Mental Health Care

Includes the use of medications that act on the central nervous system with the aim of restoring the chemical balance in the brain, which may be disrupted in cases such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and other mental disorders. The use of medication is in accordance with a comprehensive medical evaluation and close follow-up by a specialist doctor, as part of a comprehensive treatment plan that may also include additional treatment approaches such as psychotherapy, social support and behavioral interventions. The purpose of medication is to relieve symptoms, improve patients’ ability to function properly, and allow them to manage their life.

A type of psychological therapy based on the idea that in order to help a person overcome distress and emotional difficulty, it is necessary to change their perception of reality and behavioral patterns, and/or learn new behaviors.

Studies show CBT to be effective in the treatment of various disorders such as depression, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and personality disorders. In some cases, the treatment is effective on its own, and in other cases it is a supplement to medication.

The treatment has several advantages compared to dynamic therapy and other psychological therapies. This is a short-term treatment lasting on average between 3-6 months. It is a structured treatment method, which focuses on the patient’s specific problem. Both therapist and patient are active participants in the therapy – the patient is required to do ‘homework’ – various tasks to be performed in his natural environment. The homework helps patients internalize the treatment and change their patterns of thinking and behavior, practice the new patterns and include them in everyday life. The practical tools acquired during the treatment help maintain long-term results. For some disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, studies show that the improvement from behavioral therapy is maintained over a longer period of time compared to medication.

Cognitive therapy is a treatment method based on the assumption that in some cases, distorted thinking patterns cause emotional  issues and affect behavior. The treatment focuses on identifying defective thought patterns during or soon after certain experiences, changing how these thoughts are interpreted and replacing them with thoughts that are empowering and are more productive. With this method, it is possible to prevent the distress and severe reactions that often accompany problematic thoughts of this type.  The developers of this method include psychologists Albert Ellis and Aaron Beck.

Behavioral therapy is a psychological treatment based on behaviorist learning theory, whose guiding principles are conditioning (classical conditioning and operant conditioning). The treatment aims to change harmful behavior patterns that lead to anxiety and avoidance  harm the quality of life and daily functioning, while simultaneously reinforcing beneficial behaviors. As part of the therapy, the therapist uses various techniques such as “exposure therapy.”  With this type of treatment, the patient is gradually exposed, under the supervision of the therapist, to situations that have been identified as provoking anxiety. The patient receives tools for learning to control anxiety and deal with the situations that lead to it (for example, with the help of relaxation exercises, breathing, thought exercises, and more). Sometimes the technique of delaying the response to emerging anxiety is used. The treatment is gradual and tailored to the patient.

“Beit Re’im” hosts therapists (doctors, psychotherapists) trained in CBT who have experience providing treatment with this method.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) was developed in the 1990s by psychologist Dr. Marsha Linehan. The goal of the treatment is to improve the quality of life of people suffering from emotional regulation problems, especially people diagnosed as suffering from borderline personality disorder. Today, DBT has been studied and found to be effective for a wide range of other disorders related to problems with emotional regulation, such as addictions, eating disorders, post-traumatic disorder and more. The treatment is suitable for both teenagers and adults and consists of individual sessions with a personal therapist and group therapy sessions for learning life skills. In most cases, it also includes parental guidance and medication as auxiliary treatment. The effectiveness of DBT has been proven in many clinical studies. This treatment is recommended by the American Psychiatric Association for borderline personality disorder.

It is well-known that our emotions effect our behavior, and when these emotions are particularly intense, they may lead us to act in an ineffective manner, which can harm our interpersonal relationships or our ability to function. For most people, such intense emotions appear only rarely, while others have constant difficulty in emotional regulation. This difficulty is expressed in a high sensitivity to emotional stimuli which sometimes leads to a lack of control over behavior, strong effects on mood and behavior, and difficulty in self-calming.

DBT focuses on strengthening the motivation to live, enhancing the motivation to continue treatment, and improving the quality of life by changing behavior patterns, thoughts, and emotions.  It consists of three elements:

• Acceptance Strategies – drawn from Eastern principles such as mindfulness, conveying to the patient that their emotions and experiences are understood.
• Change Strategies – drawn from cognitive-behavioral approaches, emphasizing the need to change lifestyle and behavior patterns in order to achieve a better quality of life.
• Dialectics – emphasizing the balance and synthesis between acceptance and change in order to enable a holistic perspective, reduce obstacles in treatment such as rigidity, arguments, and opposing stances, and adopt a balanced world view and conduct in all areas of life.

