Establishment of a Scientific Advisory Council
Following the brutal October 7 surprise attack on Israel by Hamas, which resulted in the call up of over 300,000 reserve soldiers, the Israeli Protestive Partnership set up a scientific advisory council of leading experts in their fields to study, develop and implement advanced methods and models for the treatment and prevention in the field of trauma and post-trauma.
Members of the advisory council are well-recognized leading experts in the field of trauma and post-trauma, with vast experience in prevention and treatment.
Council Members
Dr. Ronny Simons
Senior clinical psychologist, expert in trauma and post-trauma. Many years of experience working in the Israel Prime Minister’s Office and in the Shin Bet Israel Security Agency and elite units in the IDF.
Expert and instructor in EMDR therapy and a partner and manager of the Israel EMDR Center.
Served as a bomb disposal officer in the IDF and in the reserves, as well as a psychologist and front squad commander in the General Chief of Staff’s negotiating team.
Dr. Simons serves as the head of the Professional Committee and is the senior psychologist of the Israeli Protective Partnership.
He served as the chief psychologist and head of the Behavioral Sciences Department at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tel Aviv, and Head of Behavioral Science Department of the Israeli Witness Protection Authority. Over the years, he has successfully treated thousands of members of the military and security services.
Head of the Professional Committee, the head psychologist for the Kfar Sarah Project, an agricultural village for post-trauma rehabilitation.
Holds a BA in psychology and criminology from Bar Ilan University, and an MA and Psy.D in clinical psychology from Nova University in Florida.
Prof. Eyal Fruchter
Chair of the National Counsil for Post-Trauma, CEO of the Maale Ha’Carmel Mental Health Medical Center.
Prof. Fruchter is a leading Israeli researcher and therapist in the field of suicide prevention and the treatment and prevention of PTSD.
He served in a range of leading mental health positions in the IDF, and retired from the IDF after 23 years of service as head of the IDF mental health department and as a ranking colonel. In addition, he served as a psychiatrist in the IDF field hospital after the typhoon of 2013 in the Philippines.
Prof. Fruchter is a recognized partner in research, Gantts and professional conferences throughout the world. He spent a year as a visiting scholar in the US, researching the field of the treatment and prevention of post-trauma. He has published over 75 papers in leading journals, and has authored chapters in two professional books in the fields of suicide and aviation psychology. Most of his research focuses on PTSD and PTSD prevention.
He is a Clinical Associate Professor of the Technion’s Faculty of Medicine in Haifa.
He graduated from the Technion Medical Faculty and has a master’s in health administration from Ben Gurion University in Beer Sheba.
Dr. Yoram Ben Yehuda
An expert in the treatment of military-related post-trauma. Expert clinical and medical psychologist
A member of the National Council for PTSD, the advisory council to the Minister of Health and his Director General.
During the October 7 War, he commanded the Home Front Rehabilitation Center that provides immediate mental health treatment to soldiers.
Lieutenant Colonel in the military reserves. As part of his military and reserve service, he held a variety of positions in the mental health department of the Medical Corps, including commander of the military unit for the treatment of victims of combat responses, commander of the command mental health clinic, commander of the dedicated mental health center, a unit that deals with combat responses in the early stages of their emergence, emergency situations and trauma.
Founder of the "Drachim" Institute for the Treatment of Trauma and Bereavement Victims.
Between 2014-2018, served as the chair of the Professional Committee for Health Psychology.
Holds a master’s in psychology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Dr. Udi Oren
Senior clinical psychologist and medical psychologist specializing in the treatment of trauma and anxiety.
Founder and chair of the EMDR Israel Association.
President of EMDR Europe from 2007-2015.
Therapist and trainer in EMDR. Head teacher of the EMDR method in Israel. Certified by Dr. Francine Shapiro, who created and developed the EMDR method.
Decades of experience in EMDR treatment of civilians and soldiers.
A member of the teaching staff of NATAL’s Continuing Education Unit for the study of individual and group psychotherapy for the treatment of post-traumatic stress responses.
Led EMDR instructor training seminars in Israel, Turkey, Greece, Czech Republic, Italy, Denmark, South Korea, Bulgaria, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Portugal, France and Cameroon.
