What Is Post-Trauma?
All of us encounter trauma and crisis over the course of our lives — whether through events we witnessed or ones we lived through ourselves. Under severe stress, these experiences can remain like a wound that never fully heals, affecting daily functioning across every area of life. Post-trauma shows up differently in each person, which is why care must be just as varied — tailored to the specific injury.
When the brain interprets an experience or situation as life-threatening, a survival mechanism kicks in instantly to respond — and the experience is left unprocessed.
For most people, life goes on as before. But for roughly 20% of the population, there is a heightened chance of developing a post-traumatic injury, in which the brain can be triggered by cues such as a sound, a sight, or a smell that recall the original danger — setting off that same survival response even in situations where no real threat exists.
Someone might be shopping at the grocery store, for example, when something falls behind them, triggers that response, and pulls them into survival mode. In many cases, people coping with military-related post-trauma will begin avoiding crowded places out of fear of an episode like this — which leads to social withdrawal and a profound sense of isolation.
Research & Articles
Understanding the mechanisms of post-trauma is the first step — but to offer the most effective support, we're committed to grounding our work in the frontier of current science and research. At our organization, our therapeutic model doesn't rest on field experience alone; it's continually examined and refined in light of established, evidence-based findings. The studies presented here were chosen with care to reflect the practical tools we actually use. We believe that making scientific knowledge accessible is empowering — it creates full transparency and allows a deeper understanding of the rationale behind every stage of our therapeutic and rehabilitative process.
Galatzer-Levy, I. R., & Bryant, R. A. (2013). "636,120 ways to have posttraumatic stress disorder". Perspectives on Psychological Science, 8(6), 651–662. doi.org
The need for personal, tailored care — This article examines the sheer number of ways post-trauma can present, and the difficulty of designing a single dedicated treatment for this population — pointing instead to the need for multiple, varied therapeutic responses. In doing so, the authors highlight the importance of community as a therapeutic element, and emphasize tailoring a dedicated "treatment suit" to each individual — exactly as we do at the organization.
Neimeyer, R. A., Burke, L. A., Mackay, M. M., & van Dyke Stringer, J. G. (2009).
"Grief Therapy and the Reconstruction of Meaning: From Principles to Practice".
Springer Science+Business Media.
Creating meaning — Part of our work is about building new meaning. People living with post-trauma often feel they've lost everything, and that their sense of values has been deeply shaken. This article explores ways of creating that meaning while a person moves through stages of grief and loss. The ability to build meaning for that individual takes on an even broader significance in the context of a community.
Zabriskie, R. B., Lundberg, N. R., & Groff, D. G. (2005). Quality of life and identity: The benefits of a community-based therapeutic recreation and adaptive sports program. Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 39(3), 176–191.
This study shows how taking part in therapeutic recreation programs, adaptive sports, and community group activities dramatically improves quality of life and helps rebuild a positive, renewed sense of identity after a crisis. The researchers demonstrate that moving out of isolation at home and into an active social space benefits both mental and physical resilience.
For us at the organization, this research validates the community and social dimension of our therapeutic model. We understand that recovery from post-trauma doesn't happen in the therapy room alone — it's rebuilt through the body, through movement, and through human connection in the shared spaces we create. The social activities, groups, and sports at the organization are an inseparable part of the rehabilitation program, all aimed at restoring each person's sense of capability, belonging, and the quality of life they deserve.
(הפרק "צמיחה ממשבר: האם זה אפשרי?" מתוך הספר "אחרי כל המדבר הזה: על טראומה, תנועה וצמיחה ממשבר", יוסי לוי בלז ויעל שובל צוקרמן, הוצאת הקיבוץ המאוחד, 2026)
One of the central questions that follows people coping with post-trauma — and their families — is whether it's possible not only to survive a crisis, but to grow from it. In this chapter, the researchers introduce the concept of "post-traumatic growth" and map out the conditions and inner movement that allow a person to discover new strengths out of profound brokenness.
Our therapeutic model isn't focused only on reducing symptoms and stabilizing a person's condition — it aims to accompany each individual through a deeper process of rediscovering meaning, repairing relationships, and finding inner resilience. This chapter provides the scientific and clinical foundation that explains why and how this movement is possible, and it faithfully reflects the belief that guides us: that at the far edge of the therapeutic desert, a real possibility for growth is waiting.
Hazan-Liran, B., Labes, M., & Levkovich, I. (2026). "Beyond the professional mask: Exploring therapists’ experiences of shared presence in a therapeutic community". Social Work with Groups.
Beyond the therapist's mask — This article, written about the working model at our organization, shows that therapists who work within a community feel safer, more supported, and better equipped to provide care. It demonstrates that the encounter within the community, and therapists' ability to be truly present with people, helps them strengthen their connections with those they work with. This article proves that the organization's therapeutic approach benefits not only the people we serve, but us — the therapists — as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
"Combat shock" — or, in professional terms, military-related post-trauma. One way to understand the Hebrew term (helem krav, literally "combat shock") is this: the battle keeps striking you even after the war is over.
Military-related post-trauma isn't fundamentally different from other conditions that cause severe stress — but those living with it also carry guilt and shame over the fact that they're struggling to function. As a result, a person living with military-related post-trauma (or "combat shock," as it's commonly known) often finds it hard to reach out for care and to admit that something is wrong. It's fair to assume that a large share of those living with post-trauma will never come in for treatment at all.
Proven research shows that psychotherapy helps ease symptoms and makes daily life more manageable. Newer studies point to the importance of community in treating post-trauma: involving family and community helps guard against the isolation, sadness, and feelings of guilt that so often accompany it. People with post-trauma may not "recover" in the traditional sense — but they absolutely can learn to live full, happy lives alongside it.
You can read more about military-related post-trauma here.
At the heart of the organization's philosophy is the belief that treatment doesn't stand on its own — that alongside it, there's a supportive, rehabilitative community that walks with each person and helps them face the difficulties and challenges of their life. The community is there for the individual in the hardest moments, and this direct, unmediated closeness makes possible a kind of dialogue that professionals alone cannot create.
Or, in the words of the poet Amir Gilboa: "Suddenly a person wakes up in the morning, feels he is a nation, and begins to walk."
This principle holds that policy should be shaped through the direct participation of the very people it affects. The slogan refers primarily to setting policy for marginalized groups — on issues such as poverty, minorities, people with disabilities, women, and more — who are too often denied political, social, and economic opportunity.
Since the early 2000s, this approach has also been applied in the fields of medicine and mental health. As part of their rehabilitation, our members take an active role in building, maintaining, and sustaining the community itself, and help raise awareness of post-trauma in schools and organizations. The people we serve take part in every decision and are true partners in the organization's growth.
