The Host a Survivor Program
Board of Wellness Advisors
Survivor Support Now's Board of Wellness Advisors bring a wealth of information and support from leading clinically trained psychologists and trauma focused therapists who help to guide and inform our program with their professional expertise and personal connection to Israel and the Jewish community.
Malka Shaw, LCSW
Wellness Advisors Team Lead, LCSW, Psychotherapist, Trauma Specialist, Jewish Mental Health Educator
Dr. Rachel Toledano
PhD, Clinical Psychologist, Senior Healthcare Executive, Specialist in Trauma-informed care for Military, Veterans & First Responders
Dalia Yellin-Weil, MSc
Psychotherapist specializing in Somatic & Integrative Trauma Recovery, Brain, Vision & Development Specialist
Hudi Kowalsky, LMHC
DBT Therapist focusing on Trauma, Anxiety, Relationships & Grief for purpose-driven healing
Adjunct Professor & Musician
Ido May-Raz
Neuropsychologist, Expert rehabilitation psychologist. Cognitive treatment, aging, PTSD, anxiety & neurological conditions
Dr. Ayelet Hirshfel
PhD, Lacanian Psychoanalyst, Psychotraumatologist,
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Founder & CEO, PsyEcology Inc.
Host a Survivor Program
Trauma-focused Psychotherapist
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Wellness Retreat
Trauma-focused Psychotherapist
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Board of Wellness Advisors bios
Malka Shaw, LCSW
Malka Shaw, LCSW, Psychotherapist, Trauma Specialist, Jewish Mental Health Educator
Board of Wellness Advisors Team Lead
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Not related to our Founder, Suzanne Shaw, Malka is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 25 years of experience as a psychotherapist and private practice owner, specializing in trauma recovery, women's mental health, maternal wellness, relationship and marriage counseling, grief, anxiety, resilience-building, and major life transitions.
She is the founder of Kesher Shalom Projects, an organization dedicated to education and professional training on resilience, Jewish identity, cultural competency, antisemitism, trauma, and the psychology of radicalization and indoctrination. As a sought-after speaker, consultant, and educator, she has worked with healthcare organizations, universities, nonprofits, corporations, professional associations, and community institutions nationwide. Her expertise includes trauma-informed care, crisis response, resilience-building, and addressing the psychological impact of hate, violence, terrorism, antisemitism, and collective trauma.
She has trained thousands of mental health professionals, educators, attorneys, healthcare providers, and community leaders, and has extensive experience in crisis intervention and disaster response, including work following the September 11th terrorist attacks and ongoing efforts to support individuals and communities affected by the October 7th attacks and their aftermath.
She also consults with organizations on psychological well-being, cultural competency, leadership development, strategic partnerships, and building resilience in the face of adversity. Earlier in her career, she served as a mental health program director and clinical supervisor, leading program development, professional education, organizational growth, and community-based services.​​​​ See Malka at:
malkashaw.com & keshershalom.com
Dr. Rachel Toledano
Rachel Toledano, PhD, Clinical Psychologist | Senior Healthcare Executive | Expert in Digital & AI-Enabled Mental Health Innovation | Specialist in Trauma-Informed Care for Military, Veterans & First Responders
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Israeli-Canadian-American Dr. Toledano is an accomplished clinical psychologist and healthcare executive with over 10 years of leadership across mental health, addictions, and digital health innovation. She specializes in designing and scaling evidence-based, measurement-driven care models that improve access, quality, and outcomes for complex and high-stress populations, including first responders, military personnel, and veterans.
She has also served in senior executive roles leading national clinical governance, program innovation, and accreditation compliance, and strategy for integration of precision medicine approaches (e.g., rTMS, pharmacogenetics, 3MDR) in mental health care, as well as AI-enabled and digital platforms to reduce clinician burden and enhance patient engagement and clinical outcomes.
Dalia Yellin-Weil, MSc
Dalia Yellin-Weil, MSc, Psychotherapist in Private Practice (Israel) | Somatic & Integrative Trauma Recovery Practitioner (California) | Brain Vision & Development Specialist (International)
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American-Israeli Dalia is a trauma psychotherapist integrating EMDR, Somatic Experiencing®, and parts work to support adults experiencing PTSD, complex trauma, and developmental trauma. Her clinical work includes supporting individuals and communities affected by the Oct. 7th terrorist attacks and Iran war.
