Trauma under Fire: Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Sderot

Abstract

This article provides an insight into the work of a child clinical psychologist in Sderot, a small city in the south of Israel that suffered for several years from rocket attacks from the adjacent Gaza Strip. The article discusses the intersection between clinical work and politics as it manifests in the diagnosis and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder in the city. Using a clinical vignette, the article raises two questions regarding the responsibility of clinical psychologists. First, it invites them to consider political meanings during their clinical work, and second, to consider the role they play in creating a trauma-focused national narrative that preserves rather than tempers political conflicts.