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Christoph Steinebach

PhD, MSc
Areas of ExpertiseDevelopmental psychology, Resilience, Positive psychology, and Health promotion

I  worked at a child guidance clinic for some years before I became head of a centre for early education. During these years I worked with children and families doing diagnostics, counseling, psychological psychotherapy and supervision.

In 1995, I became professor of special education at the Catholic University of Applied Sciences in Freiburg, Germany, serving for some years as head of the Institute of Research and Development and as president. Starting in 2007, I became a professor at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, dean of the School of Applied Psychology and director of the Institute of Applied Psychology in Switzerland. In 2013, I became an adjunct professor at Ryerson University.

I am member of different national and international associations such as the International Society for Third-Sector Research (ISTR) and the International Association of Social Educators (aieji). Currently I am vice president and treasurer of the European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations (EFPA) and member of the executive board of the Swiss Federation of Psychologists (FSP).

Teaching interests:

  • Enhancing resilience in children and youth
  • Promoting mental health in adolescence

Research interests:

  • Practice and quality of residential child and youth care
  • Health promotion in youth
  • Positive team development

Research projects:

  • Seiger, C.P. & Steinebach, C. (2014). Evaluation „UNESCO Projektschule“: Ergebnisse der sechs Befragungen der Jugendlichen und Fachkräfte. Abschlussbericht [Evaluating „UNESCO Project Schools“: Results of six Evaluations of Adolescents and Professionals. Final Report]. Zurich: Zurich University of Applied Sciences. 
  • von Wyl, A., Perrotta Hare, O., Lehmann Niederhäuser, K. & Steinebach, C. (2012). Innovation in der Gesundheitsförderung [Innovation in Health Promotion]. Zurich: Zurich University of Applied Sciences.
  • Steinebach, C. & Steinebach, U. (2012). Ergebnisse der Befragungen zur Einführung von Angeboten Positiver Peerkultur in Einrichtungen von SOS-Kinderdorf Deutschland 2009 bis 2012 [Results of the Evaluation of the Implementation of Positive Peer Culture in SOS-Kinderdorf Facilities in Germany from 2009 to 2012].
  • Steinebach, C. & Steinebach, U. (2012). PPC-Klassenstunden. Ergebnisse der Befragung der Jugendlichen und der Lehrerinnen und Lehrer im November 2011 und März 2012. [Positive Peer Culture in Class Council. Results of the Evaluation of Adolescents and Teachers from November 2011 to March 2012].
  • Steinebach, C. & Steinebach U. (2009). Gruppengespräche. Ergebnisse der Befragung der Jugendlichen im November 2009. [Guided Group Interventions. Results of Interviews with Youth in November 2009]. Sinsheim: Stift Sunnisheim.

Books (selected):

  • Steinebach, C., Süss, D., Kienbaum, J., & Kiegelmann, M. (in press). Basiswissen Pädagogische Psychologie [Basic Knowledge Educational Psychology]. Weinheim: Beltz.
  • Schär, M. & Steinebach, C. (Ed.). (2015). Resilienzfördernde Psychotherapie für Kinder und Jugendliche. Grundbedürfnisse erkennen und erfüllen. [Resilience oriented Psychotherapy for Children and Youth. Recognizing and Meeting Basic Needs]. Weinheim: Beltz.
  • Schulte, V.B. & Steinebach, C. (Eds.). (2014). Innovative Palliative Care.Bern: Huber.
  • Steinebach, C. & Gharabahi, K. (Eds.). (2013). Resilienz-förderung im Jugendalter. Praxis und Perspektiven. [Enhancing Resilience in Youth].Heidelberg: Springer.
  • Steinebach, C., Jungo, D., & Zihlmann, R. (Eds.). (2012). Positive Psychologie in der Praxis. Anwendung in Psychotherapie, Beratung und Coaching [Practicing Positive Psychology. Application in Psychotherapy, Counseling, and Coaching]. Weinheim: Beltz.
  • Steinebach, C. (Ed.). (2006). Handbuch Psychologische Beratung. [Handbook Psychological Counseling]. Stuttgart: Klett-Cotta.

Chapters (selected):

