Paul Stevenson

Paul Joseph Stevenson OAM (born 12 September 1955) is an Australian psychologist.

Professional career – disaster intervention and support

Stevenson has wide experience in general and trauma counselling and is widely recognised as an international trauma psychologist.[1][2][3][4] His experience includes on-site involvement with the Moura Mine Disaster in 1994, the Port Arthur Massacre (Australia) in 1996, the Thredbo landslide in 1997, the Bali bombings in 2002 and 2005, the Marriott bombing (Jakarta) in 2003, the 2004 Australian Embassy bombing in Jakarta, the Indian Ocean tsunami recovery in 2004–05, the Victorian Bushfires in 2009,[5] He received a Medal of the Order of Australia for his work following the 2002 Bali Bombings.[6][7][8] the 2010–2011 Queensland floods,[9][10] Cyclone Oswald,[11][12][13] and support for the families of those lost in Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.[14]

Professional career – refugee support and advocacy

Stevenson has worked as a psychologist at the Manus Regional Processing Centre and the Nauru Detention Centre, providing support to both staff and detainees.[15] He maintains that the levels of psychological trauma at these Centres are the worst he has ever seen, and that Australia has an ethical responsibility to ensure these Centres are closed down.[15] As a result of speaking out, Stevenson had his contract to work on Nauru summarily terminated by PsyCare.[16]

Professional views

Stevenson suggests that the traditional method of Critical Incident Stress Debriefing needs to be used with caution, and suggests that an eclectic and humanitarian approach is necessary for stress and trauma response.[17] Stevenson believes that to some extent psychological trauma may be a natural reaction to extreme circumstances, and we need to de-stigmatize this, as indeed we need to de-stigmatize mental illness.[18]

Politics

Stevenson was an Independent Candidate for the Senate (Queensland) in the 2016 Australian federal election.[19][20][21]

Critical recognition

Publications
  • Stevenson, Paul. 2008. Best Practice for Human Services. Southport: Access Psychology.
  • Stevenson, Paul. 2006. Are We There Yet? A Brief Strategy for Planning and Evaluation for the Human Services. Southport: Access Psychology.
  • Stevenson, Paul. 2006. Postcards from Ground Zero. Burleigh: Zeus Publications.
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References
  1. "Lennon call for ban blasted", by Sue Neales. Hobart Mercury. 23 November 2006. Accessed 15 January 2013.
  2. ABC radio report, accessed 18 December 2012
  3. "No evidence for claim: psychologist", Star Observer, Issue 1125, 25 May 2012. Accessed 10 January 2013.
  4. Interview (within current affairs report), "The Great Pretenders", by Damien Hanson, A Current Affair. Channel 7 TV. 11 March 2013, accessed 14 March 2013.
  5. Queensland Government. Psychosocial Response and Recovery Symposium Archived 22 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 19 April 2010.
  6. "Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) entry for Mr Paul Joseph STEVENSON". It's an Honour, Australian Honours Database. Canberra, Australia: Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 17 October 2003. Retrieved 19 February 2020. For service through the provision of assistance to victims and their families following the bombings which occurred in Bali on 12 October 2002.
  7. "Footage of the aftermath of the 1996 Port Arthur massacre has appeared on YouTube", by Meryl Naidoo and Barian Ward. The Daily Telegraph (Sydney, Australia). 28 July 2011. Accessed 9 January 2013
  8. ABC radio interview on the 10th anniversary of the Bali Bombings, 17 October 2012, accessed 19 October 2012
  9. "Selfless work recognized", Southern Star (Brisbane), 5 September 2012, p.12, accessed 5 September 2012
  10. "Stress goes up at flood times", South-West News (Brisbane), 3 October 2012, p.11., accessed 5 October 2012
  11. Radio interview with 4BU on 6 February 2013, accessed 17 February 2013
  12. "Bundy under the pump", by Bill Hoffman, Sunshine Coast Daily, 9 February 2013, accessed 17 February 2013
  13. Interview, "Bundaberg Floods", with Damien Hanson. Today Tonight (TV current affairs programme, Channel Seven). 26 February 2013.
  14. Deutrom, Rian. 2014. "Trauma psychologist says family of Mary and Rod Burrows and Cathy and Bob Lawton 'unified and doing OK'". Brisbane Courier-Mail, 2 April 2014, accessed 4 May 2014.
  15. Doherty, Ben; Marr, David (19 June 2016). "The worst I've seen – trauma expert lifts lid on 'atrocity' of Australia's detention regime". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  16. Doherty, Ben (21 June 2016). "Offshore detention whistleblower loses job after condemning 'atrocity' of camps". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  17. Stevenson, Paul. Postcards from Ground Zero. Burleigh: Zeus Publications.
  18. Ibid.
  19. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  20. http://www.warwickdailynews.com.au/…/australian-demo…/37896/
  21. Lester, Sophie. "Candidate keeps bastards honest".
  22. Councillor Margaret de Wit presents United Nations Awards Archived 4 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine, 30 August 2012.
  23. "International Acclaim" Style Magazine (Brisbane), September 2012. p.20
  24. "Go-to-Guy when Disaster Strikes" Archived 4 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine, by Heather Grant-Campbell, The Senior, 31 October 2012, accessed 17 November 2012
  25. "United Nations Association of Australia Queensland – Community Award Presentations" Archived 11 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine, United Nations Association of Queensland Newsletter, Vol.8, No.8, October 2012. p2. Accessed 8 May 2013.
  26. Australian Association of Psychologists, accessed 6 May 2010
  27. Australian Democrats Queensland Division Newsletter, Vol.5, No.2, October, 2014. p2.
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