On October 8th, the Jewish Diaspora felt the tightening noose of anti-Semitism. BUT, we said, it’s different because now, we have the State of Israel. We rely on Israel to be our stronghold, and it always comes through. But the cost to the people of Israel is tremendous – both in terms of physical and mental health. As many have heard, the stories of severe and complicated post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suffering and suicides in Israel are horrific.
I am a Clinical Psychologist that has worked in Manitoba for 40 years and over the past three years have studied the use of psychedelic medicine in the treatment of PTSD, existential anxiety, and treatment-resistant depression (the three disorders qualified for legalized Psychedelic Medicine in Canada). After October 7th, I knew that these were the only types of treatments that would be effective for many of those who were exposed to the horrors of this war.
In July 2024, I met with Dr. Sinai Oren and Pinni Baumol at the Psychedelic Medicine Conference in Tel Aviv. At the time, they were in the process of developing the Jerusalem Resilience Centre – a psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy treatment centre that could provide a short-term effective treatment protocol to those with severe PTSD.
They chose ketamine as the medicine of choice because it is very safe (it is used in higher doses as an anesthetic), and it is legal – thus it could be available throughout the country. The Resilience Centre has been operating since 2024, with a capacity of between 12-15 patients (requiring approximately 8-10 sessions). Clearly, this will not meet the needs of the over 500,000 people suffering from PTSD.
Given the fact that there are many trauma therapists throughout the country and many physicians and nurses that could potentially administer ketamine to boost the efficacy of therapy sessions, the most efficient use of the clinic would be to offer training to mental health professionals (psychiatrists, nurses, therapists) in their ketamine-assisted psychotherapy protocol.
This past October, I travelled to Israel to attend a three-day ketamine-assisted psychotherapy training workshop at the Resilience Centre, along with 18 Israeli therapists specializing in PTSD treatment. The training was effective, efficient and was as high in quality as I have experienced in Canada with psilocybin and MDMA training (at half the time spent in training, and less than a 1/4 of the cost).
I had a couple epiphanies following my training: 1) the only way through this post-war mental health crisis will be to train therapists in psychedelic-assisted therapies so that we can meet the needs of the citizens of the country; 2) those who have been listening to the horrors of the wars experienced by their patients are themselves traumatized – by offering them the training that I underwent this past October, the heavy weight that is carried will be offloaded. It is as cost effective as it gets!
We owe Israel refuah shleyma. Most Federations and organizations that send money to Israel support standard building and treatment centres. Standard treatments will not meet the needs of the current crisis. Innovative approaches are necessary now, and the Jerusalem Resilience Centre is positioned to do just that.
– Cathy
P.S. If you are in Jerusalem, stop by and you can meet Dr. Oren, Pinni Baumol or one of talented professionals, and see for yourselves!
This work is saving lives—but demand is increasing far faster than current resources. Your support is what makes expanded care possible.
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See how your support helps
The September 2025 update from the Resilience Centre highlights major growth in its ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, now serving 13 active patients with 23 having completed care, supported by a steadily expanding clinical team. Rising demand has created a waiting list, leading to phased marketing, onboarding four new therapists to double capacity, and launching group programs.
The Centre is also solidifying its role as a national training hub with new internship tracks, and collaborations in art therapy, neurofeedback, and research.
Opportunities for support
Israelis living with trauma—giving them access to treatment that works when standard approaches do not.
Donations of $3,000 can provide a single participant with a full retreat experience in a serene, therapeutic setting, while gifts of $45,000 can fund an entire retreat for 15 participants, offering professionally guided group healing.
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