About NATAL

NATAL’s Work post October 7th

Thousands of Israeli civilians have been exposed to terror or security-related events and thousands of soldiers have experienced difficult combat events. Many of them still carry scars, painful memories and  invisible wounds which also affect those close to the person suffering from trauma.

From the start of the war following October 7th, Operation “Iron Swords,” our nation has been in a state of collective grief, mourning the lives lost and the impact of terror on our communities NATAL has continued to be at the forefront of Israel’s treatment of individuals and communities with trauma from terror and war.

In the first hours of October 7th, NATAL’s Helpline fielded calls from citizens hiding in their safe rooms and in 2023 received 50,000 calls since the beginning of the war, nearly twice the number of total calls in 2022. The number of calls continues to grow, and NATAL has tripled the number of Helpline volunteers.

In the beginning of the war, NATAL sent mental health professionals to hotels that are housing displaced populations to provide mental health first aid interventions. As Israeli society transitioned from the initial emergency phase to an “emergency routine,” NATAL’s Clinical Unit received hundreds of new patients, six times the pre-war number and hundreds of therapists were recruited.

In the second phase of our emergency response, our Career Development’s mentorship and career coaching programs continue to see high demand among reserve soldiers returning home in need of support during their transition back to civilian life.

From the early hours of October 7th, NATAL has been tirelessly operating around the clock in emergency mode. Since then, we have significantly expanded our intervention and treatment infrastructures and continue to adapt to the evolving needs of this unprecedented reality. Treating trauma of this scale is a national endeavor, and NATAL is dedicated to rebuilding the resilience and emotional well-being of Israelis. We would like to thank our supporters, partners and friends for helping NATAL continue this critical work.

ABOUT THE NATAL TREE

In 1995, prominent psychologist and researcher Dr. Rich Tedeschi coined the term “post traumatic growth” (PTG) after studying how people change in positive ways as a result of the struggle with trauma and adversity.

The concept of post-traumatic growth is a central tenet of NATAL’s philosophy, specifically as it relates to building resilience post trauma, which NATAL believes is just as important as treating traumatic and post traumatic symptoms. The Acacia Tree is a desert tree that is known for its resilience and ability to grow in tough climates, experiencing droughts and fire, yet it always has the ability to grow. Just like the NATAL tree, we too can grow and come back to life after experiencing trauma.

The concept of post-traumatic growth is a central tenet of NATAL’s philosophy, specifically as it relates to building resilience post trauma, which NATAL believes is just as important as treating traumatic and post traumatic symptoms.