 Psychodynamic therapy is an umbrella term for a whole family of therapeutic approaches that have in common a focus on subconscious aspects of the individual’s mental life. The foundation of psychodynamic approaches lies in the assumption that internal dynamics are affected by developmental experiences, particularly those that occurred during early stages of development within relationships with primary caregivers (parents, family). These dynamics are reflected in the patterns of coping with situations and life events that occur in the present. In dynamic therapy, we examine the way in which these patterns were established by referring to past experiences and observing the ways in which the patterns that were formed are reflected in the person’s current actions.

Group therapy is a treatment method tailored to address various difficulties and needs. There is a wide variety of group therapies that focus on specific issues (such as coping with anxiety disorders), certain crises, or broader topics like improving interpersonal skills and life satisfaction. Group therapy can be beneficial for both individuals suffering from mental disorders and mentally healthy individuals dealing with the complexities of daily life and/or those interested in learning and personal growth. Group therapy is based on therapeutic techniques and approaches similar to those used in individual therapy, but also allows the use of techniques unique to the group setting:  the interactions between the group participants allow patients to examine the patterns of their relationships with a variety of figures and to use these observations to learn about typical relationships, issues, and patterns of behavior and thinking in their daily lives. Furthermore, the group setting may contribute to a sense of normalization and competence (“I’m not the only one who reacts in such a difficult way”, “Despite my situation, I was able to help another person”) and create an extensive support network.

Occupational therapy is a therapeutic profession that deals with the restoration of all the components of human function. The occupational therapist, in collaboration with the patient, refers to the psychological, spiritual, social and physical aspects and needs of the individual in the different areas of his/her life and their effect on the nature and level of his/her performance in the various spheres of activity. All stages of the treatment are conducted with the full cooperation of the patients and taking into account their needs and priorities.

The treatment includes a functional assessment, setting treatment goals, choosing an appropriate activity from a variety of means, and support in continuing to function in the community.

Art therapy is an emotional therapy that focuses on strengthening individuals suffering from mental distress and disorders, using the healing power of art to enable the individual to know themselves while cultivating mental strength, moderating defensive behavioral patterns, and enhance adaptability.

Art therapy combines traditional psychotherapy theories, psychological techniques, and theories related to the creative process and the different characteristics of art materials and their use. Art therapy serves as an additional means of expressing emotions, internal content, and conflicts, and as a therapeutic tool when words are unable to describe feelings and emotions.

Art therapy gives the process and creativity a central role and uses the language of art to allow the person to know themselves in a safe and supportive environment. Insight, growth, and personal progress are achieved through art therapy, while focusing on the individual’s strengths.

The goal of art therapy is similar to that of any psychotherapeutic treatment: to improve and maintain mental health and quality of life; however, while psychological treatment focuses on verbal communication, the various therapies of expression and creation use a range of art forms, such as painting, sculpture, collage, and other methods of visual expression.

Art therapy at “Beit Re’im” is givven as group therapy and is suitable for anyone willing to engage in art and art materials, regardless of artistic talent or previous experience in the field

The EMDR treatment is proven to be one of the most effective and efficient methods for dealing with stress-related situations. The method has been known for over 30 years in Israel and around the world, and combines bilateral stimulation of the brain by eye movements or other means with guided imagery, relaxation, and reprocessing of the stressful experience.

At the Day Treatment Department at Beit Re’im, EMDR treatment is provided by senior therapist Chaim Navon, a social worker specializing in this method, who combines additional tools to reduce the intensity of emotional responses and help return to functioning.

Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) is a psychotherapeutic intervention designed for individuals suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is a structured and focused therapy that belongs to the cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) family. It consists between 8 to 14 sessions, each lasting about an hour and a half, held once or twice a week.

The treatment is based on the understanding that patients suffering from PTSD experience the world as a dangerous place and themselves as unable to cope with life’s challenges and their emotions. As a result, they tend to avoid thoughts, emotions, and situations related to the trauma they have experienced. This avoidance brings immediate relief—when avoiding a discomforting trigger, anxiety decreases, and they feel better. However, in the long term, this avoidance prevents the individual from overcoming the trauma and moving on, leading to an ever-increasing restriction of their physical and emotional life space, thus maintaining the PTSD.

During PE therapy, the patient learns to cope with memories, feelings, emotions, and situations related to the trauma. In other words, they gradually learn to reduce avoidance. This coping method helps change their perception of themselves and the world, and significantly reduces PTSD symptoms, including flashbacks, depression, irritability, and sleep problems.

PE is one of the treatments recommended by health organizations around the world for patients suffering from PTSD. Its effectiveness was demonstrated in studies showing that about 80% of patients who completed the treatment benefited from it and achieved a significant reduction in PTSD symptoms.

At our center, therapists with training and experience in PE provide this treatment to those found suitable to benefit from