Erik L.J.L. De Soir, MSc
My academic training is that of a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist but it is especially my work and practical experience as a military psychologist combined with that of a voluntary fire-fighter and paramedic that underlie my candidacy for the ESTSS Board. It is this background that has taught me the importance of the interactions between trauma scientists, on the one hand, and trauma practitioners working at the grass-roots level, on the other.
In 1993, I started to build a Europe-wide counselling and acute-support peer network for the management of traumatic stress in fire, rescue, police and emergency medical services. In 2003, I founded the European Association of Fire & Rescue Psychologists (EAFRP).
The last years I have been an ex-officio board member of the ISTSS, and have served as the Vice-President of ALFEST (the largest European French-speaking trauma society).
As a candidate for a post on the board of the ESTSS I would advocate the further international development of the ESTSS as the umbrella society for other groups working with trauma. My candidacy comes from my special interest in intercultural networking and my desire to build bridges, connecting with other-language trauma societies.