was an exact match to her needs.

Although she had been in therapy before with male therapists and it was helpful, having gender-sensitive therapy added another dimension to her therapy experience and helped her feel more empowered as a woman. During her therapy, issues came up that she hadn’t previously thought about or seen as related to her being a woman. The feminist therapy perspective allowed her to relate to herself with compassion and gave her an understanding which undoubtedly contributed to her well-being.

Meeting women like Ruth and hearing about the process they have undergone highlights the need for the services of CCW which provides gender sensitive therapy that is accessible to every woman in Israel.

A Glimpse into CCW—Past, Present and Future

As part of our 30th anniversary celebration we created a video which tells the story of how CCW was established, our mission and the work we are doing through the eyes of our therapists and clients.

Participate in our Annual Campaign and

Help Us to Help Women!

Transform the life of a woman today by making a gift to CCW! Help us to help other women to make changes in their personal lives and receive tools to create a better future for themselves, their families, and their community.

A donation of 23$ will help subsidize one hour of gender-sensitive therapy, a donation of 95$ will help subsidize one month and 1150$ will help subsidize a year of therapy.

I.D. number 58-0130789. To donate in the honor or memory of someone, please indicate the name of the person and your contact email in your note to PEF so that we can inform them.

New at CCW! We now accept credit card donations through PEF!

Please enter the link below to make a donation.