Frequently Asked Questions

FOR PEOPLE SEEKING THERAPY

What is ISTDP?

ISTDP is an emotionally focused, research-based therapy. It starts from what truly matters to you, from your own wish to change, and explores together with you what stops you from being who you are. The work happens within the relationship in the room, not only in talking about what happened outside it.

How is it different from "regular" therapy?

This isn't a therapy where we talk about things. It's a therapy where we help you with what truly matters to you. We work actively and in a focused way on what is happening in the moment, including what is happening between us, and many people feel a change already in the first sessions.

I've been in therapies that didn't really help. Why would this be different?

Many people fear that in therapy exactly what they fear will happen: that this time too, it won't work. I understand that. And more than understand: my focus is to create with you a new experience that will be a success for you. What matters to me most is building a therapeutic relationship that truly helps you. That isn't a given, and I've found that it often doesn't happen in therapy. If you've been in therapies that didn't really help, you're welcome to try something different.

What can I come with?

I specialize in working with crisis: times when something in life has broken or feels like it's falling apart. You can also come with anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, a sense of being stuck, or patterns that keep repeating. If there is an immediate danger to life, please contact emergency services first (in Israel: ERAN 1201 or MDA 101).

Will we work on the past and trauma?

Good therapy isn't built around the past and trauma. It's built around what truly matters to you in your life, in the present moment. My expertise is finding how to build a therapy that fits you exactly: what you want to change, and what stops you from getting there.

How do I start?

Write to me in a few words about what you'd like help with, and we'll schedule a first session. There is no preliminary introductory call. The work starts in the first session, because that's where what can really be worked on is.

How long does therapy last?

It varies from person to person, and we decide on it together. What matters is that the change is yours and stays with you for the long term. That's how I work: not so that you stay dependent on me or on therapy, but so that from the start we build together a change that stays with you.

Where, and in which language?

At my clinic at 39 Hovevei Zion Street in Tel Aviv, which has parking, or on Zoom. In Hebrew or in English.

How long is a session, and what does it cost?

The first session is two hours: time to really work on what brought you, not just to get acquainted. From the second session on, each session is a full hour. Fee details are given when you get in touch.

FOR THERAPISTS

I'm a therapist. How can I learn from you?

There are several frameworks: an in-person learning group at my clinic in Tel Aviv, international supervision groups on Zoom, Core Training programs I teach together with Jon Frederickson, and focused workshops. To get to know the way I work, you can start with an experiential evening at the clinic.

Do I need a background in ISTDP?

No. The learning isn't about yet another approach, but about how to truly understand the patient in front of you and build a therapy that makes sense to them. It suits therapists of all approaches and at every stage.

What is "the Companion"?

A tool I developed from the way I treat and supervise. For therapists, the Clinical Companion helps you think through a case you're stuck on, by way of questions. For everyone, "The Life Within You" is a personal companion for reflection between sessions; it is not a substitute for therapy. Conversations are not saved. You can get a code for a free one-month trial.

Who am I?

Yuval Alon, clinical social worker and psychotherapist, founder of ISTDP Israel. I teach and supervise therapists in Israel and internationally, and I translated Jon Frederickson's book Co-Creating Change into Hebrew.

Get in touch: a.yuval7@gmail.com · +972-52-2332179 (also on WhatsApp)