By Thomas Hübl

Note: I’m writing this in December, 2025, to share my perspectives on the ongoing crises in the Middle East, and how we might approach working with collective trauma during this time. I also hope that this article can inspire a deepening reflection on how each of us can make our unique contribution to healing individual, ancestral, and collective trauma.

Reflections from a Region in Crisis

Having lived mostly in Tel Aviv, Israel as a non-citizen and in Germany for more than a decade I’ve experienced a time of tremendous change and intensity. I was drawn to this part of the world for many reasons, but especially to the rich history of this land as the center of major world religions and spiritual traditions. As a European from a Christian background, I bring more of an “outsider” perspective, and my intention has always been to contribute – however possible – to healing initiatives in this region, where there are longstanding cultural wounds. And at the same time, it has always felt important to not bring in assumptions from the outside nor impose a methodology, but rather to listen, to facilitate dialogue, and help build bridges that can lay the groundwork for healing.

To live here is to experience the tension on the ground every day and the violence that often erupts. I witnessed the aftermath of the attack by Hamas in Israel on October 7, 2023, and the devastating impact on victims, their families, and communities. I also experienced personally the impacts of two years of missile attacks on Israel coming from multiple fronts. These attacks have occurred in a context where Israelis already live with a sense of vulnerability and threat within the region, and where Jewish communities worldwide are facing a marked rise in antisemitic violence and hate speech.

At the same time, I have been horrified by the devastating violence inflicted on unprotected civilians in Gaza, who have no defenses against these military attacks, and their catastrophic effects. As of this writing, the Gaza Health Ministry and other independent analysts, report more than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 100,000 injured. Much of the population of Gaza has been displaced and deprived of adequate food, housing, and medical care. Many have lost multiple family members and watched their homes and communities be destroyed. This is happening in the context of a current and historical imbalance of power.

The images and stories coming from Gaza are shocking and heartbreaking. People and organizations around the world have condemned the actions of the Israeli government and called for an end to the violence. In Israel many have been moved to activism, protesting and demanding an end to the violence both in Gaza and the West Bank. I also call for an end to the violence, for a lasting ceasefire, and for diplomatic solutions that support self-determination, safety, dignity, and human rights for all.

In a moment of acute crisis, every affected individual needs care and support. Healing from collective trauma cannot happen for large groups and countries while violent conflict is actively unfolding and people are suffering.

During this recent time, my focus in the region has been on both trauma relief and providing support and training for those who work directly in the field – healthcare workers, therapists, doctors, and first responders. I have done this work personally and also through our various organizations, including the Pocket Project which has been engaged in trauma relief projects for both Palestinian and Jewish communities. These current projects build on a foundation of work I began many years ago in the region. I am also pursuing opportunities to work with diplomats and mediators, both inside and outside of governments, to support trauma-informed conflict resolution and the creation of collective healing architectures on a larger level.

Healing Collective Trauma

The term “collective trauma” refers to the impact of large-scale natural or human-made disasters that are experienced by entire communities. The effects often unfold long after the events have passed and are carried through generations. And the effects are also systemic – we are born into societies and cultures where symptoms of unhealed collective trauma show up as interpersonal, social, and political dysfunction of all kinds. When the deeper roots of this dysfunction are not seen, we simply experience it as “normal” – it is the water we are all swimming in.

The important question is: how can groups, communities, and whole societies actually heal their collective wounds so that deep and lasting transformation occurs?

First, we need to recognize that the nature of collective trauma work differs depending on the proximity of the traumatic events. When acute traumas are unfolding, we work to change the conditions on the ground to end the violence, and we mitigate the suffering by providing aid and support. During times of stability and relative calm, when basic existential safety has been restored, we can do deeper trauma healing work to address the individual and collective symptoms of PTSD. This prepares a pathway for collective healing, such as through restorative justice, reparations, and other reconciliation efforts.

There is another level of collective trauma work that is possible when a group comes together to consciously allow layers of historical and ancestral traumas to emerge, and to be witnessed, held, and processed within a safe container. This is a kind of group process that requires highly skilled facilitation. I believe the benefits of this type of healing work have a profound impact not only on the group participants, but on the wider society since we are all interconnected in a web and a stream of life that stretches even beyond the present time. There is a spiritual dimension to this type of work as we learn to attune to current – and past – events. It is also a new field of practice that is still in its early stages of development.

If we do not work to heal the wounds of collective trauma during times of relative peace, we are destined to repeat the same patterns of conflict over and over again.

Playing Our Part in a Global Healing Movement

It is our calling and our opportunity now to create a global healing movement that can grow and evolve to meet the challenges of our time. It is up to each of us to find a way to make our unique contribution to that unfolding.

My own focus over the past 25 years has been teaching and coaching individuals, practitioners and leaders who are deeply committed to growth and healing and are navigating the complexities of trauma in a range of settings. In our programs and retreats, we are actively exploring and refining our approaches to individual, ancestral, and collective trauma healing. We engage often with experts, such as through our Collective Trauma Summits, and we share learnings that can be applied to each of our roles as trauma therapists, organizational leaders, activists, physicians, or educators, to give a few examples. As a community we have generated mutual support for this work to grow and be effective, which will only be needed more and more as we face greater challenges in the world.

As we work together to grow this movement, I believe it is important to be aware of how we can become polarized, even within our own communities. Among those who are dedicated to healing and peacebuilding, there are different ways of working, cultural backgrounds, and types of expertise. Our movement is stronger when we see where are aligned in our care vs. rejecting those whose methods or perspectives may differ in some way from our own. This is especially true when there are those who aim to widen and exploit divisions in our world for their own benefit.

We must each find our calling – whether it’s offering humanitarian assistance, fighting for human rights, protesting against a government, or supporting others who work in conflict zones. The urgency of this time calls each of us to respond, refining and maturing our competencies as we learn from experience and from each other.

I plan to post more articles in the coming year, to share my perspectives on how we can together develop new pathways for healing in these times of ongoing crisis and accelerating change.