From Silence to Action — From Paralysis to Hope

A Study Day on the Role of Mental-Health Professionals in Times of Dehumanisation, Destruction, and Harm to Humanity

"Healing begins when we name the injustice, rather than silence it." — Dr Samah Jabr

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Why We Are Gathering

We are living in a reality saturated with violence, discrimination, destruction, and harm to humanity. Mental-health professionals — psychologists, social workers, therapists, and welfare practitioners — are at the heart of the storm: called upon to treat, called upon to hold, and at times — called upon to stay silent.

This study day is a call to pause, to look one another in the eye, and to ask the questions that can no longer be suppressed:

What is our role? How do we refuse to stay silent? And how do we move from paralysis to hope — and from silence to action?

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What We Will Explore

A full day of study, shared thinking, and action — combining theoretical, clinical, ethical, and political perspectives:

• Silencing, blindness, and guilt — a theoretical and clinical look at the mechanisms that silence us as individuals and as a profession
• Patriotism and silence — how national identification meets the ethics of care
• The inner muteness — self-silencing in the face of knowledge within an unbearable reality
• Unavoidable guilt — a metaphysical perspective on the human condition
• The therapeutic space during a war of destruction — stasis and psychic movement in Palestinian patients
• Ethnic identity and identity politics in Palestinian-Israeli discourse
• Activism in mental health — from silence to action: organisations and practitioners already at work in the field
• Non-verbal action as emotional contagion — through the medium of film

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Programme

Morning

Time	Session
8:30	Gathering and Organisations Fair
9:00	Opening Remarks
9:15	It Won't End Unless We Talk — a theoretical and clinical look at silencing, blindness, and guilt Facilitator: Lior Biran, Senior Clinical Psychologist, Silence is a Crime Forum
	On Silence: From the Diary of a Patriot Dr Efi Ziv, Psychoanalyst and Cultural Researcher
	Unavoidable Guilt — A Metaphysical Perspective on the Human Condition Prof. Ronny Miron
	The Inner Muteness — Self-Silencing in the Face of Knowledge within an Unbearable Reality Nimer Saeed, Clinical Psychologist and Organisational Consultant
10:45	Coffee Break
11:05	The Therapeutic Space during a War of Destruction — Between Stasis and Psychic Movement in Palestinian Patients Hunaida Assaf, Psychotherapist and Group Therapist
	Ethnic Identity and Identity Politics in Palestinian-Israeli Discourse Wasim Biroumi, Clinical Psychologist
12:05	Lunch Break

Afternoon

Time	Session
12:55	We Have Been Silent Long Enough! On the Courage and Necessity of Acting Mental-Health Activism Panel Facilitator: Mika Almog, Content Director, The Time Has Come Coalition Participants: - Dan Schachter, Clinical Psychologist — PsychActive - Michal Fruchtman, Educational Psychologist and Family Therapist — Parents Against the Detention of Children - Shlomit Peled, Psychologist and Couples Therapist — Safe Space, a Therapeutic Framework for Human Rights Activists - Sundus Khatib Inbatawi, Resilience Campaign Director in Arab Society — Only Together Can We, Standing Together Movement - Dorit Segal, Social Worker — EMDR 4 PEACE
14:25	Break
14:45	Still Waters Run Deep — Non-Verbal Action as Emotional Contagion Film screening and discussion. Facilitator: Yonatan Zeigen, Social Worker, Peace Activist Screening of the film "Were and Are No More" — Oscar nominee for Best Documentary Short Post-screening discussion with: - Hila Medalia, Director and Producer of the film - Adi Argov, Clinical and Educational Psychologist and Human Rights Activist, one of the event's organisers - Amit Shilo, Activist
16:15	Close

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Event Details

Date: Thursday, 25.6.2026 Hours: 8:30 – 16:15 Location: Tel Aviv — The exact venue will be sent to registered participants in due course

Light vegan and vegetarian refreshments will be served throughout the day (no kashrut certification).

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How to Join

The study day is open to mental-health, therapy, education, and welfare professionals. Places are limited — early registration is recommended.

Registration link

Important: The exact venue will be sent only to registered participants shortly before the date. Please ensure you register with up-to-date contact details.