Leadership & Staff

Professor Huppert has been studying CBT for 30 years and is an international expert in the field. Over the last 10 years, he has been working on the use of technology to make CBT treatments more efficient and accessible. In addition, he is an expert in interventions for PTSD. He has collaborated closely with Prof. Edna Foa of the University of Pennsylvania, a world expert and developer of Prolonged Exposure for PTSD treatment.For the last 8 years, Prof. Huppert and his Laboratory for the Study and Treatment of Mental Health and Well-Being have collaborated with the Ministry of Health to work on disseminating evidence-based treatments for anxiety and depression to the public sector outpatient treatment clinics, mainly via the HMOs. In addition, infrastructure was built to track patient symptoms through completion of valid, digital questionnaires, and oversight of clinicians and supervisors with weekly and monthly meetings. Since 2019, and even before the Center was formally established, three cohorts of mental health professionals across the country have been trained through this collaboration, in partnership with all four health funds.Immediately after October 7th, Prof. Huppert joined the national effort to address the urgent need for trauma treatment. He worked with communities from the Gaza Envelope who were temporarily housed in hotels and provided lectures and trainings to hundreds of clinicians nationwide. As the work expanded, and out of a commitment to supporting the public mental health system in a structured and long-term manner -especially at this time- Prof. Huppert founded the Trauma Recovery Center at the Hebrew University. His goal is to establish a gold standard of care within the public mental health system and to train clinicians in evidence-based, first-line trauma treatments recognized internationally.

An attorney by training, with extensive experience in the public and social sectors. Prior to joining the Center, she led a rehabilitation program for individuals in the justice system. Today, she co-directs the Center for Trauma Recovery with Prof. Huppert, driven by a deep commitment to the Center’s vision and to strengthening its contribution to Israel’s public mental health system.    

Dr. Zlotnick combines psychology and technology to develop cutting-edge therapeutic tools. His work focuses on creating digital interventions and integrating AI into trauma therapy, making high-quality treatment more accessible. With a background in research and statistical modeling, he ensures that interventions are data-driven and effective.

Dr. Halaj is a senior lecturer in the Community Mental Health department at Haifa University. Her research focuses on insight and metacognition in non-psychotic disorders. She serves as the Director of Training Programs. As Director, she helps with implementing evidence-based interventions in the public sector, bridging research and clinical application. Dr. Halaj is also interested in promoting mental health in underserved communities and culturally adapting mental health interventions.

Dr. Ginat-Frolich is a licensed clinical psychologist and a senior research associate at The Hebrew University. Her research focuses on identifying the mechanisms of change that underlie the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral treatments for anxiety and related disorders. In her role at the Center, Dr. Ginat-Frolich and her team evaluate the implementation and uptake of evidence-based treatment modalities in the public mental health system following training and supervision. She specializes in evidence-based treatment for children, adolescents, and adults, and is committed to empowering individuals through knowledge that helps them make informed decisions about trauma treatment. Dr. Ginat-Frolich leads initiatives to make scientific, reliable information accessible to the public, ensuring trustworthy guidance on trauma recovery.        

Dr. Alexandra Klein-Rafaeli oversees the Center’s work and partnerships with the public mental health system. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and supervisor, certified in CBT and in Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) through the International Society (ISIPT), where she also co-founded the organization’s Israeli branch. Alexandra received advanced training in IPT and Prolonged Grief Disorder Therapy (PGDT) at Columbia University and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Albert Ellis Institute in New York. She has taught and supervised at Tel Aviv University, Reichman University, and Ben-Gurion University, where she also served as Director and Chief Psychologist of the Psychological Services for students.

  Data Analysis Lead. PhD candidate in the lab of Prof. Jonathan Huppert, specializing in clinical psychology with a CBT approach. His research focuses on imagery-based interventions for anxiety disorders. At the Center, he's responsible for processing and analyzing data from the clinical training programs.  

PhD candidate in Clinical Psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Her research focuses on the cultural adaptation of evidence-based trauma treatments and community-based interventions, with an emphasis on populations living in Israel’s southern periphery. At the Center, she contributes to the translation and dissemination of the self-help book Making Meaning of Difficult Experiences, supports the development of community interventions, and assists in evaluating trauma-based training programs in the public sector.  

Heba is an undergraduate student in Psychology. In her role, she is involved in providing ongoing administrative support for the center and various aspects of its activities, and also contributes to the translation of the center’s digital content into Arabic.

Undergraduate psychology student who manages the Center’s training programs and is responsible for the coordination and administrative management of the various training initiatives, including work with professional teams, supervisors, and participants.  

Manages the Center’s website and digital presence, including social media management and the dissemination of professional knowledge. Upon joining the Center, she also served as the coordinator of the training programs. Currently a clinical psychology intern at the student counseling services at Bar-Ilan University.  

His research focuses on a theoretical comparison between cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic approaches in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder in adults. At the Center, he is involved in a range of research projects, including the development and implementation of a self-guided CPT application.  

Masters degree in Clinical Psychology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Involved in the development, processing, and dissemination of professional content for the Center’s treatment and training programs. Also contributes to the development and accessibility of the Center’s digital content and website materials.  

Participates in the advancement and development of a range of projects at the Center. Currently specializing in rehabilitation psychology at the Neuropsychiatric Clinic at Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center.

Holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Education from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and is currently a master’s student in Educational Psychology at the Ramat Gan Academic Center. Serves as the payments coordinator within the training programs and acts as a liaison between supervisors, program management, and the University’s financial departments.

PhD candidate in Clinical Psychology and Licensed Educational Psychologist. Works within a Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) framework and specializes in working with individuals coping with anxiety, depression, trauma, and interpersonal difficulties. Her research examines how close relationships contribute to emotion regulation and the development of more adaptive self-schemas. She seeks to bridge clinical practice and psychological research in order to develop meaningful, evidence-based tools that promote emotional well-being.      

PhD candidate in Clinical Psychology with a strong interest in digital mental health. Her research focuses on internet-based interventions and the implementation of innovative psychotherapy approaches within public healthcare systems.

PhD candidate in Clinical Psychology. His research focuses on emotion-based processes in imagery-based interventions for anxiety disorders. At the Center, he's responsible for the translation and dissemination of the self-help book Making Meaning of Difficult Experiences, assists in evaluating trauma-based training in the public sector, and contributes to the development of a self-guided CPT application.

Member of the Training Research Team and Cultural Adaptation Team. PhD candidate in the lab of Prof. Jonathan Huppert. Holds a master’s degree in Clinical and Educational Child Psychology. Her research focuses on core threats, cultural differences, and their relationship to conditioning processes. At the Center, she is responsible for developing questionnaires and adapting clinical training materials for Arab society.