Therapists need an Iron Dome too

For almost three years now, the Israeli reality has been one of a continuous state of emergency. A war rolling from front to front, reserve duty call-ups that never end, hostages who returned after far too long, and uncertainty that has become a way of life. We have become accustomed to talking about national resilience, but there is one front that still receives almost no proper attention: the front of the therapists and caregivers.

The security reality has brought with it an unprecedented wave of demand. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have sought psychological help, and the circle of therapy now touches almost every home. Behind every therapeutic process stands one person who holds the pain of another — someone with whom one can lay down the most difficult things, knowing they will be held safely. The professionals, the trauma experts, were the first to step up and have not left since. To them come the stories that cannot be told around the Shabbat table, the fears that have no words, and the difficult memories. They listen, contain, and accompany.

However, the therapy teams themselves also live in the Israeli reality. They are required to be resilient for others, while outside, nothing is stable. When the siren sounds, it sounds in their homes too. When family members are called up for reserve duty, they too deal with this reality. They accompany patients for hours, and then return home to the same headlines and the same uncertainty. This is not just a mission — it is a mission involving continuous psychological strain.

Studies illustrate the depth of the challenge. In a study conducted at the University of Haifa in collaboration with the "Lev Batuach" association, it was found that more than 60% of the survivors of the parties developed acute PTSD symptoms. Behind every such figure stand many hours of therapy, and behind every therapy stand the therapy teams.

Whoever contains the trauma of others, day after day, is themselves exposed to secondary trauma and burnout. They too need a space for processing, for rest, and for refreshment. Whoever gives without being filled, eventually has nothing left to give.

Therefore, investing in therapists is not a luxury and not just a gesture of appreciation. It is part of Israel's national resilience, and it must be a planned investment, just like a budget or a work plan. Just as no one would dream of giving up the maintenance of Air Force planes or the training of security forces, so too the mental health system needs constant maintenance of its people. The time for this is now.

Autumn is approaching, and with it the memorial days and holidays, which re-surface the wounds of many. The demand for therapy will grow, and Israeli society will need its therapists to be present, stable, and available. The Israeli recovery will not be measured only by the rehabilitation of the communities, the return of the evacuees, or the economic recovery. It will also be measured by our ability to heal the invisible wounds.

The Iron Dome operates quietly, and only when it is needed does one understand how much everything relies on it. This is how the therapy teams operate as well. They are the Iron Dome of the Israeli soul.

Advocate Efrat Aton is the CEO of the "Lev Batuach" association, which provides psychological assistance to survivors of the October 7 parties and their families.