Ben Shahar, Ph.D, is an Assistant Professor (senior lecturer) at the School of Social Work and Social Welfare at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. He is a licensed clinical psychologist and a supervisor and trainer of Emotion-focused Therapy. He completed his Ph.D. in clinical psychology at the University of Arizona and his internship at Duke University Medical Center. He conducts outcome and process research on EFT for social anxiety and self-criticism, as well as research on the role of shame and self-criticism in the development and maintenance of anxiety difficulties. He co-founded and co-directs the Israeli Institute of Emotion-focused Therapy, which oversees training and supervision of EFT in Israel.

Naomi Najman is a child-adolescent psychiatrist and general psychiatrist who has been in private practice for 19 years. Her areas of expertise include evaluation and treatment of a wide range of childhood and adult psychiatric disorders including mood and anxiety disorders, ADHD, PTSD and eating disorders. Dr. Najman has spent much of her career working with children to treat underlying psychiatric disorders with medication and individual therapy. She also provides guidance to parents coping with children who suffer from psychiatric disorders. Dr. Najman graduated from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1994. She then earned board certification in pediatrics, general psychiatry and child psychiatry after completing her training in the combined Pediatrics/General Psychiatry/Child Psychiatry residency program at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1999. Dr. Najman served as the unit chief of the Community Day Hospital, a child and adolescent day treatment unit at the Bronx Children’s Psychiatric Center from1999 to 2002. In 2014 Dr. Najman made aliyah with her family. She currently sees patients in Jerusalem and Efrat.

Azi Jankovic, Ed.D. received her doctorate in Education Leadership from the University of Southern California with a focus in Teacher Education in a Multicultural Society. She's a dreamer and a do-er; her spiritual and professional aspirations have inspired her to move across continents, pursue advanced degrees, and co-create companies. The challenges that she's faced have informed her core belief that we are here to live meaningful and impactful lives, and the lessons of our lives can be shared strategically to benefit the collective. In addition to facilitating 1:1 and group programs, Azi is the author of Beyond All Things: Insights to Awaken Joy, Purpose, and Spiritual Connection and produces and hosts 'Within Us Podcast'.

Dr. Dani Kahn is the Deputy Director of the EMDR Institute of Israel. He is an accredited EMDR Europe (and Israel) Therapist, Consultant, and Trainer and is a member of the board of EMDR-ISRAEL. As a therapist, Dr. Kahn works with a wide range of clinical presentations, including trauma and dissociation, complex trauma, stress and coping, anxiety, depression, behavioral difficulties, ADHD, and parenting and relationship issues. Over the past 25 years he has lectured at several universities and institutions of higher learning, including Hebrew University, Bar Ilan University, and The Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo.

Jonathan Huppert is Full Professor and former Chair of the Department of Psychology at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, where he holds the Sam and Helen Beber Chair of Clinical Psychology. Dr. Huppert specializes in the nature and treatment of anxiety and related disorders, and has worked on dissemination of CBT throughout Israel and beyond. He conducts research on the processes of cognitive behavioral therapy to better understand its mechanisms. He has published over 100 articles and chapters and speaks frequently at national and international events. He serves on multiple editorial boards. He has received multiple sources of funding for his work including from the US National Institute of Mental Health and the Israel Science Foundation. Dr. Huppert is a fellow of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. He was awarded the 2017 outstanding mentor award by the Society for Science of Clinical Psychology. He was the scientific chair of the 2015 EABCT Congress held in Jerusalem. He was full time faculty at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine from 2000-2007 and held an adjunct appointment there 2007-2019.

Dr. Rafaeli received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Yeshiva University, New York. She also holds an MA in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Her training focused mainly on evidence-based treatment approaches, and included a fellowship at Albert Einstein College of Medicine’s Adolescent Psychoeducational Treatment Program, training and research in Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) at the NY State Psychiatric Institute/Columbia University, and an advanced certificate and post-doctoral fellowship in Cognitive/Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapies (CBT and REBT) from the Albert Ellis Institute.

READ MORE

She is licensed as a clinical psychologist in NY State and in Israel, and has worked as a therapist in outpatient clinics, counseling centers and research settings. Since 2012 she has been working at the Tel-Aviv University Counseling Center, where she now serves as the training coordinator of CBT and IPT interventions. She is also an adjunct instructor at school of psychology at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) – Herzliya, and at the Smith College School of Social Work. She maintains a private practice in Ra’anana.

Dr. Rafaeli’s main interest is in the development and dissemination of Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), in which she has close to 20 years of experience. She has given numerous trainings and workshops on IPT in Israel and abroad, and has extensive experience with various adaptations of the approach. She serves as a master co-trainer in a joint program of Columbia University and the World Health Organization (WHO) dedicated to spreading the IPT approach in developing countries, and has published theoretical articles and case studies of IPT therapies. She is a member of the International Society for Interpersonal Therapy (ISIPT), where she serves on the journal and certification committees. She is also a co-founder of the local Israeli chapter of IPT. Most recently, Dr. Rafaeli has developed an adaptation of a brief IPT intervention aimed at treating college age students.

READ LESS