The Therapeutic Unit

​Yael Segal

Head of the Ziama Arkin Infancy Institute and head of the Therapeutic Unit

Segal holds an MA in Clinical Child Psychology from Tel Aviv University. She is a training psychoanalyst at the Israeli Psychoanalytic Society.

PhD. Shyly Aptaker Ben-Dori

Head of the research unit at the institute, a clinical psychologist, lecturer, and supervisor in the institute's infant mental health training program. She submitted her doctoral dissertation to the Department of Psychology at Ben-Gurion University on the subject of preverbal parent-infant relationship representations in infancy. She holds a master's degree in clinical psychology with honors from the Hebrew University and a bachelor's degree in psychology and computer science from Tel Aviv University. She has extensive clinical experience in parent-infant therapy and in treating adults, adolescents, and children in both private and public clinical settings.

​Dr. Adva Vengrober

Head of the training program in parent-infant psychotherapy

(PhD) Certified clinical psychologist, and holds a master's degree in clinical child psychology from Bar-Ilan University. She received her PhD from Bar-Ilan University. Her research focused on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder within infants exposed to war-related Trauma. Dr. Vengrober is a lecturer in the department of Communication Disorders graduate program at Tel-Aviv University. Her professional experience includes clinical work with children and adult patients in private and public clinics.

Lee Elad

Head of the Clinic and the Internship program

Certified Clinical psychologist - supervisor, in the Infancy Institute and in a private clinic.  Holds a master's degree in clinical child psychology from Tel Aviv University. She specialized in clinical psychology at Haarbaa st. clinic for Mental Health and worked in the Psychiatric day care unit at Sheba Medical Center. Her professional experience includes clinical work with children, adolescents and adults at her private clinic and supervision to psychology interns and psychologists.

Erga Kassif

certified clinical psychologist - supervisor, in the Infancy Institute and in a private clinic

Holds a master's degree in clinical child psychology from Tel Aviv University. She specialized in clinical psychology and worked at Sheba Medical Center, in The Child and Adolescent Clinic for Mental Health and in the Psychiatric Day Care Unit. She also directed and supervised a regional "In-School" Support System for Autistic Children and Youth (7-18) within the Treatment and Research Autism Center. She is a student in the Primitive Mental States Track of advanced studies at The Program of Psychotherapy, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University. Her professional experience includes clinical work with children, adolescents and adults at her private clinic and supervision of psychology interns and psychologists

Tamar Shefi

Holds an M.A. in Child Clinical Psychology from the Academic College of Tel Aviv–Yaffo, and is a graduate of the Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Program at the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute. Has extensive experience working with children, adolescents, and their parents in public mental health settings, as well as with young children on the autism spectrum.
Specialized in parent-infant  psychotherapy and in early childhood trauma interventions at the Center for Early Relationship Support, JF&CS, in Boston, USA. Currently holds a privet practice in Tel Aviv, working with children, adolescents, and adults.

Bat-El Terehovsky Hagai

Infancy Lab Manager

Clinical Psychologist in Internship

Ortal Amir

Clinical Psychologist in Internship

receives her MA in clinical psychology and MA In organizational development from Reichman university. 

Trained in family and couples Psychotherapy  at Shinui Institute and working as a Family and Couples  therapist  at Herzliya Municipality.

Ruthi Dangot Fisher

Occupational Therapist – Consultant

Occupational therapist Since 1997, BA in Occupational Therapy from Tel Aviv University, MA in Family Studies from the College of Management Academic Studies (COLMAN).Worked at Geha Mental Health Center for 20 years at the Pediatric word and at the Infancy outpatient clinic, was a Member of the board of the Baby Mental Health Association (Israel WAIMH). Specializes in working with infants and toddlers with sensory processing difficulties, difficulty in sleeping, eating and behavioral problem. Treat privately infants and toddlers at their home and at her privet clinic.

Margalit Izakson

MD Adult Psychiatrist - Consultant

Graduated the Sackler school of medicine in Tel Aviv University and completed her residency in adults psychiatry at the Geha mental health center

Yael Schlesinger

Yael received her MA in clinical psychology from Reichman University (the Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya) in 2016. Her Masters thesis was conducted at the Research Unit, under the joint supervision of Dr. Tahli Frenkel and Prof. Daniel Hamiel. Yael explored a novel technique of visual biofeedback intervention, using ultrasound, during the second stage of childbirth. She investigated the impact of this novel intervention on both medical and psychological beneficial outcomes, such as pushing efficacy, perineal tearing, maternal bonding, and post-traumatic symptoms post labor. Yael’s doctoral research is conducted under joint supervision of Dr. Tahli Frenkel at the Research Unit, and Prof. Naama Atzaba-Poria at Ben-Gurion University. She focuses on Identifying Early and Concurrent Mechanisms of Risk and Resilience which shape Preschool Children’s adjustment to the Large Scale stressor COVID-19.

Nathalie Ratzoni Sasson

received her MA in clinical psychology from Reichman University (the Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya) in 2016. Her Masters thesis was conducted at the Research Unit, under the joint supervision of Dr. Tahli Frenkel and Prof. Guy Doron. Nathalie examined postnatal onset of a particular dimension of OCD focusing on close interpersonal relationships (relationship-OCD, i.e. ROCD), within the parent-infant dyad (Parent-Infant ROCD). Findings provided initial evidence for Parent-Infant-ROCD and demonstrated its’ associated risk for perturbed maternal behavior and adverse infant social outcomes. Nathalie’s doctoral research is conducted under joint supervision of Dr. Tahli Frenkel at the Research Unit, and Prof. Naama Atzaba-Poria at Ben-Gurion University.