Even after a horrific terror attack such as what Israel experienced on October 7, never underestimate the power of a hug, especially when it comes from Hibuki. Meaning “my hug” in Hebrew, Hibuki is both a method of therapy for child trauma survivors and the moniker for a stuffed dog with large mournful eyes and long thin arms that attach with Velcro to wrap children in a therapeutic embrace.

Trained mental health professionals encourage young patients to “project their anxieties onto the toy and handle their fears through treatment,” according to Hibuki’s website. The dog and method were created in Israel in 2006 by psychologists Shai Hen-Gal and Avi Sadeh to help children cope with the trauma caused by the Second Lebanon War. Since then, Hibuki has been used with young earthquake victims in Turkey and Japanese children orphaned in the 2011 tsunami.

The therapeutic protocol initially was for one or two sessions with children ages 4 to 8. However, psychologist Dafna Sharon-Maksimov created a longer-term version called Hibuki Therapy in response to the war in Ukraine. A native of Belarus who made aliyah in 1997, she had studied with Hen-Gal and continues to work with him. 

With Sharon-Maksimov’s help, Ukraine has seen a large-scale application of Hibuki Therapy, which involves increased parental involvement and an individualized approach for children up to age 16 for eight to 10 sessions. “No two kids are the same,” she said, “and no two traumas are the same.” 

Hibuki Therapy is provided free of charge through the support of private donors and with the Genesis Prize grant money that Sharon-Maksimov received, along with a cohort of other charitable organizations, including Hadassah, in 2023 for aid work in Ukraine. Sharon-Maksimov has trained over 4,500 practitioners in Ukraine who, in turn, have used her method to help over 20,000 children.

Closer to home, in the first 48 hours after the Hamas attacks, Sharon-Maksimov said she received more than 100 requests for Hibuki Therapy from kindergarten teachers, child psychologists and parents. Since then, Sharon-Maksimov has personally provided treatment for hundreds of Israeli children and is anticipating many more.  

“The need is enormous,” she said, “but our work has never felt more immediate or more important.” 

Avi Dresner serves as a volunteer board member of Hibuki International.