Good Enough Care of Israeli Therapists Following the October 7 Attack.
Saved in:
| Title: | Good Enough Care of Israeli Therapists Following the October 7 Attack. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Erel-Brodsky, Hilit (AUTHOR), ben Kimhy, Reut (AUTHOR), Taubman – Ben-Ari, Orit (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Journal of Loss & Trauma. 2026, Vol. 31 Issue 5, p810-832. 23p. |
| Subjects: | Health self-care, Work, Life, Psychiatric treatment, Qualitative research, Control (Psychology), Psychotherapist attitudes, Terrorism, War crimes, Family relations, Reflection (Philosophy), Emotions, Descriptive statistics, Thematic analysis, Patient-professional relations, Guilt (Psychology), Experiential learning, Secondary traumatic stress |
| Geographic Terms: | Israel |
| Abstract: | Objective. The aim of this study is to reflect the particular experience of therapists striving to assist and establish meaning for their patients, as well as for themselves and their own families, in the wake of the horror and atrocities of Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and during the ensuing war. Method. This qualitative study analyzes the responses of 201 Israeli therapists three weeks following the massacre. The therapists were asked to share their experiences in light of their recent interventions. Results. The findings reveal six core categories that emerged from the questionnaires:(1) Powerlessness and guilt versus competence and a sense of mission; (2) Compassion fatigue versus compassion satisfaction; (3) Loss of meaning and shattered core beliefs versus a search for meaning and resilience; (4) The "falling wall" and emotional contagion versus feelings of unity and community; (5) Emotional flooding versus self-compassion and self-care; and (6) Horror of the evil that accompanied the massacre versus the search for the good and kindness. We found these categories to parallel three theoretical concepts relating to caregivers and caring in general: compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction, and self-compassion. Conclusions. The results are interpreted leaning on the inclusive theoretical concepts "Good enough caring" and a "Good enough self-care." The findings and conceptualization can contribute to the theoretical knowledge associated with shared trauma and to a new perspective on interventions and supervision aimed at helping therapists to cope with shared trauma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Journal of Loss & Trauma is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
|
Full text is not displayed to guests.
Login for full access.
|
|
| Abstract: | Objective. The aim of this study is to reflect the particular experience of therapists striving to assist and establish meaning for their patients, as well as for themselves and their own families, in the wake of the horror and atrocities of Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and during the ensuing war. Method. This qualitative study analyzes the responses of 201 Israeli therapists three weeks following the massacre. The therapists were asked to share their experiences in light of their recent interventions. Results. The findings reveal six core categories that emerged from the questionnaires:(1) Powerlessness and guilt versus competence and a sense of mission; (2) Compassion fatigue versus compassion satisfaction; (3) Loss of meaning and shattered core beliefs versus a search for meaning and resilience; (4) The "falling wall" and emotional contagion versus feelings of unity and community; (5) Emotional flooding versus self-compassion and self-care; and (6) Horror of the evil that accompanied the massacre versus the search for the good and kindness. We found these categories to parallel three theoretical concepts relating to caregivers and caring in general: compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction, and self-compassion. Conclusions. The results are interpreted leaning on the inclusive theoretical concepts "Good enough caring" and a "Good enough self-care." The findings and conceptualization can contribute to the theoretical knowledge associated with shared trauma and to a new perspective on interventions and supervision aimed at helping therapists to cope with shared trauma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 15325024 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/15325024.2024.2424917 |
