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Available Speakers

CBI makes the following representatives available
for speaking engagements at conferences, events, and meetings:

   Steve S. Olweean
  Director and Coordinator of Programs

Steve Olweean speaks on a variety of related topics, including conflict transformation; social healing; concepts of "The Other;" dynamics of fear, social paranoia, and fear-based belief systems; negative stereotypes, prejudice, the creation of enemy images; psycho-social development and identity; cultural myths and ethos; intergenerational consequences of inherited trauma; victim-perpetrator dynamics; cross-cultural, inter-religious, and cross-border engagement and dialogue; compassion, reconciliation, and forgiveness; public engagement and empowerment; and capacity building at both the grass roots and social institutional level for promoting an authentic world culture of peace.

Immediately following the 1st Gulf War he assisted Kuwaiti relief organizations in linking with professional mental health services, and provided cultural orientation and consultation to visiting therapists from the US and Europe traveling to Kuwait to offer trauma victims treatment services to ensure cultural sensitivity, receptiveness to services, and treatment effectiveness. Particularly since 9-11 he has spoken and been interviewed frequently both in and outside the US to increase understanding among the public of Middle Eastern and Islamic Culture, social/psychological dynamics of fear and communal paranoia, and to promote direct, cross-cultural dialogue as an antidote to the toxic energy of fear.

He also addresses activism in Humanistic Psychology through putting humanistic principles to work in the world improving psycho-social conditions, and has published writings on the above speaking topics. He has been an activist in the human rights and peace movement since the late 1960's, and this commitment and experience continue to inform his work today.

He is a therapist with a graduate degree in Clinical Psychology, with over 30 years of experience in community based mental health treatment and advocacy to underserved populations; has worked in outpatient, inpatient, day treatment, outreach and crisis intervention to high risk populations, and private practice settings; has held positions as clinical director, clinical supervisor, and senior clinician; and has functioned as graduate field supervisor for departments of psychology and social work. His principal areas of treatment are trauma and abuse recovery, victim/perpetrator dynamics, crisis intervention, dissociative disorders, and healing negative belief systems.

He developed the integrated Catastrophic Trauma Recovery (CTR) treatment model focused on treating large populations in regions of conflict victimized by war and violence, described in a chapter dedicated to it ["When Society Is The Victim"] in Dr. Stanley Krippner's landmark book published by Preager/Greenwood publishers:: "The Psychological Impact of War Trauma on Civilian Populations."

His current book project is "Engaging The Other," an edited compilation of chapters contributioned by authors representing a diversity of cultures and societies around the world examining this fundamentally subjective phenomenon from their unique cultural eye, addressing historical and current implications for global relations, and exploring the unique power when the energy of animosity and opposition is transformed into healing and collaboration. The book concept was the impetus for the creation of the Annual International Conference on "Engaging The Other," and is based on a chapter he contributed, titled "Psychological Concepts of The Other: Embracing the Compass of the Self", to a book edited by Dr. Chris Stout and published by Preager/Greenwood publishers on: "The Psychology of Terrorism."

For 15 years he was coordinator of the AHP Soviet-American Professional Exchange, established in the early 1980's as one of the 1st grassroots professional human service exchanges with the then Soviet Union

- Founding Director, Program Developer, and Coordinator of CBI programs and projects, as described in a chapter devoted to CBI in "The New Humanitarians," published by Preager/Greenwood publishers.
- Founding President of the International Humanistic Psychology Association (IHPA).
- Past President of the Association for Humanistic Psychology.

- Recipient of the 2011 Charlotte and Karl Bühler Award from the American Psychological Association for outstanding and lasting contribution to Humanistic Psychology internationally.
- Fellow of the Center for Social Healing, Meridian University.
- Member of The Board for American Friends of Wahat Al Salaam/Neve Shalom in Israel

Contact Information:

Steve Olweean

CBI Director and Coordinator of Programs
President, International Humanistic Psychology Association (IHPA)

E-mail

SOlweean@aol.com

Telephone

269-665-9393

FAX

269-665-9393

Postal address

12170 South Pine Ayr Drive
Climax, Michigan  49034 USA