The Psagot Institute

Welcome to the Psagot Institute!

Since 1989, the Psagot Institute has been providing cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBT) interventions that meet a wide range of clinical needs. We also provide professional CBT training for practicing therapists from a broad spectrum of professions (each profession has its own program: social work, educational psychology, educational counseling, arts therapy, and psychiatry).

Our vision is to provide state-of-the-art psycho-bio-social interventions, in order to

  • facilitate the access of clients and families to care, and
  • to improve outcomes through

o technical and person-to-person means, and

o investigation of new ways to prevent mental disturbance and disease.

  1. About Therapy

We at the Psagot Institute offer a broad supportive framework tailored to individual needs.

Intervention is aimed at enabling people to deal effectively with their emotional or physical problems. Additionally, we work out multi-disciplinary solutions for both clients and their families.

How is therapy worked out?

We begin by evaluating your needs, and the difficulties you have in different areas of daily life, as well as to your resources, your strengths, and your aims in therapy. We then decide, with the client, on the ways to attain those aims, and criteria for success.

In order to provide the most effective treatment, the Institute employs a broad array of interventions that can be adapted to the individual needs of the client and family members.

Professionals – In addition to the professionals directly involved in therapy, the Institute places at the disposal of the client additional specialists who can advance the aims of therapy (sports, nutrition, careers, and more).

Location of therapy – The option exists of changing the location of therapy, if necessary. Therapy can be conducted away from the usual location, even outside of Israel. Ordinarily, therapy takes place at the clinic.

There is also the option of a psychiatrist accompanying someone traveling abroad or returning to Israel.

The client’s family – The therapeutic staff give the client’s spouse and other family members the tools for helping their loved one.

If the needs of a spouse or family conflict with those of the client and the requirements of therapy, we work out creative solutions most appropriate to all concerned.

Therapy at the Psagot Institute includes:

Cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy (CBT)

Institute staff performs client evaluations according to the cognitive-behavioral method. This method has been proved effective, and in recent years has become the World Health Organization’s preferred method of psychotherapy, for dealing with psychopathologies, crises, and normative problems.

Systemic solutions

  • Treatment in different languages.
  • The option of short-term or intensive therapy.
  • Medication, when needed.
  • Psychiatric escort.
  • Psychiatric appraisals and opinions.

Location of treatment adapted to client needs

  • Therapy is ordinarily conducted at the clinic, but if necessary, at home or elsewhere.
  • Provision of telephone support.

Telephone support center

Clients and family can avail themselves of telephone and e-mail support.

For information, call: 03-5288 171 or 050-6662 555, or

Mail: [email protected]

The therapeutic programs

Since the early 1990s, we have developed a number of psychotherapeutic methods, among them:

Anthropotherapy – An instensive, holistic therapeutic approach for clients in acute states, at home. This method involves therapists of various disciplines, and enables a quick return to normal life routines (presented at the International Conference on Schizophrenia, at Stockholm, Sweden, 2001).

Marathon therapy for anxiety – Intensive therapy, usually at home, for people in need of more than ordinary ambulatory intervention. It is mainly for people with acute O.C.D. and agoraphobia and G.A.D. (presented at the EABCT conference, Turkey, 2002).

Psychotic normalization procedure – A family intervention, involving controlled exposure to psychotic situations, by using cognitive and behavioral techniques, and audio-visual techniques. This intervention aims to increase understanding and cooperation between family members and clients suffering from psychotic states (schizophrenia) (published in letter to the editor of the British Journal of Psychiatry, and presented EABCT, Barcelona, 2007).

Tutoring chronic clients to help other chronic clients – A structured program of 60 hours, comprising lectures and hands-on training, that aims to give clients the tools to enable correction of unproductive ways of thinking. An additional aim of this intervention is enhancement of medical compliance (enhancing discipline in taking medication and awareness of early symptoms of relapse.). (presented EABCT, Barcelona, 2007).

Pre-traumatic vaccination (PTV) – In the early 2000s, we developed a workshop to deal with a wide range of potential traumatic situations. Workshops are now conducted by Institute staff, as part of training courses for professionals likely to encounter trauma in their work, such as rescue services (911 services) (published 2010).