  • Steinebach, C. & Gharabaghi, K. (in press). Resilienz [Resilience]. In B. Gniewosz & P.F. Titzmann (Eds.), Handbuch Jugend. [Handbook Youth].Stuttgart: Kohlhammer.
  • Steinebach, C. (2016). Gesundheitspsychologische Beratung und Gesundheitskompetenz [Counseling in Health Psychology and Health Competence]. In Schulte, V. & Verkuil, A. (Eds.), Management für Health Professionals [Management for Health Professionals] (pp. 23-60). Göttingen: Hogrefe.
  • Steinebach, C. (2015). Resilience. In J.D. Wright (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 2nd edition, Vol 20. (pp. 555-560). Oxford: Elsevier.
  • Schär, M. & Steinebach, C. (2015). Grundbedürfnisse bei Kindern, Jugendlichen und Familien. [Promoting Basic Needs in Children, Youth, and Families]. In M. Schär & C. Steinebach (Eds.), Resilienzfördernde Psychotherapie für Kinder und Jugendliche. Grundbedürfnisse erkennen und erfüllen [Resilience oriented Psychotherapy for Children and Youth. Recognizing and Meeting Basic Needs] (pp. 16-42). Weinheim: Beltz.
  • Steinebach, C. (2013). Beratung. Stärkenorientierte Gespräche [Strengths related Counselling in Youth]. In C. Steinebach & K. Gharabahi (Eds.), Resilienzförderung im Jugendalter. Praxis und Perspektiven [Fostering Resilience in Youth. Practice and Perspectives] (pp. 51-68). Heidelberg: Springer.
  • Steinebach, C. & Steinebach, U. (2012). Kinder stärken, Eltern ermutigen, Schule entwickeln. Perspektiven der Resilienzförderung. [Strengthening Children, Encouraging Parents, Developing Schools. Perspecives of Resilience]. In R. Markowetz & J. Schwab (Eds.), Die Zusammenarbeit von Jugendhilfe und Schule. Inklusion und Chancengerechtigkeit zwischen Anspruch und Wirklichkeit [Cooperation between Youth Help and Schools. Inclusion and Justice of Possibilities between Aspiration and Reality] (pp. 241-254). Bad Heilbrunn: Klinkhardt.
  • Brendtro, L.K. & Steinebach, C. (2012). Positive Psychologie für die Praxis [Postive Psychology for Practice]. In C. Steinebach, D. Jungo,  & R. Zihlmann (Eds.), Positive Psychologie in der Praxis. Anwendung in Psychotherapie, Beratung und Coaching [Positive Psychology in Practice. Application in Psychotherapy, Counseling and Coaching] (pp. 18-26). Weinheim: Beltz.
  • Steinebach, C. & Steinebach, U. (2010). Resilienzförderung im Jugendalter. Die Stärken der Peerbeziehungen nutzen [Peer Relations and Youth: Using the strengths of Peer Realtions]. In H. Hackauf & H. Ohlbrecht (Eds.), Jugend und Gesundheit [Youth and Health] (pp. 304-320). München: Juventa.

Journal articles (selected):

  • Steinebach, C., Steinebach, U., & Brendtro, L.K. (2013). Positive Youth Psychology: Lessons from Positive Peer Culture. Reclaiming Children and Youth, 21(4), 15-21.
  • Steinebach, U. & Steinebach, C. (2010). Stärken gezielt fördern. [How to enhance strengths purposefully]. Care Management, 3(1), 13-18.
  • Steinebach, C. & Steinebach, U. (2009). Positive Peer Culture with German Youth. Reclaiming Children and Youth, 18(2), 27-33.
  • Steinebach, C. & Steinebach, U. (2008). Hilfsbereitschaft statt Gewalt. Wirkungen von Positive Peer Culture (PPC) in der stationären Jugendhilfe [Geneorsity rather than violence. Effects of Positive Peer Culture in Youth Help]. Unsere Jugend, 60(7-8), 312-320.
  • Steinebach, C. (2007). Leaders and followers. Attending to the cohesion and power of team-members. Doctrine & life 57(2), 25-35.

Presentations and symposia (selected):

  • Steinebach, C. (2015). Because the way to the heart is through the stomach. Psychological prevention and intervention of eating disorders. EFPA Symposium ECP 2015, Milan.
  • Steinebach, C. & Schär, M. (2015). Body and mind: Building resilience in psychotherapy for children and youth. ECP 2015, Milan. 
  • Steinebach, C. (2015). Enhancing Resilience in Youth. The Power of Positive Peer Culture, Rome.
  • von Wyl, A., Gharabaghi, K., & Steinebach, C. (2014). Youth in transition: Building resilience in apprenticeship and child care services. ICAP 2014, Paris.
  •  Schulte, V., Kortum, E. & Steinebach, C. (2014). Health promotion at the work place. The case of palliative care teams. ICAP 2014, Paris.
  • Steinebach, C. (2014). Global perspectives on health promotion across the liefespan. Psychological innovation for interdisciplinary advocacy. ICAP 2014, Paris.
  • Seiger, C.P. & Steinebach, C. (2012). Enhancing social skills in troubled youth: The effects of UNESCO school projects. ICP 2012, Cape Town.
  • Steinebach, C. & Steinebach, U. (2012). Enhancing supportive peer interaction: Comparing the effects of three different interventions. ICP 2012, Cape Town.
  • Steinebach, C. & Steinebach, U. (2011). Enhancing generosity in strength based interventions for adolescents with behavioral problems. ECP 2011, Istanbul.
  • Steinebach, C. & Steinebach, U. (2010). An evaluation of the effects of the Positive Peer Culture (PPC) intervention for adolescents with behavioural problems. ICAP 2010, Melbourne.
  • Steinebach, C. & Steinebach, U. (2009). Positive peer culture: Enhancing self-esteem by a resilience-based intervention. ECP 2009, Oslo.

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