This bold initiative designed to challenge the prejudices that exist on both sides, is led by,

• Prof Esti Galili-Weisstub, Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Hadassah Hospital, a world-renowned expert in the treatment of conflict related trauma.
• Dr. Shafiq Masalha, Arab Israeli clinical psychotherapist. He is President of ERICE (Empowerment and Resilience In Children Everywhere) and senior academic lecturer at Tel Aviv and The Hebrew Universities.

We are building on a highly successful, two-year binational pilot training program for Palestinian and Israeli child psychologists in 2016. This was funded by Project Rozana and World Vision Australia, supported by Hadassah Hospital.

In 2019 the European Commission made a grant of €741,286 (US$850,000) to ensure the continuation of the program. Project Rozana committed to meeting the balance required.

The inaugural cohort of students attending the Binational School worked at the multiple coalfaces of the conflict zone, all dealing daily with trauma, its causes and its outcomes.

Students were exposed to a wide variety of interventions to help them upskill and enhance their careers in clinical and child psychotherapy.

The Binational School of Psychotherapy will become a World Health Organisation (WHO)-accredited school, training and preparing 60 Israeli and Palestinian post graduate psychotherapists in a 42-month cycle.

Mental health professionals (psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers) will be trained in the latest theories and research in youth trauma treatment.

The permanent binational school for child and adolescent psychotherapy will…

• Contribute to cross-border learning and cooperation between Israeli and Palestinian mental health professionals.
• Increase interaction between Israeli and Palestinian professionals. Shared knowledge and experience on both sides enhances mutual confidence.
• And thus improve the mental health of conflict-affected children and adolescents.