“We can only sing the highest praises for Ira Grotsky . His professional skills can only be matched by his huge heart and smile. He has improved our son’s confidence in his social interactions by exploring, with him, relationships and nuanced social cues. He has become a friend and a part of our family”. Yehoshua and Batsheva

play therapy in israel
play therapy beit shemesh

Yair has been working with Ira for a year and a half from age 9. When he started, he had been in the wrong framework at school for over 2 years and even though he was due to move to a more appropriate school, his confidence was shattered and he was finding life very difficult. Yair didn’t make it easy for Ira! And I was so used to the negative response from school staff that I was surprised when Ira simply took this challenging behaviour in his stride and gently made it clear to Yair that it was unacceptable. By holding Yair to a higher standard, and by showing him patience and acceptance, Ira was able to gain his trust so that they could begin working on techniques to make life more smooth for Yair and more pleasant for all the family. Ira is creative in the methods he uses to engage Yair, but underlying the fun there is the very clear rule that there is work to be done, and so Yair understood that even though it can be hard for him, going to Ira is the place to share his feelings. A year and a half later, Yair shares a very special relationship with Ira and we are really happy with the progress he is making.

Ira grotsky doing therapy in kitchen
play therapy Ira grotsky.

Ira – a note of thanks for all that you have done for us. After years of therapists, teachers, mentors, guides… You are the only person that our son felt comfortable speaking to. We were beside ourselves when our son would tell us that he’s excited to go meet you. He returned home happy and calm. He, on numerous occasions, implemented different tactics and pieces of advice that you shared with him. And your approach and demeanor with him was nothing short of astounding. Full belief in him and trust in his abilities. We cannot thank you enough for instilling hope again, in what we felt was “a lost cause.” May Hashem repay you in kind! 

Signed – anonymous

Ira has been working with our son for several years to help him improve social awareness and interpersonal skills, and deal with various challenges that have come up from time to time. Beyond his skills as a therapist, his genuine care and kindness always come through. He has gone above and beyond to give our son the guidance and encouragement to succeed in and out of school.

My husband and I were looking for a therapist to help our daughter who struggled with social skills, self esteem, immature behavior and more. We wanted someone who was TACHLIS. Someone who would give our daughter clear steps to take in order to overcome obstacles.  I would often send Ira texts of situations that had arisen that needed to be dealt with. Ira would bring up that scenario to my daughter,  often reenact it, and together figure out a different way to deal with it. A proper way. An acceptable way. 

It was an amazing and comforting feeling, knowing that Ira was there for us. Sometimes we would even call him at night, when a difficult situation occurred, and we simply needed advice. He always had time for us.  

Our daughter loved meeting with Ira. He made their meetings fun by doing things that she liked while talking. They did puzzles, played games that she liked and often made her laugh. 

I’ve referred people to Ira and will continue to do so.  He is a kind, soft spoken man, who is truly an expert in his field.

Ira was a pleasure to work with.  He is easy to talk to and attentive.  He was able to connect well with our son and make him (and us) feel

comfortable right away.  Ira was flexible and always made himself available when something important came up. Most importantly, we felt that he was truly invested in helping our son grow, giving him strategies in a warm and understanding manner”