Israel Association for Infant Mental Health

Background

• Child developmental clinical psychologist and former Israeli president of the World Association for Infant Mental Health.
• Professor at Ben-Gurion University; spent 21 years at Soroka Medical Center specializing in infant and preschool mental health.
• Currently works with displaced families and runs a private clinic.

Context: Impact of Crisis on Children and Families

• Since October 7, widespread trauma has resulted from war, displacement, and ongoing threats (e.g., missile alarms, bombings).
• Families—especially near conflict zones—have been evacuated, many living in hotels under stressful, uncertain conditions.
• All Israeli children, not just those near borders, are now exposed to trauma.

Key Challenges for Parents and Children

• Parents report helplessness, loss of control, and diminished self-esteem.
• Children are strongly affected by their parents’ emotional states, with increased emotional distress and behavioral issues.
• Attachment security is undermined as children witness parental fear and helplessness, amplifying their own insecurity.

Intervention Strategies and Programs

1. Parental Support and Reflective Functioning

• Emphasis on helping parents regain their role and sense of competence.
• Interventions support parents in reflecting on their own and their children’s emotional experiences.
• Research indicates that parental reflective functioning buffers the negative effects of anxiety and depression on children.

2. Helpline for Parents

• A post-October 7 helpline staffed by over 100 volunteer professionals was launched for parents of young children.
• It offered reassurance about normative child responses to stress and flagged cases needing further support.

3. Trauma Processing Through Play

• Play therapy helps children process trauma and regain a sense of control.
• Examples include children reenacting alarms during play and symbolic stories, such as a child protecting toy eggs repeatedly.

4. Group Interventions and Narrative Building

• Eight-week group sessions for parents fostered a sense of competence, shared experience, and support networks.
• Narrative work helped families articulate emotional experiences, bodily sensations, and hopes—supporting meaning-making and resilience.

5. Special Focus Areas

• Addressing reintegration challenges for fathers returning from reserve duty.
• Developing prevention and intervention programs for babies and toddlers, emphasizing that even the youngest children need support and communication about their experiences.

Observed Psychological Effects and Trends

• Marked increase in both externalizing behaviors (aggression, rivalry) and internalizing behaviors (withdrawal) among children.
• Children’s well-being closely mirrors parental distress.
• Early intervention is essential to prevent escalation of mental health issues.

Addressing Myths and Cultural Context

• Myth: “Israeli children are spoiled to protect them before military service.”
  Naama emphasizes that while Israeli parents are loving, setting boundaries is seen as essential and protective—especially during crisis.
• Encouragement of flexible yet firm boundaries even in traumatic times.

Community and International Support

• International and Jewish community support has offered emotional reinforcement and a sense of global solidarity.
• Shared experiences with rising antisemitism abroad have opened channels for mutual learning and support.

Future Directions

• Expand programming for families of reservists and for very young children.
• Establish a new clinic at Ben-Gurion University to support both direct interventions and ongoing research.
• Continue adapting trauma interventions for Israel’s diverse populations.

Closing Reflections

• Supporting children requires engaging entire family and community systems—complex but essential work.
• Strengthening parental identity and competence is central to improving family outcomes.
• Community-based early interventions are key to preventing long-term psychological harm.

This summary captures key themes, strategies, and insights shared by Naama, emphasizing both immediate and systemic approaches to supporting children and families impacted by trauma and conflict.

Bio

Naama Atzaba-Poriya is a developmental psychologist, a faculty member in the developmental psychology program at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, a therapist in the early childhood psychiatric unit at Soroka Medical Center, and former chair of the Association for Infant Mental Health.

She believes that the early years of life are critical to children’s healthy development and that early intervention during this period can create meaningful changes that improve the quality of life for both children and their families. A central theme in her research and therapeutic work is the relationship between parents and children—particularly the parent’s reflective capacity. According to Atzaba-Poriya, this capacity is the foundation upon which a child’s sense of self is built: the ability to understand oneself and to respond adaptively to a changing environment.

She founded the Duet Center to promote the vision of an academic space connected to the community, focused on supporting children’s mental health through strengthening the capacities of the adults who care for them. While on sabbatical, she encountered retired Judge Leon Kaplan through the Center for Community Reflectivity in Los Angeles, where she was introduced to the Reflective Parenting Program—an intervention that cultivates reflective capacity and deepens the connection between parents and children.

Upon her return to Israel, Atzaba-Poriya initiated and developed the Duet program. Its goal is to help parents and educators find their shared rhythm with children, better understand themselves and their children in everyday situations, and choose responses that are attuned and appropriate. The program, adapted from the American model, has been tailored to suit the cultural and social diversity of Israeli families.

Atzaba-Poriya emphasizes the vital connection between research, teaching, and clinical work and actively works to integrate these domains. She envisions the growing reach of the Duet program as a means to foster reflective thinking and communication among parents and educators—encouraging a culture of connected, reflective parenting and, ultimately, raising a generation of children who better understand themselves and those around them.