Relational Trauma and Disordered Eating Specialist
Hadassah (Johanna) Hazan
Verified
Clinical Social Worker
Relational Trauma and Disordered Eating Specialist
MSW
400 NIS
N/A
N/A
I help my clients navigate relationship and attachment challenges, eating disorders, body image concerns, and identity shifts—with an integrative approach grounded in clinical social work, coaching, and when relevant, nutritional support.
I love and utilise both Narrative Therapy and IFS, as well as tools from Somatic experiencing, CBT and DBT, however I believe the most powerful interventions come from authentic human connection and approach treatment to each of my clients individually.
I regularly integrate creative appraches including drawing, collaging, role play, journalling, and other 'non verbal' ways to connect to emotions and expertiences. I always include these with permission, and if someone is not comfortable trying them, I do not push, however I suggest these methods when I think they could help an individual to go yet deeper into something.
My background in Life Coaching (prior to becoming a licensed clinical social worker) colours my approach, which is very interactive and takes the form of a dynamic conversation a lot of the time. I appreciate that for many people, having a therapist who only listens can feel challenging, as can too many questions. I aim to strike the balance between holding space for my clients' processes, whilst also facilitating and guiding the session and helping them to access and explore different parts of themselves, ideas, memories and emotions.
Sometimes I give homework, it might be just to think about things between sessions, it may be to journal or to try out a newly identified preferrable behavior or responce.
It is important for me that my clients feel included in their process of therapy, and I am happy to explain how and why we are doing certain things, so that the therapy doesn't feel mysterious and confusing.
Sessions can be profoundly moving, increadibly sad, lead to deep contemplation, and also be inspiring, uplifting, empowering and even fun!
I specialise in working with attachment and relational issues, disrupted attachment in childhood, sexual trauma (both from a long time ago and more recent), and the plethora of reasons people can struggle with self-love, self-acceptance and connecting to others.
I have worked for nearly a decade in the field of eating disorders and body image difficulties and consider this area a specialism of mine. I take a very trauma-informed and emotionally aware approach to treating food and body struggles; meaning that I don't treat them as the issues in and unto themselves, I see them as the symptoms of broader, deeper things going on within an individual and work to help people heal those fundamental wounds, alongside addressing the problematic behaviors and thoughts that they want to overcome.
I also with people struggling with aspects of their identity such as sexuality, religious or spiritual shifts and major life transitions. I am open-minded, tolerant and non-judgemental and intend to create a safe environment for my clients to discuss an array of issues that can feel intimate, intimidating, embarressing or shameful to bring up.
I put together this resource for parents of adolescents with binge eating disorder, it can be viewed here.
My role as a therapost can shift and change over time. Initially I may feel like 'yet another professional I need to tell my story to..' or 'a total stranger who I really hope can help me...'
Then perhaps I start to become a trusted witness, a confident, a helper in the journey of life.
Maybe for some I am their 'safe person', 'someone who gets me', a holder of their process...
Whatever I am to those who I work with, I feel I am a facilitator to their work. I guide and I hold, but they are the ones who truly lead. I keep the path safe and I help clear the way as they endavor to keep going through whatever comes up for them on their joueney of self discovery and healing.
I have previously worked as a therapist at Milam, working with family systems affected by serious mental illness; and as Assistant Director of Mental Health at Jewessence, a residential program for young women from Ultra Orthodox Jewish homes who are overcoming emotional and mental health challenges. I am a founding board member of the AZ House - residential recovery facility in Jerusalem. I’m open minded, approachable and creative in my practice and I enjoy working with diverse populations, though I mainly work with women. I have worked with clients ranging in age from 15 to 71, from a variety of backgrounds.
MSW
Wurzweiler School of Social Work
2023
13
46700
Certificate Introduction to Coaching Skills Making Change Work, ILM - 2011
Jerusalem Narrative Therapy Institute - 2016
Diploma Nutrition and Lifestyle Coaching/ Nutritional Counselling (Institute of Health Sciences) - 2017
Online Therapy
Eating Disorders
Self-Esteem
Sexual Abuse / Rape
Trauma / Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD
Relationship difficulties
Abuse
Addictions
Adjustments
Borderline Personality Disorder
Codependency
Drug Abuse
Infertility
LGBTQ
Sexual Issues
Spiritual Concerns
Stress Management
Adolescents
Adults
LGBTQ
Women
English
Art TherapyArt therapy has clients express themselves through creative mediums such as drawing, painting, collage, coloring, or sculpting. Clients can interpret their subconscious world that is expressed in their art which could lead to a better understanding of their feelings and behavior. Artistic talent is not a prerequisite for art therapy as it’s not as much about the end result as much as it is about the process. The therapist looks for meaning in the creative choices of the work and the clients’ inner world. This therapeutic method enables clients to express their inner thoughts and feelings through creative expression rather than just talking about them.
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.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy developed by Marsha Linehan to help people learn to better manage and cope with emotions and stress. It focuses on developing skills and strategies to help regulate emotions, improve relationships and communication, and reduce self-destructive behaviors. Through DBT, people learn to identify and modify unhealthy thoughts and behaviors, while also learning to accept and validate their own feelings. DBT teaches skills to help individuals become aware of and accept and regulate their emotions, tolerate distress, and improve interpersonal relationships.
Family Systems TherapyFamily Systems Therapy is an approach to psychotherapy that emphasizes the importance of understanding how the family functions as a whole, and how individual family members interact and affect one another. It focuses on how family dynamics, such as communication patterns, roles, and power dynamics, shape behavior, and how changing these dynamics can lead to positive change. Family Systems Therapy is a collaborative approach, where the therapist works with the family as a whole to identify and address areas of conflict and distress.
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.
Narrative TherapyNarrative therapy is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on the stories, or narratives, of a person's life in order to help them gain insights into their situation and develop skills to make positive changes. It is based on the idea that people construct their own stories and meanings to make sense of their lives and experiences. It emphasizes the strengths, values, and skills of the person, while also exploring the influences of culture and context on their life. Narrative therapy seeks to empower individuals by helping them to identify and use their inner resources to overcome challenges and create positive change.
Person-Centered Therapy (Rogerian Therapy)Person-centered therapy, or Rogerian therapy, was developed by Carl Rogers in the 1940’s. It is a form of talk therapy that emphasizes the importance of providing psychological safety, unconditional positive regard, and empathic understanding to clients. This type of therapy is based on the belief that individuals have an innate capacity for self-actualization and self-understanding and that the therapist's role is to provide a supportive environment in which this process can take place. Through the use of active listening, open-ended questions, and non-judgmental reflection, the therapist helps the client to explore their thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a safe and accepting environment. By doing so, clients are able to gain insight into their issues, develop a greater understanding of themselves, and work towards personal growth.
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.
Somatic Experiencing (SE)Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a body-oriented approach to the healing of trauma and other physical and psychological stresses. It is based on the idea that the body is a powerful source of healing and that unresolved trauma can be resolved through the process of bringing awareness and attention to the physical sensations of the body. By gradually and gently guiding individuals through the sensations associated with their traumatic experience, SE can help to restore balance and well-being more quickly and effectively than traditional psychotherapy. SE utilizes the body’s natural ability to regulate and heal itself and supports individuals in developing more resilience and self-regulation. Somatic Experiencing aims to help people move past the place where they might be “stuck” in processing a traumatic event. SE is often used to treat symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues.
Nutritional Counselling, Health/Lifetyle Coaching, Meal Planning
Individual Therapy
Coaching
Group Therapy
Workshops/Educating