CCW Newsletter- July 2024

The Story of N.

N., in her late fifties and a mother of two, began her psychotherapy at CCW a month after October 7^th. Her oldest son G., aged 30, was at the Nova music festival with his best friend; both were murdered by terrorists.

N. was unable to learn what happened to G. on the day of the attack as communication with him was very limited. Due to the ensuing chaos and the high number of casualties, three days passed until officials confirmed their deaths. Three weeks after G’s funeral, N. learned about his heroic act of saving the women who were with him in the bomb shelter. One of the survivors met with N’s family to share the story.

N. shared that G. was a sensitive, brilliant and very talented young man. He was creative, athletic, a great manager and a people person with a great 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 ask his fiancée to marry him soon.

According to N., psychotherapy at CCW helps her with the difficult mourning process. During her therapy, she can freely share her feelings and pain with her psychotherapist and cry if she wants. N. is a woman who loves helping and giving to others. All her life she volunteered in different capacities. With a history of sexual abuse, she currently volunteers at an NGO that helps women survivors of violence. At CCW, she prioritizes her own needs, focusing on what is important in her healing process.

The Story of R.

R., in her late 20s, started her psychotherapy at CCW to alleviate suffering from post-trauma after experiencing rape. Before CCW, she had never sought psychological assistance. The sexual assault in the past led to a psychotic breakdown and she decided to get help. Currently, she lives with her parents and is in rehabilitation.

Sexual assault and violence on October 7^th followed by kidnapping, events that were widely covered by the media, caused a serious regression in R.’s mental well-being. Before the incidents, she was in a stable psychological state. Following news reports, she hardly left home and began to have difficulty sleeping. Her fears, anxiety and past rape trauma resurfaced.

Through her psychotherapy at CCW, R. is able to discuss her painful experience in a safe space. The trust built between her and her psychotherapist allows her to freely share the details of her situation. The feeling of not being alone calms her and enables her to continue her rehabilitation process. Her psychotherapy provides her with the tools to more effectively face emotional challenges.

Support Group for Evacuees

“The group creates a feeling of togetherness and allows the participants to discuss feelings and experiences that they have difficulty sharing with others.” Dr. Racheli Shedletzky-Hart

Many Israelis residing near the northern and southern borders were evacuated from their homes after the October 7^th attack and have been living in hotels, youth hostels or houses allocated by the state. Our support group for women evacuees from the north is led by CCW psychotherapist Dr. Racheli Shedletzky-Hart who is herself an evacuee. The group creates a feeling of togetherness and allows the participants to discuss feelings and experiences that they have difficulty sharing with others.

The participants think that while most people are sympathetic to their situation, they fail to understand what it really means to be an evacuee. Being away from home and not knowing when they can return makes them feel “ungrounded” and “dependent” on the kindness of others. Many feel anxious, concerned their homes may be destroyed by rockets.

During the nine months since families were evacuated from their homes, many were moved several times. Each time, children had to adapt to new environments and schools. The children are impacted by war conditions and some need psychological help. Many women feel “fed up” and are exhausted physically and mentally. Some experience emotional breakdowns.

The group is helpful in finding concrete solutions to the dilemmas arising from the evacuees’ complicated situation. For instance, one participant was taking care of her sick brother, older mother and her own family at the same time. She talked about how this was taking an emotional toll on her but she was afraid to move to her own house, leaving her mother and brother behind. Through the support and encouragement that she received from the group, she was able to move and rent a house with her own family. Another participant was unable to share and accept that she was suffering mentally; an issue generally considered a taboo. With the help of the group, she opened up and sought psychiatric assistance. She eventually began to recover.

Other Updates

–   CCW psychotherapists have been working nonstop since the beginning of this war, dealing with unprecedented personal and professional challenges as well as secondary traumatization. They began professional supervision on issues related to war trauma to continue treating women effectively.

–   CCW Clinical Co- CEO, Yael Levin, gave a number of lectures:

• three lectures to a group of twenty social workers at the Welfare Department in Bnei Barak. The group members, religious and Haredi, gained knowledge and tools to deal with sexual trauma.
• a lecture for psychotherapists and social workers on feminist psychotherapy in treating women with war trauma during a webinar organized with Bonot Alternativa on women’s issues.
• two lectures at the Rape Crisis Center in Tel Aviv on feminist psychotherapy during war.

–   Social services at the Ramat Gan Municipality requested CCW to organize a professional workshop for its workers on personality disorders. CCW psychotherapist, Natasha Grudsky, will conduct the workshop.

– CCW cooperates with Lada’at, Choose Well, a leading organization in Jerusalem promoting healthy sexuality and reproductive health. Lada’at refers clients facing acute emotional distress to CCW. Lada’at staff attended an introductory workshop at the CCW Jerusalem branch. CCW staff is expected to attend a similar workshop at the Lada’at offices in Jerusalem.

– CCW will organize a panel discussion on feminist psychotherapy for women during war at the National Conference for Social Workers taking place in September. CCW Clinical Director Yael Levin, CCW psychotherapists Hila Zemer and Racheli Shledletzky- Hart will give lectures.

Special Thanks

To all our partners and donors who support us through this difficult period, we are very grateful for your contributions and gifts. We hope that you know how much it means to us!   

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