Alternative Therapies at Machol
Out of the bustle of the crowded and noisy city, an island of security and serenity await where the sounds of birds chirping announce your arrival. Here, between greening vistas and blossoming fields, lies the Machol Residential Village for teenage girls at risk.
Machol is home to teenage girls at risk, grades 9-12 from religious homes, whose existing places of learning in the religious sector did not suit them for various reasons. In the absence of a supportive framework, they fell into vagrancy and extended periods out of school. Consequently, they found themselves exposed to grave risks, more than once.
With an understanding of the emotional upheaval the girls endured, Timora’s guiding principle is to walk with them, hand in hand, through the emotional process of introspection. Enabling each one of these young women to examine her difficulties, meet them, and gradually get away from them, is what allows the girls to free themselves and progress into a happier life.
Machol’s Alternative Therapy Treatment sessions encourage each young woman to express her inner world through drawing, music, writing, dance therapy and animal therapy. The program runs for 35 weeks and includes 23 weekly hours of art, 15 weekly hours of music, 8 weekly hours of movement and 12 weekly hours of animal therapy.
Most of Machol’s teenage girls at risk have suffered sexual abuse that has left them with both physical and emotional scars. These girls cannot be physically touched, and emotionally they feel ashamed of their bodies and do not want to talk about what happened to them. Body-psychotherapy, such as dance therapy, is a perfect alternative to conventional “talk therapy”. Dance movement therapy (DMT) is a healing modality for our teenage girls who have been subjected to violence or sexual abuse. DMT strengthens the body/mind connection through movement, working to find the healthy balance that is so greatly needed for Machol’s teenage girls’ at risk. DMT strives to improve both the mental and physical well-being of our girls and empower them to freely release their aggression and reconnect to their bodies.
Timora’s unique educational and therapeutic model helps teenage girls at risk who arrive at Machol’s doorstep because they are in a crisis. Together we give these girls the needed tools to overcome their painful pasts and to build futures of resiliency and self-sufficiency. Academic achievement is pursued in small study groups and one-on-one learning sessions with qualified teachers.
Machol offers individually-tailored programs based on trusting relationships between the girls and Machol’s professional staff. Together they work towards healthy daily functioning and economic self-sufficiency as they transition into adulthood.
The restructuring of her internal world is intended to bring the teenage girl at risk back to herself and to the anchor of her family that she needs to feel safe and protected. In this manner, each young woman can successfully integrate into various life structures; from National Service to the army, education, joining the work force and leading a balanced, healthy and fulfilling family life.