Rolling Trauma: How Israel Is Meeting an Unprecedented Mental Health Crisis

Screenshot of Maayan Aviv's article "Rolling Trauma and Resilience: Responding to Israe's Mental Health Crisis" in the Jewish Standard

In a recent Times of Israel blog post, Maayan Aviv, CEO of American Friends of NATAL & Gesher Campus Care collaborator, shares how the ongoing war with Iran and its ripple effects have created what NATAL’s Chief Psychologist, Dr. Boaz Shalgi, calls “rolling trauma” — a continuous accumulation of traumatic events like the October 7 attacks, missile strikes, displacement, and collective grief. Unlike trauma from a single event, rolling trauma is an ongoing crisis that impacts not just survivors, but also the therapists and first responders who care for them.

NATAL’s approach includes expanding clinical services, providing multilingual webinars, offering on-site support for evacuees, and creating resources for therapists. They’ve also developed Trauma-Informed Career Coaching, helping people like “Uri,” a veteran living with post-traumatic distress, rebuild stability in both work and life. Through partnerships with organizations like Gesher and the Jewish Community Mental Health Initiative, NATAL is also sharing its trauma-informed expertise with Jewish communities abroad, recognizing that the effects of this crisis extend far beyond Israel’s borders.

Aviv’s message is clear: rolling trauma requires a rolling response — one that adapts quickly, meets people where they are, and fosters both resilience and post-traumatic growth.

📖 Read / Listen to the full article: Rolling Trauma and Resilience: Responding to Israel’s Mental Health Crisis

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