Dr. Efrat Liraz Explains How Personal Crisis Can Lead to Growth Through Spiritual Recovery

Dr. Efrat Liraz, a psychotherapist specializing in the 12-step program, shared her personal and professional journey in an interview with Dr. Chana Katan on Channel 7. Originally a family law attorney focusing on divorce and mediation, Liraz shifted her career after recognizing the deeper challenges faced by parents of children with hidden struggles such as addiction and behavioral disorders. She noted that unlike visible illnesses, these issues often lack community support and are met with blame rather than compassion.

Liraz recounted a significant personal crisis at age 38 involving her two eldest children, which shattered her previous sense of order and led her to discover the 12-step program and the Tanya, a foundational Hasidic text. She emphasized that this spiritual approach helped her transform her pain into growth, highlighting that the program encourages radical honesty about problems and focuses on taking one day at a time toward healing.

Addressing addiction and life crises, Liraz described addiction as a spiritual disease requiring spiritual solutions alongside emotional and physical treatment. She stressed that the 12-step method reconnects individuals with their soul, dismantles ego, and releases negative emotions, with God as the ultimate solution. Practical daily actions are essential to this spiritual work.

In recent years, Liraz has also supported war victims through the Ministry of Defense, focusing on spiritual growth beyond conventional psychiatric and psychological care. She warned against family members preventing addicts from hitting rock bottom, as true change often begins with a personal breaking point.

Liraz hosts the podcast "Crashing Toward Redemption," where guests share authentic personal stories of overcoming crises. She concluded the interview by affirming her worldview: "God is the solution, and we have the tools that are the way."