Holds a Ph.D in Clinical Psychology from Boston University.
Dr. Ronny Simons
Senior clinical psychologist, expert in trauma and post-trauma. Many years of experience working in the Israel Prime Minister’s Office and in the Shin Bet Israel Security Agency and elite units in the IDF.
Expert and instructor in EMDR therapy and a partner and manager of the Israel EMDR Center.
Served as a bomb disposal officer in the IDF and in the reserves, as well as a psychologist and front squad commander in the General Chief of Staff’s negotiating team.
Dr. Simons serves as the head of the Professional Committee and is
the senior psychologist of the Israeli
Protective Partnership.
He served as the chief psychologist and head of the Behavioral Sciences Department at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tel Aviv, and Head of Behavioral Science Department of the Israeli Witness Protection Authority. Over the years, he has successfully treated thousands of members of the military and security services.
Head of the Professional Committee, the head psychologist for the Kfar Sarah Project, an agricultural village for
post-trauma rehabilitation.
Holds a BA in psychology and criminology from Bar Ilan University, and an MA and Psy.D in clinical psychology from Nova
University in Florida.
Prof. Eyal Fruchter
Chair of the National Counsil for Post-Trauma, CEO of the Maale Ha’Carmel Mental Health Medical Center.
Prof. Fruchter is a leading Israeli researcher and therapist in the field of suicide prevention and the treatment and prevention of PTSD.
He served in a range of leading mental health positions in the IDF, and retired from the IDF after 23 years of service as head of the IDF mental health department and as a ranking colonel. In addition, he served as a psychiatrist in the IDF field hospital after the typhoon of 2013 in the Philippines.
Prof. Fruchter is a recognized partner in research, Gantts and professional conferences throughout the world. He spent a year as a visiting scholar in the US, researching the field of the treatment and prevention of post-trauma. He has published over 75 papers in leading journals, and has authored chapters in two professional books in the fields of suicide and aviation psychology. Most of his research focuses on PTSD and PTSD prevention.
He is a Clinical Associate Professor of the Technion’s Faculty of Medicine in Haifa.
He graduated from the Technion Medical Faculty and has a master’s in health administration from Ben Gurion University in Beer Sheba.
Dr. Yoram Ben Yehuda
An expert in the treatment of military-related post-trauma. Expert clinical and medical psychologist
A member of the National Council for PTSD, the advisory council to the Minister of Health and his Director General.
During the October 7 War, he commanded the Home Front Rehabilitation Center that provides immediate mental health treatment to soldiers.
Lieutenant Colonel in the military reserves. As part of his military and reserve service, he held a variety of positions in the mental health department of the Medical Corps, including commander of the military unit for the treatment of victims of combat responses, commander of the command mental health clinic, commander of the dedicated mental health center, a unit that deals with combat responses in the early stages of their emergence, emergency situations and trauma.
Founder of the "Drachim" Institute for the Treatment of Trauma and Bereavement Victims.
Between 2014-2018, served as the chair of the Professional Committee for Health Psychology.
Holds a master’s in psychology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Dr. Udi Oren
Senior clinical psychologist and medical psychologist specializing in the treatment of trauma and anxiety.
Founder and chair of the
EMDR Israel Association.
President of EMDR Europe from 2007-2015.
Therapist and trainer in EMDR.
Head teacher of the EMDR method in Israel. Certified by Dr. Francine Shapiro, who created and developed the EMDR method.
Decades of experience in EMDR treatment of civilians and soldiers.
A member of the teaching staff of NATAL’s Continuing Education Unit for the study of individual and group psychotherapy for the treatment of post-traumatic stress responses.
Led EMDR instructor training seminars in Israel, Turkey, Greece, Czech Republic, Italy, Denmark, South Korea, Bulgaria, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Portugal, France and Cameroon.
Holds a Ph.D in Clinical Psychology
from Boston University.
Join the hundreds of reservists and members of the armed forces who have already been to
The Villa and have experienced
this meaningful process
Attendance is free of charge
Join the hundreds of reservists and members of the armed forces who have already been to
The Villa and have experienced this meaningful process
Attendance is free of charge