
Background
Undergraduate and Graduate Studies
|
Degree |
Name of Institution and Department |
Period of Study |
|
BA |
Tel-Aviv University TV & Cinema and Political Science |
1993-1996 |
|
MA |
New York University Art Therapy |
1997-1999 |
|
PhD |
Ben-Gurion University Social Work and Health Sciences |
2008-2013 |
Post-Doctoral Studies
|
Name of Host |
Name of Institution, Department and Host |
Period of Study |
|
Dr. Karen Weihs |
R25T Cancer Prevention and Control Translational Research Fellowship, University of Arizona Cancer Center |
2014-2015 |
Research
My main contribution to science is in the study of psychotherapy. During my PhD studies, I conducted a qualitative study of clinical work I conducted with teenage girls who were forcefully removed from their homes. This study explored the experiences of a group of 6 girls who engaged in group art therapy coping with the trauma of the internal displacement. The paper published contributes to the body of knowledge regarding the benefit of art-based interventions with young internally displaced people. Between the years 2008-2010 I conducted an art therapy group for individuals coping with cancer. I conducted a participatory action study that examined the use of art making in the medical decision process of individuals coping with cancer. The paper published from this work can inform clinicians on the ways in which art may be used to assist individuals coping with decisional conflict related to medical decision making. In addition, together with colleagues at the center for women’s health promotion and research at Ben-Gurion University, we tailored a combined intervention protocol (CB-ART) which I implemented with a group of women coping with cancer and with chronic pain patients. This study contributes to the understanding of the ways in which art-based interventions can be used from a cognitive behavioral theoretical framework and how they are beneficial for individuals coping with cancer and chronic pain. I am the recepient of the Miriam Senarclens Prize for psychosomatics in obstetrics and gynecology. This prize funded the study of the CB-ART protocol with women with elevated stress levels, undergoing in-vitro fertilization treatment.
We currently completed data collection in a large RCT, funded by an RO1 grant from the American National Institute of Health (NIH) http://repat.haifa.ac.il/en/ (I am PI with Dr. Karen Weihs from the University of Arizona) aimed at examining emotion processing and the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway as primary mechanisms through which art therapy can reduce symptoms of pain, fatigue and depression in breast cancer patients. Furthermore, the study aims to examine ethno-cultural differences in response to the intervention. My combined clinical and research experience guide my aspirations to make a significant contribution to the field of psychosomatic medicine that can be disseminated and implemented in the clinic to improve the treatment of women coping with cancer, specifically, and individuals coping with chronic illness in general.
My current career focus is examining the mechanisms of art based and verbal interventions for psychological and physical symptom reduction in cancer patients. This focus is part of an over-arching goal of increasing the understanding of the mechanisms through which art therapy has a salutogenic affect. My overall aim is to apply a translational approach to psychological (depression) and physical (pain and fatigue) symptom reduction in individuals coping with chronic illness, in general, and cancer patients, more specifically. My future work will aim at conducting clinical trials that enable the real-world examination of art-based interventions and their effect on psychological and physiological determinates of health, along with laboratory studies aimed at a focused examination of the physiological effects of art-making and engaging in creative endeavors.
I am interested in mentoring MA and Ph.D. students that are hard workers and have a passion for combining clinical knowledge and rigorous research to help individuals improve their well-being through art-making.
Pablications
ההרשמה לשנת הלימודים תשפ”ז סגורה.
ההרשמה לשנת הלימודים תשפ”ח תחל בפברואר 2027 ותימשך עד תחילת מאי 2027.
תאריכים מדויקים יפורטו בהמשך.
הצוות המנהלי בביה”ס לטיפול באמצעות אמנויות