Short Biography:

Yael Lahav is a licensed clinical psychologist and an assistant professor (senior lecturer) in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Tel Aviv University, Israel. In her PhD dissertation, she explored the relations between interpersonal and somatic facets among former prisoners of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Since she received her PhD, Dr. Lahav has completed two post-doctoral periods, at the University of Southern Denmark, and subsequently at Stanford University, after receiving the prestige Fulbright Scholarship. In addition, Dr. Lahav worked as a research fellow at the I-CORE Research Center for Mass Trauma at Tel Aviv University. Her research has involved collaborating with leading research groups in the field of trauma and has led to advances in the knowledge both in Israel and abroad.

Research Interests: 

Dr. Lahav's interests revolve primarily around the unique relations between the psychological, interpersonal, somatic, physiological, and functional facets of psychological trauma, as well as the “contagious” effect of trauma as manifested in the strong bonds between victims and perpetrators. Her research is conducted among a variety of traumatized populations, including survivors of childhood abuse (sexual, physical and emotional), domestic abuse, ex-POWs and war veterans.

Being a clinical psychologist, her aspiration, research-wise, is to promote treatment for trauma survivors. Thus, Dr. Lahav hs also interested in psychotherapy research among trauma survivors, with emphasis on practices that integrate psychological and somatic aspects.