Telehealth Available
Gabi Wachs
Credentials
Type of Therapist:
Clinical Social Worker
Primary Degree(s):
LMSW
Finances
Average Cost Per Session:
350-500 NIS
Insurance:
None
Discounts Available:
Sliding Scale

Licensed Abroad

Licensed in Israel

Office
  • Kaf Tet BNovember
  • Jerusalem
Telehealth Available

Gabi Wachs Verified Verified

Credentials
Type of Therapist:

Clinical Social Worker

Primary Degree(s):

LMSW

Finances
Average Cost Per Session:

350-500 NIS

Insurance:

None

Discounts Available:

Sliding Scale

Licensed Abroad

Licensed in Israel

Office
  • Kaf Tet BNovember
  • Jerusalem

ABOUT

Gabi (she/her/hers) uses an approach to therapy based on compassion, empathy, and integration. She combines classic psychodynamic techniques with approaches from Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Internal Family Systems, and Polyvagal Theory.

Gabi's methodology is informed by social work's tenet that we are constantly being both acted upon by our environment and acting upon our environment. Gabi believes in the wisdom of the body, how our bodies hold trauma, and how to listen when our bodies communicate. She helps clients get to know their emotional landscapes better, and how to choose effective behaviors in response to those emotions. Last, Gabi assists clients in uncovering their own needs and desires, and advocating for themselves from a place of groundedness and self-knowledge.

Gabi’s clinical work includes helping to launch an Intensive Outpatient Program for individuals struggling with interpersonal effectiveness and emotion regulation; working with political activists exposed to state violence; and counseling gap-year students as they set out on their own. She also has experience with trauma-informed approaches to depression and anxiety, and has facilitated group therapy for survivors of sexual assault and rape. Gabi is currently being trained as an Internal Family Systems Level 1 practitioner, has co-facilitated Dialectical Behavioral Therapy groups, and has attended trainings on trauma-centered trauma-sensitive yoga and nonviolent communication (NVC). She is an alumna of the Dorot Fellowship in Israel and currently lives in Jerusalem with her husband and daughter.

QUALIFICATIONS

Degree
Education
Year of Graduation

LMSW

Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research

2018


Degree
LMSW

Education
Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research

Year of Graduation
2018
Years in Practice

6

LICENSED ABROAD
License Category
License Number / State
Clinical Social Worker
SW136257, PA

License Category
Clinical Social Worker
License Number
SW136257, PA
LICENSED IN ISRAEL
Registered Social Worker in Israel

41295

Learn more about GHI's verification of therapists here.

ADDITIONAL CREDENTIALS

20-hour training in Trauma-Centered Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) - 2019

Certified IFS Level 1 Therapist - Internal Family Systems Israel - 2024

DISTANCE COUNSELING

Online Therapy

PRIMARY SPECIALTIES

Depression

Divorce / Custody

Family Issues

Sexual Abuse / Rape

Activism

ADDITIONAL SPECIALTIES

Abuse

Anxiety / Panic

Gender Identity Concerns

Holistic

Mood Disorders

Self-Esteem

Self-Harm / Suicide

Sexual Issues

Spiritual Concerns

Trauma / Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD

CLIENT FOCUS

Population

Adults
LGBTQ

Languages

Hebrew
English

TREATMENT APPROACH

Attachment-Based Family Therapy (ABFT)Attachment-based family therapy (ABFT) is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on the family's relationships and communication patterns. It is based on the theory that strong and secure attachments between family members are essential for emotional health and well-being. The goal of ABFT is to identify any problems in family relationships, enable family members to become more attuned to each other’s needs, and build a secure bond between them. It also helps family members to practice healthy communication skills, learn effective problem-solving strategies, and build trust within the family.

Body PsychotherapyBody psychotherapy is an integrative psychotherapy approach that combines psychodynamic, humanistic, and somatic approaches with the goal of treating psychological and physical distress. It emphasizes the connection between body and mind, and works to increase awareness of physical sensations and emotions. Body psychotherapy practitioners may use a variety of techniques, including mindfulness, body postures, breath work, relaxation, and sensory awareness, to help clients become more aware of their bodies and to learn how to use this awareness to improve their overall wellbeing.

