Under the expert facilitation of a clinical psychologist who has worked extensively with the soldiers suffering PTSD via the Ministry of Defense, we will be hosting a 'poker' support group that uses the game as a means of alternative therapy for people who are shying away from 'traditional' talk therapy. This modality has already sparked great interest by potential participants who are attracted to the outside-of-the-box approach.

Utilizing photo/video-interactive activities- such as photo-viewing, posing, planning, discussing, remembering or imagining photographs- our expert facilitators support survivors on their journey towards healing. Participants' shared trauma background focuses on eating disorders and Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that have been triggered by the ongoing conflict. 

This group is designed for women who define themselves as "on the edge" in response to the ongoing crisis. Using the creative tools of collage, the group offers a nonverbal path for emotional expression, the processing of difficult experiences, and the rebuilding of a sense of connection and belonging. Through color, imagery, and shared experience, participants are invited into a healing space—where together they can find hope, stability, and a renewed sense of breath, even in times of deep uncertainty.

This support group is designed for mothers coping with emotional distress and/or secondary trauma stemming from their children’s experiences of trauma. Due to the situation, there has been a sharp rise in both physiological and psychological symptoms among children—ranging from behavioral challenges to severe physical responses such as incontinence triggered by stress from rocket fire, and psychosomatic disorders that can even result in temporary loss of mobility. This group offers mothers a supportive space to process their own emotional experiences, strengthen inner resources, and connect with others navigating a similar journey.

A support group customized for partners of reservists, who have been not only been facing the logistical challenges of having one's husband or wife be unavailable for months on end and the emotional stress of managing one's home/children alone, but also the constant fear of the effects of the war on their loved-one - such as worries about their safety in warzones, the often harsh transitions as their partners reenter civilian life, the possibility of their partner developing Post-Traumatic Stress, Disorder, etc.

TICB is a holistic approach to community engagement, establishment of healing interventions and a proven method of processing trauma. This strategized structure nurtures resilience and social cohesion in the face of collective trauma. Its strength comes from its ability to bring people together, enabling traumatized individuals to connect in seeking a safe space with life-affirming activities and to break down the barriers that reinforce isolation - thus organically cultivating an environment of mutual support, improved interpersonal communication and heightened solidarity. TICB gives us the opportunity to re-enter society in a functional manner and even to apply the ideals of mutual support and solidarity from the programming within the broader Israeli public. Our activities will connect participants across different trauma backgrounds, through numerous and diverse curated activities such as cultural events, sports, arts, education, volunteering and activism, thus building support networks and reintegrating individuals into society. Ultimately, this provides a return to normalcy and promotes a community of wellness.

There will also be customized groups for mental health/welfare/medical professionals who are carrying not only their own trauma, but also the heavy weight of secondary trauma/compassion fatigue as they try to help the surge of people needing their support during this devastating period. These groups have a similar structure, however, they will focus on retaining resiliency and preventing burnout in addition to processing the collective trauma wrought by the attacks and ongoing war.

All of the activities will be facilitated by trauma-informed professionals. Additionally, we are so grateful to have cultivated a core of committed volunteers who support connectivity and reduce the trauma-induced reflex to isolate during activities. They serve as 'floaters' or 'benchers' during the Trauma Informed Community Building Activities. 'Floaters' will mingle among participants in order to gently guide, support or interact with anyone who seems to be having a hard time connecting. Meanwhile, a 'bencher' will be sitting on a strategically placed bench on the side of the activity that will be made into an accessible, inviting space for anyone who wants to talk or be supported in any other manner. This is yet another way of informally reaching out to anyone who needs a shoulder to lean on or wants incidental contact.  Additionally, a number of top professionals are volunteering pro-bono hours towards our administration, for example- legal counsel, accounting services and bookkeeping services as in-kind donations, enabling us to concentrate funding on providing support for trauma survivors.

We have so many programs in the works, which we are so excited to launch! Please keep checking in for new groups, new activities and new partnerships. Based on our preliminary landscape analysis and mapping of needs on the ground we plan to form groups for using a range of therapy approaches for a variety of trauma backgrounds such as aunts of fallen soldiers, grandparents of active duty soldiers,  survivors  of sexual violence whose past trauma was triggered by October 7th, etc. as well as an array of professionals staffs at several mental health institutions, suicide prevention programs, etc.

​​​

If you have an idea for an under-treated or untreated trauma background, please reach out so that we can work together to create it!