Academy of Chassidic Psychology Launches Inaugural Event in Beverly Hills

The Nefesh Academy of Chassidic Psychology, founded by Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh in Israel in 2008, held its inaugural full-day workshop in the United States on Sunday, January 15th, in Los Angeles, California. The workshop, led by senior instructor Rabbi Moshe Genuth, was the first of a series of courses to be offered by the Nefesh Academy and was attended by over 50 people.

The Nefesh Academy teaches a psychological/therapeutic model for mental, emotional, and spiritual health and healing using principles drawn entirely from Chassidus, including a nine-stage system of personal transformation revealed by the Baal Shem Tov himself. The academy’s techniques are translated into the conventional language of the modern human experience and, in Israel, have already benefited dozens of professional therapists and over 5,000 men and women from all walks of life.

The workshop introduced the first course, on understanding and rectifying the ego, followed by a practical session on Kabbalistic breathing techniques.

Nefesh Academy courses provide a firm and balanced foundation for those taking their first steps onto the path of Chassidic psychological exploration, as well as sophisticated elucidation and practical implementation for seasoned scholars of Chassidic texts. 

“It’s been a great transformation and learning for me,” said event attendee Shlomo Shenassa. “I’m really excited by the fact that they are bringing these teachings to Los Angeles with live teachers and great teachers.” 

Judith Cukier expressed her appreciation for the program as follows: “I’m really excited because [Nefesh Academy] connects psychology with Torah and the structure with our neshamah … it goes to the depth of what Judaism really is.”

The Nefesh Academy is a three-year online program, with new courses being offered in subsequent months in Los Angeles. A course completion certificate will be provided at the end of the program following an assessment.

The next course, “Anatomy of the Soul,” will be taught by senior instructor Rabbi Nir Menussi on February 19th, with digital access available for remote students on a dedicated online distance-learning platform. 

Please visit www.thenefesh.org to enroll.

For questions, please email info@thenefesh.org or call (802) 430-9361