Therapeutic Intervention in a Continuous Shared Traumatic Reality: An Example from the Israeli – Palestinian Conflict Tamar Lavi 1, *, Orit Nuttman-Shwartz 2 , and Rachel Dekel 3 1 Sderot Resilience Center, Sderot, Israel 2 The Israeli National Council for Social Work, School of Social Work, Sapir College, Shaar Hanegev, Israel 3 Louis and Gabi Weisfeld School of Social Work, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel * Correspondence to Tamar Lavi, Ph.D., 109 Morag St, Newe Mivtah, Israel. E-mail: tamar@lavi.ws Abstract Growing political instability around the world has exposed an increasing number of communi- ties to military conflict. Social workers and other mental health professionals who work as trauma workers, and who both live and practise within these communities, are doubly exposed: directly and indirectly, personally and professionally. The present study examined the consequences on trauma workers and on the therapeutic process itself of working in a con- tinuous Shared Traumatic Reality. The study was based on content analysis of three focus groups conducted among thirty trauma workers, between the ages of thirty and sixty, who were trained in a variety of therapeutic professions, mainly social work. Findings suggest that a high level of exposure to life threats and emotional distress can coexist with high levels of pro- fessional functioning and resilience. Results further point to complex implications associated with therapeutic relationships and settings that include: diminution of the transitional space, strengthened sense of identification between workers and clients, and acceleration of the therapeutic process. The discussion reviews the variables that facilitate and impede the professionals’ functioning and highlights the unique effects of continuous exposure. Keywords: Shared Traumatic Reality, terror, trauma, trauma workers, interventions Accepted: November 2015 Introduction The literature focusing on trauma workers with traumatised clients has long recognised the profound, pathogenic and long-lasting toll such work takes on professionals who practise it, such as secondary traumatisation, compassion # The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The British Association of Social Workers. All rights reserved. British Journal of Social Work (2015) 1–17 doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcv127 www.basw.co.uk British Journal of Social Work Advance Access published December 17, 2015 by guest on December 20, 2015 http://bjsw.oxfordjournals.org/ Downloaded from