Program Faculty
Maty Lieblich
Maty Lieblich is a Scholar- Practitioner integrating Mindfulness based practices and theory from current psychological research and the traditional Buddhist points of view.
co-founder and academic director of the Mindfulness Based Therapy program at The School of Social work of Bar Ilan University.
Lieblich has co-developed the two-year course for educators at Tel Aviv University’s School of Education, and directs school counselor supervisors at Israel’s ministry of education. She has been practicing and studying mindfulness for the past 28 years, and teaching mindfulness practice and theory for the past 17 years.
She holds an MA in East-West psychology (1999) from The California Institute of Integral Studies. Her Book “At the edge of Ego” has been published in 2009 by Keter- Rimon publication and her second book (as Editor and co-writer) “Mindfulness- Here and now, theory and practice” has been published in early 2018 by Keter publication and has been a national best seller since publication.
Shantam Zohar
Shantam David Zohar is Co-founder and Director of the three year Mindfulness Based Therapy Program at Tel Aviv’s Bar Ilan University, the first extensive training program at an Israeli university dedicated to a theoretical, experiential and professional exploration of Mindfulness Based Psychotherapy.
Zohar is an award winning author and has studied and taught awareness practices for the past twenty five years. He is an adjunct faculty member at Tel Aviv University, where he teaches a course on Mindfulness to Clinical Psychology MA students, maintains a private psychotherapy practice and delivers workshops on mindfulness practice and communication internationally.
He has completed an MA in Mindfulness Based Psychotherapy at the Karuna Institute and Middlesex University and is a member of the Israeli Interdisciplinary Council for Psychotherapy.
Dr. Yakir Krichman
Dr. Yakir Krichman is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Supervisor, who teaches the course “Mindfulness and Psychoanalysis” and holds group supervision at the Bar-Ilan University Mindfulness-Based Therapy program.
Krichman Graduated the Relational Somatic Psychology Program held by the Esalan Institute and the Santa Barbara Graduate Institute, the Foundation Program in Core Process Psychotherapy held by the Karuna Institute, and other workshops integrating body, mind and spirit.
He teaches and provides clinical supervision in several programs, maintains a private psychotherapy practice and is a member of the Israeli Interdisciplinary Association of Psychotherapy. He earned his PhD in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in Somatic Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, writing his dissertation on The Somatic Dimensions of Artistic Creativity.
Dr. Yaara Nitzan
Dr. Yaara Nitzan has an MA and a PhD in Clinical Psychology.
Her research focuses on behavioral cognition with a focus on mindfulness-based clinical applications. Her PhD offers an investigation into the stress, depression and trauma-related mindfulness mechanisms.
Dr. Nitzan is a teacher and clinical supervisor of the ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) approach.
Dr. Ran Almog
Dr. Ran Almog has an MA in Clinical Psychology from the Tel Aviv-Jaffa College and a PhD in Sociology from Bar Ilan University. He is an expert member of the Israeli Association of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and the ACBS, the ACT world organization.
Dr. Almog uses ACT as the central clinical approach at his Tel Aviv based private practice. He lectures about ACT and implements the ACT training in various CBT trainings and mental health clinics throughout the country.
Ran leads the year-long ACT training at the Mifrasim Institute of the Tel Aviv-Jaffa College.
Gabo Weiss
Gabo Weiss directs the Psychotherapy Training Program for Sex Therapy with people with special needs at Bar Ilan University.
He is a psychotherapist and a member of the Israeli Association of Marriage and Family Therapy, the Israeli Psychoanalytical Society and the Israeli Association for Sex Therapy.
He is a practitioner of Mindfulness and the martial arts.
Shira Porat
Shira Porat has a Masters degree in Dance Movement and Expressive Arts Therapy and Counseling Psychology from Antioch New England Graduate School. She has completed studies in Jungian psychotherapy at the Israel Society of Analytical Psychology.
Porat has extensive experience working in a variety of educational and clinical settings including adult and adolescent psychiatric inpatient units and outpatient day treatment programs. She has taught at the teacher training program of the School of Education at the Hebrew University as well as at the Recreational Therapy program of the Hebrew University.
Porat is a certified teacher of Authentic Movement from the Authentic Movement Institute in California and has been teaching for the past 18 years. She is currently part of the staff of the Mindfulness based Psychotherapy program at BIU, teaching Authentic Movement. In addition, Porat works at the Mind-Body clinic of Geha Mental Health Center, with children and parents, and supervises student interns. She also maintains a private psychotherapy practice serving clients of all ages, incorporating mindfulness based practices and Jungian depth work.
Program Clinical Supervisors
Dr. Oded Arbel, MD
Dr. Oded Arbel, MD. Is a Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist, trained both in classical dynamic therapies and Dharma-inspired, body-centered psychotherapies. He is the founder and director of the Mindfulness Clinic at the Be’er Sheba Mental Health Center.
The clinic offers Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy group programs, staff burnout prevention and support programs, individual therapy sessions and trainings for mental health professionals. Arbel is the Head of the therapeutic division of Psycho-Dharma, and is a student, practitioner and teacher in the Zen Buddhist tradition.
Asi Sorek
Asi Sorek is an expert clinical psychologist with residencies at the Givat Hayim Psychological Center and the Sha’r Menashe Psychiatric Hospital. He is founder and director of the Essential Nature School of Psychotherapy.
