The “Nitzan” Unit: Empowering Women who Experienced Sexual Abuse, and aiding them to the Community

About “Nitzan” The Summit Institute has created the “Nitzan” Unit, which helps women who have been sexually abused in their childhood and as young adults. “A large portion of the women who come to us,” says the unit’s staff, “have experienced abuse within their family at a very young age, and were basically denied any support.” Abuse that takes place within the family virtually disconnects the absed from their environment. That is why it is crucial to offer them treatment and rehabilitation that is suitable to their condition. The “Nitzan” Unit offers a unique therapeutic structure which helps those harmed to cope better and return to be a part of the community. The “Nitzan” Unit was established in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, and is currently giving treatment to about 20 women. The treatment given by the “Nitzan” Unit is based on building a stable, well defined structure, with clear boundaries, combined with a supportive feedback, intended to create a safe environment. Some of the women live in a shared apartment and some in apartments which they rent within the community. The rehabilitated women receive psycho-therapeutic treatment twice a week. They receive guidance from professionals, occupational guidance, a dietitian; they also participate in the sports center’s classes, like self-defense. Additionally, they take part in a DBT style therapy group and receive psychiatric treatment. As a result of experiencing severe and ongoing sexual abuse in their past, the women in the unit are coping with Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (Complex PTSD) Syndrome. The syndrome manifests in flashbacks, self injuring, difficulties with emotional regulation, and extreme behavior. These women are courageously confronting on a daily basis the outcomes of sexual abuse, in a manner which necessitates a lot of attention and care. Much to our regret, the Ministry of Health’s Rehabilitation Packet is not capable of answering the needs of those women, and the Institute is trying to fill the gap using donations. In fact, the “Nitzan” Unit is, often times, the only place these women have.  The “Nitzan” Unit’s Goals Our motto is “from victims to victors’” and we operate in its light. This program is meant for the empowerment and life-quality improvement of women who cope with mental illnesses as a result of sexual abuse. We help these women fulfill their full personal potential and successfully integrate in the community. The “Nitzan” Unit understands the unique needs of the women patients, and provides a set framework which offers psychological response, containment, guidance and treatment, as well as encourages these women’s aspiration to a fuller life. We are proud to state that we have a high success rate among women who have finished the rehabilitative course and are successfully leading an independent lifestyle. Personal Letters Written by Women from the “Nitzan Unit”: “I am writing this letter to ask for an extension for continuing my treatment at ‘Nitzan’. The program helped me so much. I feel like a completely different person than who I was when I just came in. Back then I was lost and weak and mainly didn’t believe in myself and my abilities, but I always had hope that things can turn for the better if they give me the right support. And you were the right support. I learned to live in a partnership, to persist with work and school. I learned how to shine my living space, and how to cook for myself and for other people. I learned to regulate myself and handle emotions and bad experience in healthier ways. I learned where to let go and where to insist. The support of the team in “Nitzan” gives me the confidence to keep daring, and the time to create a safety net for myself, knowing now that I am not alone. I feel that I have more to get from the guided process, and the DBT group, and the therapists’ guidance. I would like to continue and develop with the help of the program. I am still learning. About relationships, about how to see the point in them. I am learning to handle pressure, knowing how to handle my time more effectively. I am learning how to take care of myself, even on days when I feel unwell and powerless. I am learning to search for my dreams, what career would be best and most meaningful to me. I hope I get the chance to continue my process with you.” A., currently in the “Nitzan Unit”  “I work at a clothing store. I started as a regular worker and today I am a manager. I never would have thought I could be a manager. I love to see women coming in the store and finding clothes that make them feel good about themselves. I tell each woman that comes in that she is beautiful. I am thankful for my time in ‘Nitzn’. It taught me that I can treat my past and my experiences differently: that I can be a light for others, not in spite of my trauma, but because of it.” S., a “Nitzan” Unit graduate