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She is also a rehabilitation specialist for individuals with Multiple Disabilities and Visual Impairments (MDVI). Since 2001, she has worked with children with visual impairments and additional disabilities and their families, serving as Director of Rehabilitation at Keren Or School for the Blind from 2013. She previously facilitated a support group for parents of visually impaired infants at the Eliya Center.
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Dalia also co-led Nonviolent Communication (NVC) dialogue groups through the Meeting Place Project in Jerusalem’s Zion Square, bringing together participants from across Israeli society, including Ultra-Orthodox, secular, Palestinian, and Druze communities.
She has lectured extensively for professional audiences, including the Israel National Conference for Child Development, Leumit Health Services, the Israeli Ministry of Education, Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, and David Yellin Academic College, and maintains private practices in trauma psychotherapy and vision rehabilitation.​
Hudi Kowalsky, LMHC
Cultivating Spontaneity | DBT Therapist focusing on Trauma, Anxiety, Relationships & Grief | Adjunct Professor | Musician
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Hudi (Yehuda) Kowalsky, LMHC, facilitates purpose-driven healing and love to discuss the process with others. He seeks to connect with mental-health professionals, educators and curious people in general–especially those who are aware that a flourishing, balanced life requires a strong sense of purpose and self. He became interested in the power of purpose in his mid-teens, when he casually read through the book of Koheleth, Ecclesiastes. Since then, he's studied mindful living as a means to ameliorate human suffering, both internally and in interpersonal relationships. His clinical work focuses on the inner narratives keeping his clients from self-actualization. By digging into conceptions of self, he helps clients adjust the lens through which they perceive life and ultimately leading toward greater well-being and growing in the process of self-awareness. Hudi also practice yoga regularly and is a 200 hr RYT, he weaves concepts from Yoga and ancient Eastern philosophies into his practice as well, enriching the therapeutic process.
Hudi also loves playing guitar as well as teaching a wide variety of students and performing live, solo or with his band. www.hudikowalskymusic.com
Ido May-Raz
Israeli Ido May-Raz, M.A, Neuropsychologist, Expert rehabilitation psychologist. Cognitive treatment, aging, PTSD, anxiety & neurological conditions
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Ido has a M.A in Neuropsychology, with over 11 years of clinical experience treating and evaluating various populations. With specific expertise in: Cognitive treatment, aging, PTSD and neurological conditions (TBI, CVA and developmental disorders), anxiety and other psychiatric conditions. In recent years, he's become more interested in exploring and developing innovative evidence-based neuropsychological clinical treatment tools.
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Dr. Ayelet Schafir-Hirshfeld
Ayelet Schafir-Hirshfeld, PhD, Striving for Excellence in Mental/Healthcare Leadership & Innovation. Psychoanalyst, Clinical Psychologist, Psychotraumatologist. President, DiversItUS® Psychotherapy & Psychoanalysis Inc. Founder & CEO PsyEcology Inc.
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Israeli-American Dr. Ayelet Schafir-Hirshfeld is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Psychoanalyst, Psychotraumatologist, and mental health entrepreneur. She specializes in trauma, PTSD, dissociative disorders, critical incident stress, vicarious traumatization, secondary traumatic stress, intergenerational transmission of trauma, burnout, and compassion fatigue among civilians, military personnel, first responders, and healthcare professionals.
Ayelet serves as a consultant, Advisory Board and Board of Directors member, and subject matter expert for mental health and healthcare organizations, specializing in the development and implementation of trauma-informed programs, executive consultation, professional education, training, and clinical supervision to promote organizational resilience and workforce wellbeing.
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As a Jewish-Israeli-American, former IDF soldier, clinical psychologist, psychoanalyst, and trauma expert, she has dedicated much of her work since October 7 to developing trauma-focused programs and providing clinical consultation and supervision to mental health organizations and professionals supporting survivors of the October 7 terrorist attack, as well as IDF soldiers and civilians impacted by the Swords of Iron War.​ Ayelet served in the Israel Defense Forces (1994-1996)
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See Dr. Ayelet Schafir-Hirshfeld at: