Emunah Counselling Centers
The Sarah Ronson Crisis and Intervention Center - Sderot
The Emunah Sarah Ronson Crisis and Intervention Centre provides residents of Sderot and the surrounding communities, many of whom suffer from PTSD and other traumas after years of intermittent conflict along the Gaza border, with essential counselling services.
Asei Retzono
The "Asei Retzono" project launched 10 years ago under the auspices of the Sarah Ronson Crisis and Intervention Center, is jointly managed by Dr. Mandel, a psychiatrist by profession and Tami Beck the Director of the Centre.
This program offers complementary medical treatments such as acupuncture, massage, shiatsu, etc. for the benefit of the residents of Sderot who experience continuous stress and post-trauma. These treatments have been found to be very effective in relieving and healing the variety of physical and mental symptoms resulting from the ongoing exposure to security stress.
In order to subsidize treatments, this project is funded by donations, thus enabling as many residents as possible to avail themselves of the therapeutic services.
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The project team consists of four professional and experienced therapists in Chinese therapy and medicine. The cooperation between complementary medical practitioners and emotional therapists creates a systemic vision, and enables successful treatments that meet the patient's different needs. Over the years, because of our unique experiences, much professional knowledge has accumulated which is now shared with professionals and targeted audience through seminars, articles and social media.
After the tragic loss of his son during army service, in 2007 when the security situation in Sderot escalated Dr. Mandel contacted the crisis center in Sderot and began volunteering. During this period Tami Beck (MSW) - Director of the Emunah Center for Family Therapy in Sderot since its establishment in late 2007, worked in the clinic and assisted in providing initial treatment for anxiety victims. During this time it became apparent that many patients suffering from anxiety and post-traumatic symptoms also report various physical symptoms such as back pain and shoulder belt, migraines, shortness of breath, digestive problems, inflammatory bowel disease, sleep and food disorders, Changes in blood pressure, muscle pain, fibromyalgia and more ...
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Dr. Mandel realized that conventional mental health and mental health care issues are limited by helping with these physical symptoms and brought up the idea of ​​combining emotional and touch therapy and complementary medicine.
In memory of his son, Dr. Mandel recruited friends, acquaintances and family members who would support the "Asei Retzono" clinic and for a number of years they joined as a running group in the Jerusalem marathon under the familiar name "Team Daniel".
The pilot for the project began with 80 hours of treatment per month. The feedback received from both the caregivers and the patients proved that the combination of conventional and un-conventional therapies was effective, and alongside that, the great demand raised the need to raise resources and significantly expand the scope of activity. Today we provide 230 hours of therapy monthly with a need for much more.
Stories from treatment rooms:
Ms. Galit Avraham, a Chinese medicine therapist:
During the" Tzuk Eitan operation”, a 14-year-old girl was referred to the Emunah Center because of severe panic attacks and it was difficult to cure because she had stopped talking. She was a sad girl, without joy, and with delicate needles.
During her second treatment, she spoke a little and said that it was hard for her to breathe, so I gave her a combination of cupping and acupuncture and for the first time in a month - she smiled! And said she felt better and managed to breathe. Her parents wept with excitement and so did I. Today, after several treatments, she functions as usual and there is no trace of what happened. I feel that is the reason why we are here. "
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"Another patient with panic attacks, unable to function day to day had severe stomach pains that the doctors couldn’t explain. She was treated at the Emunah Center in Sderot with emotional and physical therapy. "Emunah saved her," she says ... Today she functions as usual and no longer suffers from abdominal pain or anxiety, she told us that she felt we were like a warm embrace for her.
To quote one of the therapists… "I have been working in Sderot for eight years and I feel great satisfaction, and beyond that I also have a great mission, and there are many children, adults and old people who suffer from post-trauma due to the security situation and complex life circumstances.
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Due to the increasing demand for such treatments, the project has encountered financial difficulties, Please help us maintain the scope of the current activity and even expand it in favor of high demand.
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Emunat Rachel Family Counselling Center- Beit Shemesh
Emunat Rachel Family Counselling Center is one of the ten Emunah counselling centres located throughout
Israel. Located in Beit Shemesh, this centre has been operating for just over 15 years. They offer individual, couples and marital counselling tothe Beit Shemesh community and surrounding areas.
Beit Shemesh is a very diverse community, with old time Israelis, mostly of Sfaradi origin, Anglo-Saxon newcomers to Israel, ultra orthodox and modern orthodox residents.
The centre strives to bring high-level professional counselling to people in the community. No one is ever sent away for lack of funds. The staff includes 12 therapists, with masters degrees in social work, psychology
or counselling with post-masters level training in family and couples therapy. Having orthodox Jews on hand gives the clients a feeling that the therapist will understand their life style. A major part of their work deals with women who have been through a divorce. These women are often dealing with the aftermath of abusive relationships and have to build themselves up anew. Many of them have severe financial hardships and some have even been in shelters with their children. These women pay very little or nothing for services.
The centre has two art therapists who work with teenage girls. This is a wonderful medium for helping young women learn to express themselves and confront issues. There are also onsite games and activities for family
bonding, and as a means to help people feel safe enough to share difficult feelings.
Unfortunately, many people have suffered sexual abuse. The counselling centre helps them reconnect with their strengths and rebuild their lives. There is also a family therapy training centre where clients can see therapists from outside our clinic for supervision and training.
Emunah has undertaken the counselling centre knowing full well that it will not earn money for the organization, but, quite the opposite, will usually function at a financial deficit. Private therapists charge up to NIS 800
($200) a session, far beyond what many of our clients can afford, making our centre’s service so important. There is no government financial support of the Family Counselling Services. They rely on your donations to cover the deficit which includes our subsidized therapy, running costs, in house staff training, and therapeutic supplies.
Every day clients tell us how grateful they are for what we give them.
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