Dafna provides psychotherapy and case management services aimed at resolving personal, social and familial consequences of severe and persistent mental illness, and other challenging life situations. Focus is on collaborative work with clients and their families toward recovery, meaningful life in the community, personal empowerment and social re-integration. Dafna also facilitates parent communication classes. Prior to JFS, Dafna worked towards community re-integration of inpatient clients through individual and group counseling, counseled individuals through a suicide prevention hotline, did individual and group work with children in residential programs, worked with elderly Holocaust survivors both individually and in group settings, and provided psycho-social and advocacy services to multiple-problem young families through local welfare agencies in Jerusalem, Israel.

Specialties:

• Journeys Together – Dafna facilitates psycho-social rehabilitation and recovery groups aimed at empowering persons living with severe and persistent mental illness to take ownership of their recovery process and lead a meaningful life in the community. The groups are also aimed at ameliorating the negative impact of stigma and social marginalization on a person’s self-image and promoting social re-integration.
• Supported Journeys - Facilitation of support groups for families and friends of persons whose lives are challenged by severe and persistent mental illness. The groups provide resources and psycho-social education regarding the role of families and friends in the recovery process and in maintaining optimal level of functioning. The groups also provide valuable opportunities to share stories and experiences, to receive and provide one another with support, understanding, encouragement and hope.

Areas of Interest:

• Psycho-social rehabilitation
• Social skills training and life skills coaching
• Symptom management
• Dual diagnosis/ co-morbidity of mental illness and substance abuse
• Post Traumatic Stress and other conditions caused by inter-personal trauma

Education:

M.S.W.

Washington University – St. Louis, MO

B.S.W.

Hebrew University – Jerusalem, Israel

Suicide prevention training through Life Crisis Services – St. Louis, MO

Solution-Focused Therapy training through Life Crisis Services – St. Louis, MO

Narrative Therapy training with Yishai Shalif, co-director of Qesem Center for Narrative Therapy – Jerusalem, Israel

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy training with Don Sloane, Director of Center for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – St. Louis, MO

Certified group leader for Rosh Hodesh: It’s a Girl Thing! a values based, experiential and transdenominational Jewish program for pre-teen and teenage girls that strengthens self-esteem and Jewish identity.