Prof. Sara Freedman

Full Professor

 Education

Research Grants

2025-2027: Sheba Hospital & Bar-Ilan University Glue Grant. "VR Treatment for PTSD", Principal Investigator (Bar-Ilan)

2024-2025: Ministry of Regional Cooperation Israel. "Global Collaboration on Traumatic Stress: Regional Assessment of Service Provision", Principal Investigator

2021-2024: Israel Science Foundation. "Is Olfaction the Key to PTSD?", Principal Investigator

2019-2021: Ministry of Science, collaboration with Dr Pietro Cipresso, Italy. "PTSD Internet Therapy (PIT)", Principal Investigator

2016-2018: Israel Defense Forces, Medical Division. “Virtual Reality Treatment for Soldiers with PTSD”, Principal Investigator

2013-2016: Israel Insurance Association, “Emergency Room Intervention for PTSD”, Principal Investigator.

2012-2015: Israel Internet Association ISOC, "Early Intervention for Preventing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: an Internet Based Treatment.", Principal Investigator.

2010-2013: NIH/NIMH "Prevention of PTSD by Early Treatment II: Telephone Based CBT" (Co-Investigator, PI – Prof Arieh Shalev)

2005-2007: NIH/NIMH “Prevention of PTSD by early treatment” (Co-Investigator)

1998-2001: NIH/NIMH (RO1/ MH 50379 -- Competing Continuation “Prospective    neurobiological study of PTSD”

Organization of conferences

Scientific Committee, Annual Conference, European Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Therapy, 2015.

Scientific Committee, The 15th European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies Conference, June 2-4, 2017.

Abstract Reviewer, 33^rd Annual Meeting, International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, November, 2017

Symposium Co-ordinator: 3 symposia, international conferences.

Papers Presented At Scientific Conferences:

2018: Freedman, S.A. & Fund, S. Outreach following Terrorist Attacks: Does it Reach or Should it be Out? IPRED V, Tel Aviv, January 2018, Oral Presentation

2017: Freedman, S.A., Goren, Y., Shalev, A.Y. Previous Traumatic Events and Subsequent PTSD: What is the Role of Cognitions? International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies Conference, Chicago, November, 2017, Oral Presentation, Flash Talk

2017: Freedman, S.A. Social relationships in recovery from PTSD XV Conference of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Odense, June, 2017 

2017: Freedman, S.A. Interrupting traumatic memories: an emergency room virtual reality intervention for pain reduction and the prevention of PTSD. XV Conference of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Odense, June, 2017 

2017: Freedman, S.A. Interrupting Traumatic Memories: An Emergency Room Virtual Reality Intervention for Pain Reduction and the Prevention of PTSD. International Conference on Trauma and Mental Health 2017, Jerusalem, May, 2017

2017: BenNaim S, Shitrit R, Freedman S, Ekstein D, Arzy S, Eitan R Successful Suppression of Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures Involves Theta Band Activation of the Right Frontal Cortex. American Neuropscyhiatric Association Annual Meeting, Atlanta, March, 2017.

2016: Freedman, S.A. iVR - An Internet Based Virtual Reality Early Intervention for PTSD, International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies Conference, Dallas, November, 2016, Oral Presentation

2016: Freedman, S.A. Mental Health Following Terrorism, International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Dallas, November 2016, Workshop

2016: Freedman, S.A. Treating Patients Following Terrorist Attacks, Jewish Federation of Montreal, November, 2016, Invited Lecture

2016: Freedman, S.A. iVR - An Internet Based Virtual Reality Early Intervention for PTSD, European Society for Internet Interventions Conference, Bergen, Norway, September, 2016, Oral Presentation

2016: Freedman, S.A. & Hoffman, H. Interupting Trauma Memories: Virtual Reality in the Emergency Room, Cyberpsychology Conference, Dublin, June 2016

2016: Freedman, S.A. Mental Health Following Terror: From Individual Responses to Mass Disaster Care Plans, Conference on Terrorism, University of Southern Denmark, January 2016, Invited Plenary

2015: Freedman, S.A. iVR - An Internet Based Virtual Reality Early Intervention for PTSD, European Association of Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies Conference, Jerusalem, September, 2015, Oral Presentation

2015: Freedman, S.A., Hoffman, H. Interrupting Traumatic Memories: An Emergency Room Intervention for the Prevention of PTSD, European Association of Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies Conference, Jerusalem, September, 2015, Oral Presentation

