They’re taking care of Nova survivors.
Now let’s take care of them.
Sharing Shalom is committed to helping Israeli mental health professionals, so they can best support trauma survivors.
Risks of being a therapist in Israel
Burnout.
Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress or excessive workload.
Caring for a high volume of traumatized clients places Israeli providers at high risk of professional burnout. If these professionals stop practicing, it will leave many Israelis without care.
Secondary Trauma.
By repeatedly hearing about traumatic events, Israeli mental health professionals are at high risk for secondary trauma (also known as vicarious trauma).
The absorption of another’s trauma can cause intrusive thoughts, emotional numbness, anxiety, and issues with sleep and concentration.
Occupational Hazards.
Exposure to violent clients, ethical dilemmas, administrative red tape, and legal challenges all pose risks to mental health providers. These risks are especially heightened during times of war.
Being a therapist in Israel requires resilience, cultural competence, and self-care.
Isolation.
Professionals are expected to be the pillars of strength for their clients, friends, family, and community. Expected to “hold” the pain of others, therapists often find that they are often under-supported themselves.
Therapists need space for healing, along with networks of peer support.
We provide healing opportunities that aren't available in the Middle East.
Donate TodayHow we do it:
Our program creates the spaciousness needed for new perspective, connection, and growth.
Preparation
We take the time to get to know our program participants. Starting with individual web sessions and then progressing to group calls, we build trust and co-create a trauma-informed container for healing.
This strong foundation allows us to come together in person ready to begin the “deep dive” of the retreat.
The Medicine: Hikuri
The hikuri cactus (Lophophora williamsii) grows in the desert, where it withstands extreme temperatures, drought, and intense sunlight. It is the harsh conditions of the desert, in fact, that stimulate the cactus’ production of the medicinal compound mescaline.
Also known as peyote, hikuri has been used for healing purposes for at least 5,000 years, and it continues to be an important part of the cultural and spiritual heritage of indigenous peoples of Mexico and the United States.
Nowadays, hikuri has gained the respect of modern medicine for its ability to heal trauma, promote emotional wellbeing, and engender mystical experiences.
The hikuri ceremony happens in a group setting, allowing participants to regain trust in others and heal in natural surroundings. It is a medicine of the desert, for the people of the desert.
The Temazcal
The traditional Mexican sweat lodge is called the Temazcal. Held within a womb-like hut, the temazcal ceremony connects us to nature and ancient Mexica traditions.
The heat from the volcanic stones in the temazcal promotes physical and spiritual well-being. Through breathing the aromatic steam of medicinal herbs, singing, and sweating, participants experience purification and spiritual renewal.
The temazcal also gives us the gifts of community and shared rituals, fostering unity and connection.
Integration & Ongoing Support
Integration helps us organize the information gleaned during ceremony and weave it into our lives.
Integration allows us to make sense and meaning out of our experiences, so that we don’t have to keep rushing back to substances for guidance.
Why plant medicine?
The last 30 years have seen an explosion of rigorous research into the field of psychedelic healing. These medicines have shown compelling outcomes in not only treating, but actually curing, conditions that afflict far too many Israelis: Depression, anxiety, addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the co-morbidities and social handicaps that come with these conditions.
While there are many wonderful therapies offered in Eretz Yisrael, psychedelic medicine is sadly missing from the repertoire of safe-to-access and legal therapies. For many people, it is the sacred ancestral medicines like hikuri that can actually break through and heal the conditions that other therapies can only palliate.
Why group healing?
Mental health professionals are tasked with being the pillars of support for their friends, families, and clients. All too often, however, these professionals are under-supported themselves. Those working in mental health also face stigma if they admit to struggling emotionally.
Group work allows us to heal relational wounds, and to have the rich gift of being witnessed and supported during the process. Retreat participants build comeraderie, friendships, and support networks that last years and decades after the program ends.
Your contribution
We would like to offer this program for free (or significantly discounted) to as many participants as possible
Our staff of esteemed professionals have donated their time and expertise to the project, but we still have other expenses.
Your tax-deductible donation to our 501(c)3 charitable organization helps us purchase plane tickets for our staff, rent a private retreat center, purchase food and hire cooks, and compensate the Marakame and his community.
Any monies remaining will go directly into our scholarship fund for the next retreat cohort.
Collaboration
If you’d like to collaborate on this project, please drop us a line at: retreats [at] righttoheal [dot] com
Retreat Schedule
Subject to change, to meet the unique needs of each group.
Preparation
Screening process
Prepataory 1:1 session (web)
Group call (web)
Retreat Day 1
Arrivals
Lunch
Crafts & jewelry-making workshop
Dinner
Opening ceremony
Retreat Day 2
Gentle movement
Breakfast
Group therapy
Ceremony Q&A
Lunch
Down time, naps, massages
Light dinner
Yoga
Hikuri ceremony all night
Retreat Day 3
Ceremony until sunrise
Breakfast
Down time, sleep
Lunch
Gentle movement
Temazcal ceremony
Dinner
Restorative yoga
Retreat Day 4
Gentle movement
Breakfast
Group integration
Lunch
Down time, massages
Dinner
Evening activity
Retreat Day 5
Gentle movement
Breakfast
Closing circle
Lunch
Departure
Aftercare
Integration group calls on Zoom
Nurting peace, within and without.
