Seymour Hoffman

The Interface Between the Ultra-Orthodox Community and Mental Health Seymour Hoffman

This book is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Moshe Rothschild, z"l, who was the president and founder of "Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center and "Marbeh Daat" Mental Health Center in Bnei Brak, Israel. Fourteen out of sixteen of the articles in this book were authored by religious and haredi mental health professionals of the Mental Health Center. The topics discussed in this book include the special considerations and challenges in treating patients from the haredi community, attitudes of rabbis toward psychological treatment, psychological effects of extreme modesty standards, eating disorders in the haredi community, and the unique experience of working in a psychiatric facility under haredi auspices, among others. Several articles present treatment cases that required "thinking outside the box" interventions when confronted with therapeutic impasse. The editor believes that mental health professionals treating religious and ultra-orthodox patients, rabbis, teachers working in religious institutions and those interested in the interface between the ultra-orthodox community and mental health will enjoy and benefit from reading this informative volume.