2015: Freedman, S.A., Shalev, A.Y. Efficacy and Effectiveness of Early Clinical Interventions for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder,  European Association of Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies Conference, Jerusalem, September, 2015, Oral Presentation

2015: Freedman, S.A., Tuval Mashiach, R. The shared traumatic experience of war: Effects on therapists and perceived effects on patients. European Society for Traumatic Stress, Vilnius, Lithuania, June, 2015. Oral Presentation

2015: Freedman , S.A. & Tuval Mashiach, R. The Shared Traumatic Experience of War STAR Conference, Tel Aviv July 2015

2015: Reshef, S. & Freedman , S.A. Childbirth: Effects on Mother-Child Bonding and Marital Relationships, STAR Conference, Tel Aviv July 2015

2015: Freedman, S.A., Shalev, A.Y. Relationship satisfaction and PTSD: which is the chicken and which is the egg? European Society for Traumatic Stress, Vilnius, Lithuania, June, 2015. Oral Presentation

2014: Freedman, S.A.; Hershkowitz, M.; Dekel, R. Marital Satisfaction and Parenting Satisfaction and PTSD: The Mediating Effect of Depression, International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Miama, November, 2014, Oral Presentation 

2014: Freedman, S.A. Virtual Reality Web Based Early Intervention for PTSD. European Association of Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies Conference, The Hague, September 2014. Oral Presentation

2013: Shalev, Freedman, Ankri, Roitman,  Prevention of PTSD by Early Treatment - Three Year Follow-Up in the JTOPs Study International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Philadelphia, November, 2013, Poster Presentation

2013: Horesh, Freedman, Shalev,  Differential Effects of Prolonged Exposure and Cognitive Therapy on PTSD Symptom Clusters: Findings from the Jerusalem Trauma Outreach and Prevention Study. International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Philadelphia, November, 2013, Oral Presentation

2013: Galatzer-Levy, Shalev, Ankri, Freedman, Gilad, Israeli-Shalev, Diverging Trajectories of PTSD Symptoms Following Trauma and Differential Effect of CBT. International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Philadelphia, November, 2013, Oral Presentation

2013: Freedman, S.A.; Hershkowitz, M.; Dekel, R. Parenting and PTSD: The Effects of Attachment, Depression and Post-Traumatic Growth, International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Philadelphia, November, 2013, Oral Presentation

2013: Freedman, S.A. Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures and Cognitive Behavior Therapy: From Theory to Practice and Back Again. The founding meeting of the Brain Disease Research Center (BDRC), Jerusalem, September 29 – October 1, 2013. Invited Oral Presentation.

2013: Freedman, S. A., Casif-Lerner, R., Elchalal, U, Weiniger, C.F. Childbirth, PTSD and Past Traumatic Experience: A Complex Relationship European Society for Traumatic Stress, Bologna, Italy, June, 2013. Oral Presentation

2013: Freedman, S.A. To Be or Not To Be. European Society for Traumatic Stress, Bologna, Italy, June, 2013. Workshop

2012: Ankri, Y., Freedman, S.A., Roytman, P, Gilad, M., Shalev, Ay Early Telephone Cognitive Behavior   Therapy (Et-Cbt): A Novel Approach For Preventing Ptsd. International Society For Traumatic Stress Studies,  Los Angeles, November, 2012, Oral Presentation

2012: Freedman, S.A. Invited Participant: NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme Advanced Research Workshop “Reaching Vulnerable Populations Worldwide: Applying Evidence-Based Training and Core Psychological Change Processes to Disseminate Effective Services for Trauma Survivors”, Amsterdam, April, 2012

2012: Freedman, S.A. Gender Differences in response to terrorist attacks: from initial response to treatment response. International Society for Affective Disorders, London, April, 2012. Oral Presentation

2012: Freedman, S.A. Gender Differences in response to terrorist attacks: from initial response to treatment response. International Society for Affective Disorders, London, April, 2012. Oral Presentation

2012: Freedman, S.A., Gender Differences in Response to Terror Attacks: from Initial Response to Treatment Response 2nd International Conference on Preparedness & Response to Emergencies & Disasters and Health Care System, IPRED-II, Tel Aviv, January 2012, Poster

2012: Freedman, S.A., Shalev, A.S. Early Telephone Cognitive Behavior Therapy (ET-CBT): A Novel Approach For Preventing PTSD 2nd International Conference on Preparedness & Response to Emergencies & Disasters and Health Care System,  IPRED-II, Tel Aviv, January 2012, Oral Presentation

