09/02/2025
As psychotherapists, we are in the profession of empathy — seeking to understand and connect with our clients’ lived experiences. When we lose the capacity to imagine and invest in another person’s suffering, we also lose the capacity to heal.
The world at large is in an empathy crisis. Not only have over 18,000 children been killed in G❤️Za in less than two years, but we have come to treat this as an acceptable outcome. We accept it with our silence, with our scrolling by, and with our complete disconnection to the lives those children were living.
But the mind-body medicine space is full of deep feelers and big hearts. Can we allow ourselves to see, value, and feel for this family?
Meet Hamdy. He has three children. His wife is pregnant. They recently took in four nieces and nephews whose parents died in a bombing. Overnight, Hamdy became responsible for seven children —all while living in a tent in the rubble. Swipe to see our impact so far. First we raised enough money to get them a mattress, then a cover to protect against the blistering sun, then a ride to evacuate G❤️Za City (their fourth displacement), then a roof over their head. Look at their son Ibrahim’s JOY as he dances into his new home.
But our greatest offering is reminding them every day that they matter to us. I deeply love these children. I hear from them daily. Checking on them is the first thing I do in the morning.
With the high cost and low supply of nearly everything, it costs many thousands of dollars a month to feed and house Hamdy’s family, and they are one of seven families we are working to support.
Empathy is strongest when it moves us to act. Please consider sharing what you can with Hamdy’s family through a direct donation. Visit the link in my bio or in our stories. I’ll also share it in the comments below. Join us, share with your friends, and give what you can!
Our care for one family does not detract from our care for others. Our hearts break for the hostages, and we care about their safe return home. But Alan and I have always collaborated with the shared goal of reducing suffering. We can’t sit this one out. Will you join us?
