Shalva Waldman M.Sc.

בסוף שנות ה-80, מטפלת בשם פרנסין שפירו גילתה שכאשר היא מזיזה את עיניה מצד לצד, עוצמת המחשבות השליליות פוחתת. להפתעתה, היא הבחינה בכך שאפילו שעות או ימים לאחר מכן, המחשבות שהיו בעבר מטרידות מאוד כבר אינן מפריעות לה. זה הוביל אותה להמשיך ולחקור, לפתח ולחדד שיטה טיפולית בשם EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) , שהפכה לאחת מהשיטות המחקריות והנפוצות ביותר לטיפול בהשפעות של טראומה. ה-EMDR המקורי השתמש רק בתנועות עיניים דו-צדדיות, אך עם הזמן התגלה כי גם גירוי מגע (ט

I went through something in my community this past week that my system initially could not hold. It wasn’t just upsetting. It was disorganizing. I felt myself cycling between anger, grief, clarity, and collapse, unable to stay present with what I was seeing - fear, danger and a frightening lack of moral clarity from people in positions of power. It was hard to witness without either hardening or unraveling. As a therapist, I’m used to helping people build capacity for difficu

I had the delightful opportunity to share origional Torah sources that relate to our work as psychotherapist, drawing on our rich and ancient tradition of Jewish healers, teachers and Tzaddikim. Sharing the video recording here. The source sheet is available right below the video. Lately I have been enjoying creating AI music as a way of expressing and integrating thoughts and ideas. This song includes some of the ideas mentioned in this class.

Devorah Hochstadter and I had so much fun creating this little masterpiece together. If you’re anything like us, you’ll probably recognize yourself - and your parts - in every frame. Trying to show up as a Self-led human in the complexity of modern life, with buzzing phones and endless WhatsApp messages, is… well, exactly what it is. Sometimes the healthiest thing we can do is breathe, smile, and laugh at the whole beautiful chaos. Maybe one day we’ll even start a support gro

More than twenty years ago, during a visit to my grandparents’ 280-acre farm in Oregon, I was staying in the old wooden cabin in the apple orchard back by the upper barn. The air was still, the grass carried the last hint of morning dew, and the pond shimmered through the trees in the distance. It was one of those moments when the world feels wide and quiet at the same time, as if the land is both holding you and inviting you. As I sat there, surrounded by so much beauty and

Inspired by the story of the Sixth Beggar  from Rebbe Nachman’s Tales , this song expresses the essence of healing as I have come to know it, both in my own journey and in the journeys of my clients. Rebbe Nachman hid many deep secrets of Kaballah in all of his works. And while we only understand the most accessible layers of meaning, the story touches me deeply, and I have tried to put into these lyrics some of the meaning that has touched me. In IFS language, the princess  

🌿 A Little Joy Between Loads Mental health isn’t only about processing pain, it’s also about making space for joy, humor, and lightness. Laughter resets the nervous system, softens perfectionism, and reminds us that healing doesn’t have to be heavy. Laundry is a perfect mashal for our inner world: we all collect some stains, we all need a good wash now and then, and with care and patience, everything can come out clean again. So here’s a playful reggae tribute to post-holida

What do a midwife and a therapist possibly have in common? As it turns out - quite a lot! In this engaging and heartfelt conversation, I...

For Jewish IFS Therapists on Tisha B’Av 5785 ...אֵיכָה יָשְׁבָה בָדָד How is it that she sits alone… Dear G-d, Give me the strength to...

Recognizing Narcissistic Abuse in a Time of National and Personal Galus You’ve seen her face, but she’s invisible. She carries her pain...

There are many different ways of framing self-esteem. How we feel about ourselves affects every area of our lives. But what is...

What makes therapy truly healing, effective, and sacred? As I developed and began teaching AIR Therapy (Attuned Integrative...

I know we’re all being told to be gentle with ourselves, to return slowly to routine. But what if that’s not the point at all? You and...

There is a unique area of exploration where spiritual growth intersects with emotional healing , where we can use therapeutic tools to...

All effective trauma modalities share a necessary component for healing; they use various techniques to achieve a "healing brain state"

In the late 1980s, a therapist named Francine Shapiro discovered that by moving her eyes right and left, she could affect the intensity of negative thoughts. More surprising, she found that even hours or days later, the thoughts that previously had been quite disturbing no longer bothered her. This led her to continue to explore, develop, and refine a therapy called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), which has become one of the most researched and utilized

בצל כנפיך תסתיריני... As frum Jews, religious and spiritual beliefs are an essential part of our very being. And sadly, sometimes the...

What is memory reconsolidation? How does it work? Why is it essential for every therapist to understand it? Until about 20 years ago, it...

Is it best to see a therapist face to face? Or can zoom therapy help me just as much? Are there ways in which zoom therapy can be even...

By Shalvi Waldman M.Sc. Reprinted with permission from Chabad.org There are angels in the world who tell us that we're not good enough –...