2012: Freedman, S.A., Shalev, A.S., Early Telephone Cognitive Behavior Therapy. Trauma Through the Life Cycle from a Strengths-Based Perspective, Jerusalem 2012, Oral Presentation

2011: Freedman, S.A., Ankri, Y, Shalev, A.S. CBT Delivered by Telephone as an Early Intervention: Pilot Results from a Randomized Controlled Study, Ministry of Health, Chief Scientist Office, Health Research Seminar, June, 2011, Poster

2009: 14th Annual International CyberTherapy and CyberPsychology Conference (Italy)"Virtual reality exposure therapy for the treatment of PTSD following a bulldozer attack on civilians in Jerusalem" (Josman, N, Freedman, S.A., Garcia-Palacios, A., Weiss, P. & Hoffman, H.), Poster.

2009: B'shvilaych, The Women to Women Well-Health Center (Jerusalem, Israel). "OCD in the Community", Invited lecture

2008: 21st ECNP Conference. "Comparison of prolonged exposure to cognitive therapy and SSRI's efficacy in acute PTSD" (Shalev, A.Y., Israeli-Shalev, Y., Errera, Y. Adessky, R, Freedman, S.A.), Poster.

2008: NATO Advanced Research Workshop (Jerusalem, Israel). "PTSD: from Individual Treatment to Mass Casualties",  Invited Lecture

2007: CME for Family Doctors. "Cognitive Behavioral Therapy", Lecture.

2006: Dept of Rehabilitation Psychology (Bar Ilan University, Israel). "PTSD Treatment",  Lecture

2006: International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (Los Angeles). "Who Needs Care, Who wants Care, Who is Helped by Early Intervention: 5600 Trauma Survivors’ Results" (Shalev, A.Y., Freedman, S.A. & Adessky, R.),   Lecture

2006: International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (Los Angeles). "Screening and Outreach for PTSD: the Hadassah Jerusalem Study" (Shalev, A.Y., Freedman, S.A., Israeli, Y. & Adessky, R.), Lecture

2005: European Society of Stress Studies (Stockholm). "PTSD, MDD and Cognitive Appraisal", Lecture

2005: International Congress of Cognitive Psychotherapy (Gothenburg). "Ongoing Terrorism and CBT: Challenges and Solutions", Lecture

2005: The College of Management Academic Studies Division, Institute for Research in Traffic Accident Causes, 8th Conference (Tel Aviv). "Psychiatric and Psychological treatment of Traffic Accident Victims" (Freedman, S.A. & Shalev, A.Y.), Lecture

2004: Israel Association for Cognitive & Behavioral Psychotherapies, Yom Iyun. "Anger Management and CBT", Lecture

2002: International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (Baltimore). "Psychological Intervention with Civilian Terror Victims" (Freedman, S.A. & Adessky, R.), Lecture

1999: Annual Meeting of American Psychiatric Association (Washington DC). "Predictors of chronic post-traumatic stress disorder" (Freedman, S. A., Brandes, D, Peri, T & Shalev A.Y.), Poster.

1997: American Psychiatric Association, 150th Annual Meeting (San Diego, CA). "Physiological response to trauma and subsequent PTSD. New Research, Program and Abstract" (Shalev AY, Freedman S, Peri T, Glick N, Brandes D, Orr SP, Pitman RK)

1997: American Psychiatric Association, 150th Annual Meeting (San Diego, CA). "Predicting PTSD in recent trauma survivors" (Shalev AY, Peri T, Freedman S, Brandes D, Sahar T, Pitman RK, Orr SP)

1993: European Association of Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies Conference (London). "Post traumatic stress disorder in nurses" (Freedman, S. A., Wykes T & Harrington R.)

EDITORIAL ACTIVITY

Editorial Board Member:

2015- present: Research on Social Work Practice

2016 – present: Frontiers in Psychology

GRANT REVIEWER

2013 – present

Israel Science Foundation; Binational Science Foundation; Israeli Neurobiological Association.

AD HOC REVIEWER

JAMA Psychiatry; PLOS One; Frontiers in Psychology, Israel Journal of Psychiatry;  Acta Scandinavia; British Journal of Medical Psychology; European Journal of Psychology; Journal of Clinical Psychiatry; Comprehensive Psychiatry, Journal of Anxiety Disorders;

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP

Israel Association for Cognitive Behavior Therapy

International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies

European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies

Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology