This article is from SRN News
Healing the Healers as 3 Million Israelis Could Be Suffering From PTSD
A new program helps address burnout and second-degree trauma in the thousands of professionals working to support Israelis directly affected by the war
By Maayan Hoffman/The Media Line
When an Israeli soldier returns from the Gaza battlefield after weeks—or even months—of fighting, after witnessing unthinkable situations and possibly losing comrades in battle, reintegrating into everyday life can be deeply challenging, if not nearly impossible.
For the first time in Israel’s history, despite numerous previous wars and military operations, the country is actively helping those combat soldiers who experienced the worst of the fighting to process their trauma before they return home. The military is partnering with the Israeli nonprofit organization Momentum to support this critical transition.
According to Momentum, approximately 125,000 soldiers have served in combat since the war began on October 7, 2023. These soldiers have spent an average of 105 days in the reserves. Of those, more than 1,600 combat soldiers have taken part in the Momentum program, which is designed to help them name and sequence what happened in the field, build a narrative of their experiences, and prevent post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The program helps soldiers transition out of “survival mode” so they can better manage daily life and learn how to describe their experiences to spouses and family members. It also identifies which individuals may require long-term support.
Momentum’s executive director, Avi Cirt, told The Media Line that 600 trained facilitators—including therapists and other professionals—work with the initiative, many of whom have been involved since the early stages of the war.
Cirt explained that when combat soldiers exit Gaza, they are given 48 hours to process their experiences with trained staff. They sit together and unpack the events, and as the soldiers share their stories, the staff members listen—and relive those moments alongside them.
“They each sit with many units, and they hear the hardest stories,” Cirt said. “The staff members themselves start to take on some of the stress. … These are just terrible stories.”
To help facilitators maintain their mental health—which is essential if they are to continue supporting traumatized soldiers—Momentum has partnered with Teva Pharmaceuticals and its Support for the Soul program. The initiative is specifically designed for mental health professionals: rather than targeting those who were traumatized, it supports the people treating them.
Cirt noted that internal staff surveys show this kind of support is essential.
Support the Soul
Hundreds of thousands—if not millions—of Israelis have experienced trauma since October 7, 2023, and are either receiving or expected to need treatment, according to Yarden Abarbanel, who heads Teva’s Support the Soul program. She said that some surveys report as many as 1 in 3 Israelis are showing symptoms of trauma—and as the war continues, that number is expected to rise.
Yet more than 20 months into the war, one of the most critical gaps remains mental health services. The demand is growing daily, and while some people likely need immediate care—since waiting could worsen their condition—there still aren’t enough trained providers to meet the need.
Moreover, those already providing mental health support since the war began are themselves experiencing burnout and symptoms of trauma.
Teva’s Support the Soul program was launched in response to the October 7 attacks and is designed to support therapists in Israel by enhancing their ability to address trauma and build national resilience. The program, developed in partnership with 8400 – The Health Network, offers innovative and technological solutions to help mental health professionals cope with the surge in psychological care demands, including PTSD and related challenges.
“We are supporting the therapists,” Abarbanel explained to The Media Line.
“We launched with the understanding that as a company that works in Israel—our roots are in Israel for more than 100 years—we had to do more for Israeli society after October 7,” Abarbanel continued. “We understand that we have the expertise and knowledge in mental health, so we decided to focus a program on supporting and promoting trauma care and building greater resilience in Israeli society.”
When the program launched, its funding—already amounting to millions of dollars—came solely from Teva’s global management team. There is no link between the company’s pharmaceutical operations and this philanthropic effort; patients in the program are not being prescribed Teva medications. Instead, the initiative was launched because Teva recognized a bottleneck in the mental health system: a shortage of qualified trauma therapists in Israel.
Abarbanel noted that while someone may be trained in mental health, that does not necessarily mean they specialize in trauma—which is critical for treating these patients effectively.
Over the last 20 months, Teva has been working closely with more than a dozen nonprofit organizations to assess the needs of mental health providers.
The program now focuses on three core strategies: offering professional training and supervision to improve treatment quality, including basic trauma care education and advanced techniques like cognitive behavioral therapy and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing; building resilience among providers by giving therapists and other professionals a safe space to share their emotions and process the trauma they absorb from their patients; and investing in technology and research to develop tools that support the therapy process and help bridge the treatment gap. A conference dedicated to exploring new trauma technologies is scheduled for June 8.
So far, 1,300 professionals have participated in the Support the Soul program through 16 partner organizations. In addition, Teva has provided resilience tools to more than 8,000 people, ranging from pre-army Jewish Agency volunteers in Israel’s southern communities to teachers and communal workers.
Teva has also established new partnerships with nonprofits, the Israeli government, and additional philanthropic funds to help ensure the program’s longevity and continued impact.
“If you want to make a big impact, you have to do it together,” Abarbanel stressed.
Trauma technology
Abarbanel said it’s important to understand that trauma does not manifest in just one way—nor is it limited to PTSD. Trauma symptoms can include anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, or even addictions. She said it is still unclear how many people in the country will suffer from PTSD. Some estimates suggest as many as 3 million out of Israel’s 10 million citizens could be affected. Since the war and hostage situation are still ongoing, it’s too early to know.
One of the most promising ways to support these individuals is through the use of new technologies. Teva has been developing tools for the early identification of individuals who are likely to require treatment, which could automate the process and make it easier for both clinical staff and patients.
The team is also exploring technological solutions to enhance the effectiveness of services, including tools that patients can use between therapy sessions—such as self-guided platforms or digital tools that improve communication between patients and caregivers.
‘It is a must-have’
Ily Farbstein is the founder and co-CEO of a program called Home by the Sea, which focuses on marine group therapy for families and communities—particularly those affected by displacement and trauma.
Immediately after October 7, 2023, Home by the Sea set up operations in Eilat, the Red Sea resort town that took in tens of thousands of Israelis forced by the war to leave their homes. The organization began offering services to displaced families. Facilitators helped people manage trauma symptoms, with a strong emphasis on assisting them to feel grounded and present.
“The sea is dynamic, always changing,” Farbstein explained to The Media Line. “If you look at the sea, it sounds a lot like the situation in Israel.” He added that to feel safe at sea, you need to be fully present and able to adapt to constantly shifting realities.
Over the past 20 months, the program has opened new hubs in Tel Aviv, Herzliya, the Haifa region, and other areas, working with a variety of groups—including soldiers, children, hostages, and residents of devastated communities like Kfar Aza and Nir Oz, which were hit hard on October 7, 2023. There are also therapy groups for parents of fallen soldiers.
In one tough case, staff members were asked to work with children who had been released from Hamas tunnels just days earlier.
“No staff member knew how to manage a situation like this,” Farbstein said.
To date, the team has worked with 2,500 people.
Some members of the staff themselves have experienced what is known as second-degree trauma. In response, Home by the Sea partnered with Teva’s Support the Soul program. Now, every facilitator is provided with a dedicated support person to help them manage their own emotional burden.
Farbstein noted that since the war began, there has been an outpouring of donations. However, most donors focus on the recipients of services—not the caregivers. As such, he said, “Teva’s answer is genius. We could not do this without them.”
“Today, I understand Support the Soul is not a ‘nice to have,’ it is a must-have,” he said.
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