How does Beit Daniella motivate struggling youth to recover?
Daniella Pardes was a beautiful, fun-loving child until anorexia hijacked her at the age of 13. After a three-month hospitalisation, she wasn’t well enough to return to school but the one place she found refuge was at a therapeutic dog kennel. Whilst she had little ability to love and care for herself, she had an endless supply of love for the dogs there and would spend hours each day caring for them. Although her mother, Hadassa, searched for a therapeutic programme which would protect and support Daniella, she never found one and at the tender age of 14, Daniella tragically took her own life.
Hadassa vowed that no other family should have to experience the devastation of their loss and created Beit Daniella, a recovery day centre for youth aged 12-18 struggling with mental health issues. Beit Daniella empowers young people with the skills and tools to safely and successfully transition back into their families, schools and communities after inpatient treatment or a period out of school. The goal is to help the entire family unit by guiding parents in learning how to support their children (and themselves).
Animal therapy plays a crucial role in the rehabilitation process at Beit Daniella and the participants’ first responsibility is to care for the primary needs of the therapeutic dogs in the kennel on site. Through this, they learn unconditional love, acceptance, trust, responsibility, hygiene and a healthy daily routine. They also participate in horse therapy as well as individual and group therapy sessions, all of which help build strength, resilience and regulate their emotional state.
The rest of the programme is dedicated to academic studies designed to build confidence and close academic gaps incurred by illness, hospitalisation and/or the inability to function. And at mealtimes, students prepare their own fresh, healthy meals from scratch to promote independence and coach those with food-related issues about normative eating habits within a supportive environment.
Beit Daniella doesn’t just transform lives, it saves them.
Every story matters
MEET TOMER
Tomer came to Beit Daniella at the age of 12 after a four month psychiatric hospitalisation for PTSD due to severe incidents he witnessed as a young child. His symptoms had begun with anxiety attacks but spiralled into self-harm and he was eventually hospitalised after becoming suicidal.
After he left hospital, his anxiety attacks resurged and he began to self-harm again. His parents felt at a complete loss until they discovered Beit Daniella. The dedicated staff there accompanied Tomer through a healing process and he learnt that there were healthier ways to soothe his anxieties, particularly through a relationship with an unconditionally loving animal. When Tomer felt feelings of anxiety rushing towards him, he would go to be with Polo, a horse that had been abused by its previous owners. Through caring for Polo and learning to ride, Tomer developed a sense of self-purpose, self-confidence and competence.
Incredibly, Tomer was able to return to school after just four months with Beit Daniella. He is now flourishing is his studies and social life and no longer requires medication either. He regularly visits Beit Daniella but as a volunteer, helping younger children learn how to care for their therapy dogs.
