Last week, the state comptroller’s report on the mental health system was published, revealing a grim reality – Israel was not prepared to handle the scale of trauma caused by the October 7 attack and its consequences.
The long waiting lists, the collapse of public services, and the fact that people in distress are left without help for months are nothing new to those working in the field. We see it firsthand every day.
Yet, amid this difficult reality, the report also highlights an encouraging point – the extraordinary civic mobilization to provide emotional and mental health support. Many grassroots initiatives emerged in the very first hours following the attack, realizing that in the current state of emergency, waiting for the state could not be afforded.
During those early days after October 7, people arrived at the budding healing spaces shattered – some completely silent, others repeatedly recounting their experiences, and some simply sitting in silence, unable to do anything.
Evacuees from the Gaza border region, Supernova festival survivors, and bereaved families – all were searching for a moment of peace, a grounding force to restore a sense of stability.
The spaces we and other initiatives created were not traditional psychological clinics, yet they provided people with a way to reconnect with themselves, both as individuals and as part of a community of shared experience.
Alongside psychotherapy treatments, we offered mind-body therapies – sound healing, aromatherapy, massages and therapeutic yoga, creative workshops, movement, meditation, and more – all in a tranquil, natural green setting, away from the noise of daily life.
For those struggling to sit and talk, these were gentle entryways into healing. Often, the initial trauma release occurs through the body – moments of relaxation during a therapeutic massage, the sensation of sound waves enveloping and calming the nervous system, or the ability to express emotions through creative workshops.
Over time, we realized that these civic initiatives were not just providing emergency response; they were reshaping the way people approached mental health treatment. Many people are reluctant to seek “psychological therapy,” but they find it easier to start the process in spaces that feel safer.
They come to the healing space, experiment with different approaches, feel a change, and only then, sometimes, become ready to talk. This is not a new approach globally, but in Israel, it has often been met with skepticism – yet in practice, it simply works.
The good news is that the government is starting to recognize this. The model that emerged in Israel following the events of October 7 allows the state to quickly integrate into an existing, non-traditional support system – one that might never have been considered an option if not for the healing spaces that were established.
These spaces have opened another avenue for state-supported collective healing, making it easier and more immediate. We are beginning to see government recognition in the form of increased funding for informal support spaces, and even government institutions themselves are now sending public sector employees to us for resilience and decompression days.
For example, the Welfare Ministry is referring social workers and psychologists from resilience centers to us – professionals who work with returned hostages, their families, and war victims – recognizing that these caregivers also need care.
When they arrive, many are in a state of deep “compassion fatigue” – after months of helping others, they are completely depleted, and their ability to summon the compassion and motivation needed to continue their work diminished. Time and again, they tell us: “We are not used to someone taking care of us.” In order for them to continue providing the best care, they, too, need moments of renewal and to be cared for.
Even security forces personnel are coming to us. Many of them have never undergone therapy or emotional processing – some even believed it “wasn’t for them.” But when they lie on a massage mat or experience a breathwork session that releases a blockage that had been there for years – something inside them suddenly opens up.
They tell us they never imagined therapy could feel this way, that they’ve discovered a way to connect with themselves like never before.
We hear this from all directions – patients, therapists, and professionals across the country. Alternative healing spaces are not a “luxury” or an add-on – they are essential. They are an integral part of the trauma care system because they offer support that traditional clinics sometimes cannot provide.
They are more accessible and have a greater capacity to accept patients. Many trauma survivors need a gentler entry point –one that does not intimidate them or require them to immediately label themselves as “in need of therapy,” but simply allows them to be.
Our message is clear: These spaces must be integrated into routine care. They must not be seen as temporary emergency solutions – they should be part of the public health system, included in the services the government provides.
Mental health is not a luxury; it is not something we should address only when people break down. It is a vital component of societal resilience and well-being and must therefore be accessible, available, and tailored to each individual’s needs.
The state comptroller’s report highlights failures – but it also shows that change is beginning. The first steps are already here – government tenders, official recognition of the importance of these initiatives, and funding that is starting to flow. Now, it remains to be seen whether we will take what we’ve learned and turn it into a new reality.
The writer is CEO of Healing Space Rishpon.