We support Israeli mental health providers, so they can foster peace back home.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What languages will be spoken in the program?
The program will be offered primarily in Hebrew.
We have carefully interviewed and selected Hebrew- and English-speaking professionals for the Project.
Right to Heal is an American organization operating in Mexico, with business operations in English and secondary dealings in Spanish. Fundraising and community education materials will be available in English and Spanish.
Our Marakame’s first language is Wixárika (also known as Huichol), the Uto-Aztecan language of his people. He also speaks Spanish as a second language.
Translation will be available to make all information available in English and Hebrew for our participants.
Can I come if I'm not Jewish or Israeli?
Our retreats are as diverse as is Israel. All are welcome to heal with us, provided they:
- Provide mental health services to Israelis (with preference given to providers serving Nova and Kibbutzism survivors)
- Speak Hebrew
- Are interested in healing in a safe group setting
- Have a passport and can travel internationally
If the retreat falls on a Saturday, we willl everyone to keep their phones out of common areas during the Jewish sabbath. We will also extend a no-pressure invitation to everyone (Jewish or not) to join us for a brief Kabbalat Shabbat on Friday evening and Havdalah on Saturday night.
The hikuri ceremony will be conducted according to the customs of the Wixarika people.
The food will be “kosher style” pescatarian meals (vegetarian food, plus dairy, eggs, and fish). No meat will be served during the retreat. Depending on the venue, we may or may not have a certified kosher kitchen.
Our compassion extends beyond the borders of Israel, and our hearts are with all who are suffering. We invite nuances of perspective, and the internal and external struggles that we face in light of what’s happening between the the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.
Is there a program for 10/7 survivors?
The first phase of this project is focused on helping Israeli mental health professionals get the strength and stamina they need to continue the important work of helping fellow Israelis back home.
We hope that forthcoming phases of the project will allow us to extend support to the many other populations that need healing.
Will everyone take hikuri and sit in the temazcal?
Everyone attending the ceremony will be served the medicine. How much you take is entirely up to you. You are welcome to take as much or as little as you like.
If you know that you do not want to take the medicine, then this retreat may not be the right choice for you at this time. (That being said, if you have a last minute change of heart, nobody will bully you into taking a drug you don’t want to take!)
People of all skin colors and ethnic backgrounds are welcome at our ceremonies. The Marakame is happy to share this medicine “with my brothers and sisters of all cultures,” as he says.
Folks who have heat intolerance, claustrophobia, or other contraindication to the sweat lodge are of course welcome to sit outside of the temazcal during the ceremony.
Can I come if I'm on antidepressant medication?
The active chemical in peyote is mescaline. Anecdotally, we haven’t seen any harmful interactions between mescaline and most antidepressant drugs, although people who are taking Monoamine Oxidate Inhibitors (MAOis), anti-psychotics, or mood stabilizers should not consume peyote. Please consult your prescribing physician for guidance.
We recommend that people with heart conditions and other fragile states consult with their doctors before consuming peyote.
Are there any medical contraindications?
The active chemical in peyote is mescaline.
We recommend that people with heart conditions and other fragile states consult with their doctors before consuming peyote.
People with the following conditions may not be good candidates for using mescaline:
Cardiovascular Issues: Mescaline can increase heart rate and blood pressure, making peyote particularly risky for individuals with pre-existing heart conditions, hypertension, or a history of stroke.
Mental Health Disorders: People with schizophrenia, psychosis, severe anxiety, or bipolar disorder may experience exacerbated symptoms or adverse psychological reactions, including hallucinations, paranoia, and delusions.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: The effects of mescaline on a developing fetus or nursing infant are not well understood. While indigenous women regularly consume hikuri, there are no clinical studies proving the safety of this practice.
Liver Conditions: Mescaline is metabolized in the liver, so individuals with liver disease or impaired liver function may experience heightened adverse effects or toxicity.
Medication Interactions: Peyote can interact with various medications. Talk with your prescribing doctor for details.
Seizure Disorders: Individuals with epilepsy or other seizure disorders may be at increased risk of seizures due to the psychoactive effects of mescaline.
How is the hikuri harvested?
The Marakame regularly goes on pilgrimmage to the Wirikuta Desert to make offerings, plant seeds, and harvest medicine. When he cuts the hikuri cactus, he is careful to leave the root structure in place, so that the plant may regenerate.
He then dries and grinds the medicine into powder, and combines the powder with other batches he has harvested. This means the medicine we take during the retreat will include some cacti he harvested last year, 10 years ago, and everything inbetween.
What about indigenous reciprocity?
The Marakame has received permission from his community to share the medicine with our group.
In return, Right to Heal is partnering with the community to purchase land in the Wirikuta desert, so that the peyote cacti growing there may be protected from the harms of the encroaching mining industry.
What is Right to Heal?
Right to Heal (RTH) is a non-demnominational, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization committed to integrative mental health.
We provide people around the world with virtual sessions to help them reclaim their mental and physical health. We also mentor doctors and industry developers on what’s new in the field and what works.
RTH is proud to host plant medicine retreats throughout the year, including retreats that feature psilocybin-containing mushrooms, ketamine, and hikuri.
While the scope of RTH’s education, empowerment, and advocay work includes psychedelic medicines, RTH does not exclusively focus on psychedelics. Nutrition, functional medicine, environmental influences, and lifestyle practices are all at the center of RTH’s mission.
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