Paul Joseph Stevenson OAM (born 12 September 1955) is an Australian psychologist. He has worked on-site at numerous international disasters as a trauma psychologist.
Career Stevenson is an international trauma psychologist, with experience in general and trauma counselling."Lennon call for ban blasted", by Sue Neales. Hobart Mercury. 23 November 2006. Accessed 15 January 2013.ABC radio report, accessed 18 December 2012"No evidence for claim: psychologist", Star Observer, Issue 1125, 25 May 2012. Accessed 10 January 2013.Interview (within current affairs report), "The Great Pretenders", by Damien Hanson, A Current Affair. Channel 7 TV. 11 March 2013, accessed 14 March 2013. 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,Queensland Government. Psychosocial Response and Recovery Symposium , accessed 19 April 2010. He received the Medal of the Order of Australia for his work following the 2002 Bali Bombings."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 2013ABC radio interview on the 10th anniversary of the Bali Bombings, 17 October 2012, accessed 19 October 2012 the 2010–2011 Queensland floods,"Selfless work recognized", Southern Star (Brisbane), 5 September 2012, p.12, accessed 5 September 2012"Stress goes up at flood times", South-West News (Brisbane), 3 October 2012, p.11., accessed 5 October 2012 Cyclone Oswald, on 6 February 2013, accessed 17 February 2013"Bundy under the pump", by Bill Hoffman, Sunshine Coast Daily, 9 February 2013, accessed 17 February 2013Interview, "Bundaberg Floods", with Damien Hanson. Today Tonight (TV current affairs programme, Channel Seven). 26 February 2013. and support for the families of those lost in Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.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.
Stevenson has worked as a psychologist at the Manus Regional Processing Centre and the Nauru Detention Centre, providing support to both staff and detainees. 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. As a result of speaking out, Stevenson had his contract to work on Nauru summarily terminated by PsyCare.
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.Stevenson, Paul. Postcards from Ground Zero. Burleigh: Zeus Publications. Stevenson believes that to some extent psychological trauma may be a natural reaction to extreme circumstances. Stevenson supports de-stigmatization of psychological trauma and mental illness.
Stevenson was an Independent Candidate for the Senate (Queensland) in the 2016 Australian federal election.http://www.warwickdailynews.com.au/…/australian-demo…/37896/
Accolades Medal of the Order of Australia OAM United Nations Queensland AwardCouncillor Margaret de Wit presents United Nations Awards , 30 August 2012."International Acclaim" Style Magazine (Brisbane), September 2012. p.20"Go-to-Guy when Disaster Strikes" , by Heather Grant-Campbell, The Senior, 31 October 2012, accessed 17 November 2012"United Nations Association of Australia Queensland – Community Award Presentations" , United Nations Association of Queensland Newsletter, Vol.8, No.8, October 2012. p2. Accessed 8 May 2013. Current National President of the Australian Association of PsychologistsAustralian Association of Psychologists, accessed 6 May 2010 Accredited Compassion Fatigue Educator, Green Cross International Academy of TraumatologyAustralian Democrats Queensland Division Newsletter, Vol.5, No.2, October, 2014. p2.
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.
References
External links Interview on ABC Radio, 28 September 2011 Interview on ABC Radio on the psychological impact of Qld public service sackings, 11 September 2012 Interview on ABC Radio on the Bali Bombings, 17 October 2012