Body-Mind PsychotherapyBody-mind psychotherapy is an integrative approach to psychological treatment that draws from both psychotherapeutic and somatic/body-based approaches. It emphasizes the interconnection between physical, emotional, cognitive and spiritual aspects of being. This approach seeks to help individuals explore how physical sensations, emotions, thoughts and beliefs influence their behavior and well-being. Through this exploration, individuals can gain insight into how the body and mind interact to create patterns of behavior, and how those patterns can be changed to promote healing and wellness.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapy that focuses on how one's thoughts, feelings and behaviors are connected and can be changed. It is based on the idea that how we think (cognition) and how we feel (emotion) can influence how we behave. CBT helps people identify and challenge distorted thinking and replace it with more balanced thinking, leading to improved mood and behavior. ‘Homework’, usually containing practical writing exercises, is often completed by the client between sessions to reinforce the therapy. Examples of tools that practitioners often use are journaling, challenging beliefs, and mindfulness.

Internal Family Systems (IFS)Internal Family Systems (IFS) is an evidence-based psychotherapy that uses the metaphor of an internal family of parts to help people gain awareness of how different parts of themselves can interact in healthy and unhealthy ways. IFS encourages people to become curious about their different parts, with the goal of helping them gain access to their true Self or core. Through this process, people can learn to recognize and care for the different parts of themselves, as well as develop compassionate understanding for the origins of their parts. A key principle of IFS is that each part within the person has its own positive intention and is trying to protect the person in some way. By understanding the positive intention of each part, the practitioner and client can work together to help the parts feel heard and understood, and to find more adaptive ways of meeting their needs. IFS has been found to be an effective treatment for a variety of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, trauma, and relationship issues.

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is a form of therapy that combines cognitive behavioral therapy with mindfulness practices. It is based on the idea that our thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations can affect our mental health. MBCT helps individuals become aware of their thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations in order to gain insight and control over them. MBCT helps clients learn how to recognize their sense of being and see themselves as separate from their thoughts and moods. This separation can free the client from thought patterns in which the repeated negative messages may be dominating the client’s focus. After developing an awareness of the separation between thoughts, emotions, and the self, people in treatment may find that while the self and the emotions may exist simultaneously, they do not have to exist within the same dimension. The healing can take place when one learns how to interject positive thoughts into negative moods and thereby create a shift in mood.

Psychodynamic TherapyPsychodynamic therapy is a form of therapy that focuses on the unconscious mind and how it affects behavior. It works to help people understand and work through past experiences and feelings that may be causing difficulties in the present. This type of therapy encourages individuals to explore their emotions, relationships, and behaviors in order to gain insight into their current difficulties. It can help individuals better understand themselves and their motivations, and gain insight into how past events have impacted their current lives. People tend to develop defense mechanisms when faced with challenges in life. Defense mechanisms may keep painful feelings, memories, and experiences in the unconscious. A few common defense mechanisms include: denial, repression, and rationalization. Psychodynamic therapists encourage people to speak freely about their emotions, desires, and fears. Being open may help uncover vulnerable feelings that have been pushed out of conscious awareness. According to psychodynamic theory, behavior is influenced by unconscious thought. Once painful feelings are brought forth and processed, the defense mechanisms are no longer needed and a person in treatment can start changing unhelpful patterns when coping with life’s challenges.

Relational PsychotherapyRelational psychotherapy is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on a person’s relationships with others and the dynamics between them. It emphasizes the importance of the therapeutic relationship between the client and the therapist, and it explores the meaning and purpose of relationships in the client’s life. Relational psychotherapy seeks to understand how the client’s past relationships shape their current experiences and how the client interacts with others. The goal is to help the person develop healthier relationships and better communication skills so they can become more emotionally connected to others.

Nonviolent Communication (NVC)

SERVICES OFFERED

Individual Therapy
Consultation
Workshops/Educating