Maintains a private/outdoor clinic at Ein Iron and has been practicing movement arts and mindfulness meditation for 24 years.
Rany Levi
Rany Levi, Social Worker (M.S.W), Psychotherapist and certified Group Moderator. Levi teaches the in the Psychotherapy program at Bar Ilan University. He Instructs clinical teams in the central school for Social Work at the Israeli ministry of social affairs and social services.
Levi is a clinical supervisor of teams in the subjects of sexual abuse. He is a clinical supervisor and has a private practice in Tel Aviv. Levi Integrates Mindfulness and Buddhist thought into his clinical work.
Reni Ovadia
Reni Ovadia, a clinical Psychologist with over 30 years of Psychotherapy practice. Ovadia has extensive background in philosophy, cultural and gender studies. She was the program’s clinical director between 2012-2018, is a Buddhist practitioner and teacher in Israel’s Tovana Vipassana organization.
Ovadia teaches in Israel and abroad. She has many years of experience working with people suffering from severe mental crisis and with abuse survivors. She has published articles and two books: “A Wing of a Bird in a Fish’s Mouth” is a poetry book (1996, Prose Publications Israel) and “Corals: a monologue” (2002, The Kibutz Meuchad Publishers, Israel). She is a mother of three and a grandmother of one.
Eran Cohen
Eran Cohen is a psychotherapist and organizational consultant with over 20 years of experience in personal therapy and counseling processes, specializing in Mindfulness-based Psychotherapy.
Cohen has a BA in Psychology & Philosophy from Haifa University and a Masters in Mindfulness-Based psychotherapy from the Karuna Institute and Middlesex University.
In addition, he studied psychotherapy at the Magid Institute of the Hebrew University and currently teaches at Oranim College and at the Wingate Institute.
Maura Sills
Maura Sills is the Founder of Core Process Psychotherapy which offers an innovative psycho-spiritual approach to therapy. The Karuna Institute integrates western psychotherapeutic models with Buddhist psychology and mindfulness practices. Drawing on over 30 years of experience, Core Process Psychotherapy offers a depth understanding of what helps and hinders healing insight and transformation.
Maura is an Honorary Fellow of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) and Director of Training at the Karuna Institute which offers Master Degree Programmes in Buddhist Mindfulness Based Psychotherapy along with Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and Retreat.
Dr. Rony Berger
Dr. Rony Berger is a senior lecturer on the faculty of Emergency Medicine at Ben Gurion University and a senior member of the PREPARED center for emergency response research as well as on the faculty of the Stress, Crisis and Trauma program at Tel Aviv University.
He is on the advisory board of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford University where he assisted in designing the Compassion Cultivating Training program.
Dr. Berger was a part of the Mind and Life Institute that developed the mindfulness and compassion educational program Call To Care. Dr. Berger has lectured, consulted and held workshops for a wide range of world organizations including such as FEMA, Red Cross, CDC, DMHAS, WHO, UNICEF, UNHCR and UNOCA and has led numerous humanitarian delegations around the world in the aftermath of major disasters. He has published two books, wrote numerous articles in peer reviewed journals and authored several chapters.
Dr. Ricardo Tarrasch
Dr. Ricardo Tarrasch is a cognitive and behavioral neuroscience researcher and faculty member at the School of Education and School of Neuroscience at Tel Aviv University.
His research interests include neurological and psychological effects of mindfulness training among adults and children. Having personally practiced meditation for more than 30 years, Dr. Tarrasch began integrating mindfulness teaching and research into his academic agenda.
He developed a mindfulness program for children, and he studies the effects of mindfulness practice through brain imaging and cognitive measures amongst ADHD and/or dyslexic adults. He is part of the team that implemented, in Israel, the “Call to Care” program developed by the Mind and Life Institute for teachers and pupils. Ricardo completed his Ph.D with distinction at the Tel Aviv University Department of Psychobiology.
Moriya Rosenberg
Moriya Rosenberg is an artist, educator and writer, working at the meeting point of corporeal arts, values-based education and social activism. Rosenberg specializes in using corporeal and contemplative arts as platforms for individual empowerment and cultivation of pro-social attitudes.
She is a certified yoga instructor, a psychology student at Tel Aviv University and graduate of the University of Melbourne (2011). Rosenberg joined the Call To Care Israeli research team in 2014 as a content writer and facilitator, working with both pupils and teaching staff to implement the program in their institutions.
Ravid Bogaire
Ravid Bogaire is a psychologist at the Educational Psychology Service. She holds an M.A. in Cognitive Psychology from the Ben Gurion University of the Negev, and instructed in several Universities and Colleges across Israel.
She was Director of Measurement and Evaluation (M&E) at the Israel Venture Network (IVN – philanthropic org.) and M&E consultant at Avney Rosha – the Israeli Institute for School Leadership.
Bogaire’s rich training and teaching background in dance in Israel and France support her current practice of yoga and meditation. She is a certified instructor of mindfulness skills for the educational system (Sfat HaKeshev) and completed an MBCT program for therapists. Bogaire joined the Call to Care Israeli Team in 2014 as leading implementer, content writer and facilitator of the mindfulness-based social-emotional learning program to both pupils and educators. She also teaches mindfulness and contemplative practices for teachers and therapists in the Ministry of Education professional development courses.