Mental Health Service Staff at Hillel Yaffe to be Trained in EMDR

This past year, on the heels of the events of October 7 and the ongoing war, has highlighted the critical need for treatment of mental trauma in Israel. Consequently, there has been a growing demand among therapists for additional therapeutic tools. Recently, thanks to a generous donation of NIS 300,000 from the Jewish Federation of Chicago, therapists from Hillel Yaffe Medical Center's Mental Health Services began training in EMDR, an innovative and evidence-based method for treating trauma and a variety of mental disorders, approved by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The comprehensive training in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) began this past December, under the leadership of Mental Health Services Director, Dr. Ehud Seser and Head Social Worker, Sigal Agri Shavit. After completing the training, the mental health professionals will be certified EMDR therapists by the Israeli organization.

Mental Health Services staff during their first training session

Recognized by WHO in 2013 as one of the two leading treatment methods for post-trauma, EMDR has delivered impressive results in treating a variety of mental disorders, including anxiety and depression. The method is based on the Adaptive Information Processing Model, allowing the brain to reprocess traumatic experiences in an efficient and adaptive manner.

EMDR Treatment can significantly reduce symptoms of anxiety and post-traumatic stress and improve patients’ functioning and quality of life. The positive effect on the patient's condition impacts directly on those around them, enabling a positive and productive life routine for the patient, their family and the community.

As part of the training, therapists will also be certified with the R-TEP protocol, which is designed to treat fresh trauma. This will significantly expand the service's ability to treat trauma victims using innovative and evidence-based tools.

“Integrating EMDR into our Mental Health Services is a significant step in improving the quality of care for our patients. Given our need as therapists to provide additional support to trauma survivors, this is particularly important. The past year and the war in Israel have only underscored this growing need. Additional tools will prove exceptionally helpful,” said Dr. Ehud Seser, Mental Health Services Director. “We are grateful to the Jewish Federation of Chicago for their generous donation, which enables us to bring this innovative treatment to our patients.”

Vice President of the Jewish Federation of Chicago, Mr. Ofer Bavli, said, “The Chicago Federation places great importance on developing and training mental health professionals, particularly in view of the events of the past year. Supporting the therapists at Hillel Yaffe Medical Center, which serves an ever-growing population, will enable them to provide a critical, innovative and rapid response to patients with mental trauma.