Dr. Shiri Daniels

Dr. Shiri Daniels

"To be heroic does not have to mean possessing the ability to stand against the evils of the world, either well or successfully, but just that one is willing to stand." (Mike Alsford, Heroes and Villains). Heroes, and who might be considered one, is a conflicted subject since the definition of one varies from person to person, but one thing can be agreed upon by all ; A hero is someone willing, regardless of what may happen, to stand strong for what he/she believes in. Dr. Shiri Daniels is a hero because she does just that. Being an expert in communication skills and the national professional director of ERAN (Emotional First Aid by Telephone & Internet) Dr. Daniels spends each and every day of her life raising awareness and bettering the mental health of the Israeli society.

Dr. Shiri Daniels is an accomplished psychologist in the field of educational counseling and treatment. After completing her PhD program in the University of Haifa she became a lecturer at the University in Tel Aviv where she is an expert on communication, relationships and dealing with emotional stress. She is a member of the National Council for the Prevention of Suicide. As an expert in coping with national emergency situations and building resilience in the Israel Trauma Coalition, she participates in aid missions around the world and trains teams in the psychosocial field. She has lectured at international professional conferences and has published articles on emotional assistance and educational counseling. She is the author of the book, "The Power of Listening ", which teaches you how to listen, communicate and help your loved ones when facing difficult situations.

Dr. Shiri Daniels spends every day teaching people how to listen, how to help, how to be there for people- be it a loved one, a distant friend or a stranger, and that is why she is a hero in my eyes. In a world where listening has become a tiring activity, where mental health is considered a character flaw rather than a real problem, Dr. Daniels writes, lectures, and speaks about how something as simple as stopping for a moment to hear something beyond your own thoughts might help someone tremendously. She spends hours on the line of ERAN listening to troubled people, allowing them to share their problems in a safe, anonymous environment. She has been interviewed for different newspapers and national TV channels in an attempt to teach the Israeli society how to deal with the anxiety that follows things as traumatic as wars and terrorists attacks, or simpler matters like dealing with the holidays, and the stress that accompanies troubling news. She is a hero because she is willing to stand proudly and talk about the fact that we are not always strong, that we don't always have the right words for comfort, that we are human and we are vulnerable and we break sometimes and that's okay. She is a hero because for the past fifteen plus years she has worked towards bettering our society and making each and every one of us a functioning, healthy member in our very complicated country. She is a hero because every day someone new is inspired by her to listen to others, to speak up about their troubles, and to assist others however they can. She is a hero because through the simplest of things she has made this society better, through the simplest of things she has helped save the lives of troubled youths and adults, through the simplest of things she has helped this country and in a way, this world.

Dr. Shiri Daniels is not only a hero, but she is my hero. I don't know much about emotions, I am only fifteen after all. Heck, I barely know what shirt to wear or what day it is, but I do know one thing: listening will mean more to people than buying them gifts. I know the analogy seems strange but I assure you it is not, oftentimes when we hear someone is in pain we rush to hand them physical comforts. We buy food, toys, flowers, and clothes in hope that will fill up that spot of sadness or pain. If you sit down with someone and just listen to them, just listen to their words or tears, you will find out what is really hurting and why it is so hard. You will find out that they have been thinking horrible thoughts and that they don't need a response but just to let it all out. I don't know much about emotions, or about anything really, but I know that if there is a person out there who wakes up every morning just so they can teach others how to listen and communicate, how to show them they are worth it, and how we all have weaknesses and that they are not weak for having them, they are a hero. I don't know much about emotions but I know that a person like that, a person like Dr. Shiri Daniels, is a hero. I know that the world is better off for having her. I feel that she has taught me that we all have chaos amongst our neat and tidy little lives, and we just need to talk about it and be there for each other.

In conclusion, Dr. Shiri Daniels is my hero because she works incredibly hard to help us all. She is an inspiration to me and, thanks to her, I know that if I were to listen a little more I would be the greatest helper of all and I intend to do that moving forward.