In the last few years, Jewish mental health professionals have experienced an alarming increase in antisemitic language and actions from clients and colleagues, at professional conferences and within professional associations.
Social workers, psychiatrists, psychologists and others in the mental health field are grappling with how to best respond to these situations — or whether to respond at all — while maintaining professionalism and preserving their Jewish identity.
Join us on Sunday, June 7th in Bethesda, MD for a morning of thoughtful and nuanced conversation with professionals in the field who are at the forefront of this issue. We will be joined by clinical psychologist, Parents for Peace Dr. Miri Bar-Halpern, PshD, who has written extensively and spoken publicly on the dangers of characterizing Zionism as a mental illness and educating non-Jewish colleagues about the harm of traumatic invalidation.
We will also hear from local, national, and local leaders actively working to address antisemitism.
Jeff Mendelsohn, Associate Vice President, Advocacy & Civic Engagement, Jewish Federations of North America
Andrea Yudell, LICSW, LCSW-C, co-founder Jewish Social Work Consortium
Dr. Matt Biel, M.D., M.Sc., Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Director of the Thrive Center for Children, Families, and Communities at Georgetown University Medical Center
Attendees will also have an opportunity to meet with fellow social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists in the DMV to learn from each other, share experiences and determine how to best coordinate advocacy within professional organizations to counter antisemitism.
A light breakfast will be provided. There is no cost to attend.
Date & Time
-
Location
Bethesda, MD
Speaker
Dr. Miri Bar-Halpern
Clinical Psychologist, Trauma Educator and Public Speaker
Dr. Miri Bar-Halpern is a clinical psychologist, advocate, and speaker specializing in trauma and recovery. She helps individuals, families, and communities navigate the impact of trauma with clarity, compassion, and evidence-based care.
Miri is the Director of Trauma Training and Services at Parents for Peace, and a lecturer at Harvard Medical School, where she trains the next generation of trauma-informed clinicians.
With two decades of experience across clinical, academic, tech startup, and policy settings, she’s developed global training programs and public health initiatives focused on resilience, healing, and recovery—especially in the face of extremism, identity-based violence, and chronic stress.
Whether working with a family in crisis or advising policymakers, Miri brings deep expertise, warmth, and a clear voice to some of the hardest conversations of our time.
Get in Touch
For all offered services, including tailored consultations, workshops, and trainings, please contact me directly.
Speaker
Jeff Mendelsohn
Associate Vice President for Advocacy and Civic Engagement at Jewish Federations of North America in
Jeff Mendelsohn is Associate Vice President for Advocacy and Civic Engagement at Jewish Federations of North America in Washington, DC. At JFNA, he leads efforts to empower Federations to combat antisemitism and Israel bias at the municipal level and within civil society spaces. Jeff also spearheads several initiatives that help strengthen and expand Jewish Federations’ grassroots advocacy work around the country and on Capitol Hill.
Jeff’s career spans law, politics, and advocacy. A San Antonio native and graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, he spent twelve years as chief of staff to two Members of Congress from Texas, more than a decade at AIPAC where he launched and led a national effort to engage non-Jewish constituencies in pro-Israel education and advocacy, and later founded Pro-Israel America, a bipartisan political committee supporting pro-Israel candidates. Jeff is active in Jewish communal life, serves on the Harvard Hillel board, and lives in Washington, DC, with his wife. They have three adult children.
Andrea Yudell, MSW, LICSW, LCSW-C
Psychotherapy and Consultation
Andrea Yudell, LICSW, LCSW-C, is a clinical social worker and psychotherapist in the DC Metro Area with 25 years of experience treating anxiety, trauma, chronic medical conditions, parenting stressors, and other life challenges. She integrates psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, and somatic approaches, including EMDR and somatic imagery, fostering clients’ sense of curiosity about themselves as a vehicle for insight, emotional regulation, and greater ease in daily life. In addition to her clinical work, she’s a founding member of the Jewish Social Work Consortium, a network of academics, clinicians, and advocates dedicated to promoting ethical standards, cultural competency, and awareness of dehumanizing narratives in the field.
Matthew Biel, M.D., M.Sc.
Pediatric Psychiatry, Psychiatry Education
Matthew Biel, MD, MSc serves as Director of the Thrive Center for Children, Families, and Communities at Georgetown University Medical Center, where he also holds the Marriott Chair in Child, Adolescent, and Family Mental Health and is Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics. Dr. Biel also serves as the Division Chief of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. He leads a diverse array of projects and research seeking to support the resilience and wellbeing of children, adolescents, and families, and to improve access to high-quality mental health care through programs based in community settings including schools and primary care. He co-founded Early Childhood Innovation Network, a citywide effort to improve developmental outcomes for children and families in Washington, DC. Dr. Biel was selected as an Aspen Ascend Fellow in 2018. His clinical efforts focus on children and adolescents with anxiety and stress disorders, trauma-related conditions, autism spectrum disorders, and complex medical illnesses. He has published numerous articles and book chapters and is involved nationally in psychiatric education and advocacy for children’s mental health. Dr. Biel received his medical degree and a master’s degree in Community Medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. He trained in general psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine.