Immediate therapeutic and support spaces for survivors of mass victimization: A qualitative study of the October 7 Nova Festival attack

On October 7, 2023, a large-scale terrorist attack on the Nova Psytrance Festival in Israel resulted in mass casualties and widespread collective victimization. In response, Immediate Therapeutic and Support Spaces (ITSS) were rapidly established to provide an early, large-scale, and culturally attuned victim support response outside conventional clinical settings. This qualitative phenomenological study explores survivors’ experiences within these spaces, with particular attention to the role of immediacy, scale, and alignment with survivors’ social and cultural preferences. In-depth interviews were conducted with 10 survivors, and thematic analysis was applied from a victim-centered perspective. The findings indicate that the immediate availability of these spaces functioned as a critical bridge between acute trauma and continuity of life, enabling survivors to engage in recovery without disruption to their identities, social ties, or cultural practices. The spaces fostered collective belonging and mutual recognition while emphasizing autonomy, self-worth, and nonjudgmental support tailored to survivors’ needs, including acceptance of psychoactive substance use. Grounded in positive victimology and the principle of continuity, the study highlights how timely, culturally responsive interventions for large groups of victims can facilitate emotional processing alongside social reintegration. The findings offer victimological insights into the design of immediate, community-based responses following extreme collective violence.