The CHAI Method™
A resilience framework for clinicians navigating trauma, identity, and systemic strain
What CHAI Offers in Practice
Whether in a continuing education workshop, a bespoke training, or an institutional consultation, participants learn to:
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Ground themselves and respond to emotionally charged or identity-relevant experiences (such as antisemitism) with clarity and regulation.
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Support others effectively, including clients, colleagues, supervisees, and teams, using a culturally responsive, relationally attuned framework.
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Navigate invalidating or hostile systems while staying anchored in their core values, professional ethics, and cultural identities.
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Foster resilience and sustainability, not only at the individual level but across teams, institutions, and communities.
The full framework, including pacing, clinical application, and contextual adaptations, is taught exclusively through certified CHAI Method™ training to ensure ethical, culturally responsive, and context-sensitive implementation.
CHAI Means “Alive”
In Hebrew, Chai means alive, reflecting the method’s core aim: to help practitioners reconnect with their sense of aliveness, purpose, and resilience in the face of adversity.
Chai (pronounced khai, like the word “high”) is an acronym for Connect, Honour, Activate, and Integrate - a structured, four-part process designed to support professionals navigating complex emotional, cultural, and systemic realities.
Why CHAI Works
Developed by psychologist and social entrepreneur Dr. Rotem Regev, the CHAI Method™ is an evidence-based, theory-driven, identity-affirming model designed to help mental health professionals and the institutions that employ them respond effectively to the emotional, cultural, and systemic dimensions of trauma.
Rooted in leading trauma research, culturally responsive care, and experiential practice, the CHAI Method™ offers a clear, adaptable process for fostering professional sustainability, identity affirmation, and collective healing in the face of Compounded Traumatic Reality™.
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Offers clear language and structure in the face of complex emotional realities
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Validates identity and community experience without pathologizing
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Supports emotional presence, boundary-setting, and professional clarity
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Can be adapted for use in individual practice, team development, or institutional response
Who It's For
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Jewish mental health professionals navigating shared trauma and systemic marginalization, including antisemitism
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Clinicians, educators, and helping professionals working within or adjacent to collective trauma
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Organizations and teams seeking to build more culturally responsive, resilient systems of care
What Sets the CHAI Method™ Apart
Evidence Based
The CHAI Method™ is rooted in cutting-edge research, empirical evidence, and theory-driven frameworks. Clinically grounded and designed for continuing education, it enhances professional competence and supports professionals in delivering high-quality care especially under conditions of collective trauma and identity-based stress. Integrating insights from trauma psychology, cultural responsiveness, and resilience science, it equips organizations and professionals with tools that are rigorous, relevant, and responsive to today’s complex realities.
Experiential
The CHAI Method™ - named for the Hebrew word chai, meaning “alive” - is not just something you learn; it’s something you live. This identity-affirming framework is delivered through interactive, embodied learning that invites participants to reconnect with their aliveness, even in the face of trauma. Practices are designed to be felt, not just understood deepening professional insight while helping practitioners reclaim their sense of vitality, clarity, and connection.
Identity Affirming
At its core, The CHAI Method™ affirms and protects identity. It weaves in ancient Jewish wisdom and cultural frameworks to support professionals working under conditions of marginalization, invalidation, or erasure. This approach nurtures dignity and wholeness, especially in moments when identity itself feels threatened. Informed by contemporary research on identity development and minority stress, The CHAI Method™ offers practical tools to help professionals stay connected to their core values and roles especially when navigating complex or high-stakes environments.
Adaptive
The CHAI Method™ is a versatile framework for navigating complex, emotionally charged, and identity-relevant experiences. Whether managing a fraught clinical interaction, confronting antisemitism, responding to systemic exclusion, or drawing strength amid unsupported grief, The CHAI Method™ provides a grounded process for orienting, regulating, and responding. Its practices span relationships with clients, supervisors, teams, and leadership. It has been implemented in continuing education and professional development workshops, clinical trainings, retreats, and institutional consultations, and is being adapted for use in education and healthcare. With layered applications for staff development and organizational wellness, The CHAI Method™ offers a clear yet customizable roadmap for sustainable, context-sensitive change.
Training
Training for Institutions
We work with mental health agencies, healthcare teams and institutions, universities, and professional associations to deliver customized workshops and consultations. Whether you’re responding to a crisis or proactively building capacity, our offerings equip your team to meet the moment with integrity and resilience.
Available formats:
✔️ 2-day Foundations Workshop (CE-eligible design)
✔️ Customized Workshops
✔️ Institutional Consultation
✔️ DEI-adjacent Resilience Modules for Jewish Staff and Allies
Training for Practitioners
Our Foundations of the CHAI Method™ course is designed for Jewish mental health professionals in the diaspora seeking tools to navigate the clinical, emotional, and systemic pressures of Compounded Traumatic Reality™. CE eligibility is built into the structure of the course, and certificates are provided.
Next Offering:
✔️ 2-day Foundations Workshop (CE-eligible design)
✔️ Feb 8-9, 2026
✔️ Vancouver, BC, Canada
✔️ In person