  1. Professional Training Programs

The cognitive-behavioral program for Social Workers (CB-SW)

The cognitive-behavioral program for social workers is our flagship training program. It is the only program in Israel that trains clinicians by profession, with the aim of realizing optimal benefit from therapeutic tools. The program has been developed on the basis of the Psagot Institute’s many years of instruction experience in a variety of academic frameworks.

The cognitive-behavioral program for arts therapists

This is Israel’s first cognitive-behavioral training program for arts therapists.

The field of arts therapy is based on the idea that the arts have healing power. The therapeutic process makes use of existing psychological approaches; the therapist employs various art forms (the plastic arts, movement, drama, psychodrama, music, and bibliotherapy) as languages that permit creative, non-verbal dialogue, in addition to verbal dialogue.

Cognitive theory views human thoughts and beliefs about one’s self and one’s surroundings as impacting on the individual’s emotions and their intensity, as well as on the individual’s actions.

Behavioral theory focuses on behavior, and posits a connection between a person and a person’s environment. One’s reaction to one’s environment, in turn influences the environment, further impacting the individual’s emotions and thoughts.

Cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy is positive, present-focused therapy that is based on the strengths of the client. It posits the possibility of change and is supported by a cumulative body of research. The past is investigated with the aim of bringing about change in the present. Therapy is focused on particular goals; the interpersonal relationship between therapist and client is a critical, but not the sole, element in the therapeutic process.

C.B.Arts bridges art and cognitive-behavioral therapies, with the aim of permitting arts therapists to avail themselves of proved, highly effective, therapeutic tools. Such tools combine effective, short-term therapy, focused on the here and now, with the healing power of creative work in the arts without intermediaries. Such tools employ the language of the arts to facilitate a dialogue with the client, viewed as a full, active partner in the therapeutic process..

The training program comprises:

  • Imparting knowledge in the fields of cognitive and behavioral theories, from historical and contemporary perspectives.
  • Acquaintanceship with the principles, tools, and techniques of cognitive-behavioral therapy.
  • Creativity in the therapist’s work in C.B.Arts through workshops, practical experience, and recitation sessions in the arts.
  • Focused therapeutic interventions in such areas as: post-trauma, sexual and assault, therapy for anxiety, group therapy, and more.

Advanced courses: Training program in TEAM therapy

TEAM (Testing Empathy and Agenda-setting Methods) therapy is a therapeutic model for short-term intervention, developed by David D. Burns, M.D. Professor Burns, of Stanford University, describes the model in his bestselling Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy.

The principal instructor of the team therapy program is the Psagot Institute’s Maor Katz.

Program graduates can work as instructors or enroll in advanced training toward certification as team therapists.

Continuing education courses for therapeutic services

Over the years, Institute staff has conducted continuing education programs for therapeutic-service providers, based on their needs. Such programs include concentrated workshops and seminars, as well as year-long courses.

Seminars

The Psagot Institute conducts four seminars every year, at which leading experts are invited to lecture on innovative protocols for the treatment of common disorders.

Supervision

The Institute conducts training for groups of professionals, based on the behavioral-cognitive approach to psychotherapy. The instructors are accredited by the Israeli Association for Behavior and Cognitive Psychotherapies (ITA); sessions are held either at the Psagot Institute clinic or on the premises of therapy providers.

Publications

Senior staff is involved in the writing, translation to Hebrew, and scientific editing of professional literature relevant to the Institute’s work. Below are some examples.

Translations

Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy, by David D. Burns, M.D. (adjunct clinical professor emeritus of psychiatry and behavioral science, Stanford University).

Anxiety Disorders and Phobias: A Cognitive Perspective, by Professor Aaron Beck, Gary Emery, and Ruth Greenberg.

Original publications

Depression – Problem and Solution, by Dr. Nir Essar and Merav Barkavi-Shani.

Now We’ll Do Well on Exams!, by Dr. Nir Essar and Ofra Miron-Lichter.

Frightening Your Fears Away: Self-Therapy for Anxiety, by Dr. Nir Essar and Ofra Miron-Lichter.

Recorded Instructions for Control over Anxiety, by Dr. Nir Essar, based on the Jacobson method.