Steve Hoskinson, Founder and CCO of Organic Intelligence

Biography

Steven Hoskinson is the Founder, CEO and CCO (Chief Compassion Officer) of Organic Intelligence^® (OI) and the nonprofit Organic Intelligence Outreach Institute. OI’s Human Empowerment And Resiliency Training (HEARTraining^®) is an international personal and professional development training program using OI’s strengths-based, trauma-safe approach for resiliency.

Steve has trained thousands of trauma therapists, health professionals, mindfulness experts, and teachers. He presents at conferences worldwide, is Adjunct Faculty for JFK University’s Somatic Psychology program, a founding member of the Northern California Society for Integrative Mental Health and the International Transformational Resilience Coalition, and he hosts the podcast series, “The End of Trauma.”

Among his most recent projects, Steve is the Executive Producer of Hindu Lunch Box by Turkish alternative group Powerdrunk.

Read the interview Organic Intelligence & Trauma, conducted by Serge Prengel, LMHC for Somatic Perspectives on Psychotherapy.

Bookmark the OI Blog for Steve’s regular updates and discussion of the latest developments in Organic Intelligence. Steve is a guest blogger for Somatic Psychotherapy Today.

Steve Hoskinson’s Lineage

Steve’s lineage includes a direct line to Milton Erickson, MD’s, legacy through study with most of Erickson’s followers*. In particular, Erickson’s protégé Stephen Gilligan, PhD, has been a personal mentor for Steve through his “Generative Change” work. Erickson was an American psychiatrist and founding president of the American Society for Clinical Hypnosis. He was noted for his work with the unconscious mind as creative and solution generating. Along with Gregory Bateson and Margaret Mead, he is noted for influencing the fields of brief, strategic, family, systemic, and solution focused therapies.

In 1990, Steve began studying with Peter A. Levine, PhD. Levine has worked in the field of stress and trauma for over 40 years and is the author of the best selling book Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma — which was published in 24 languages and sold over 250,000 copies. Levine’s explorations into how animals deal with threat led to the development of Somatic Experiencing, a method created to deal with the effects of overwhelm on our nervous system.

Steve has a long-standing mindfulness meditation practice and has studied spiritual development, meditation, and mindfulness both academically and personally. The practice and study of Aikido with Coryl Crane Shihan became a pivotal expression of his integration of mind and body. Crane Shihan, through her own teacher, Chiba Shihan, teaches Aikido as a “moving Zen” practice in the tradition of its founder, Morihei Ueshiba. Steve’s other important teachers and mentors include Thomas Merton through E. Glenn Hinson, PhD, artist Paul Reynard, Lee Edward Travis, PhD, and Claudio Naranjo, MD. Naranjo is a Chilean-born psychiatrist who is a pioneer in integrating psychotherapy and the spiritual traditions. He is one of the three successors named by Fritz Perls, a principal developer of Enneagram of Personality theories and a founder of Gestalt Therapy and the Seekers After Truth Institute. He is an elder statesman of the US and global Human Potential Movement and the spiritual renaissance of the late 20th century.

Professional Memberships

*Brian Alman, PhD, Stephen R. Lankton, MSW, DAHB, LCSW, Carol Hicks Lankton, MA, LMFT, Bill O’Hanlon, MS, Ernest Rossi, PhD, Gary Ruelas, DO, PhD, Jeffrey Zeig, PhD.

Workshops, Master Classes, Publications, and Keynote Presentations

2018

“How Does Attunement to ISOMA in Phase 2 Create Enough Stability?” An online course.
“OI Community Council,” OI Faculty development program.
“HEARTraining Tucson” Human Empowerment And Resiliency Training in Tucson, AZ.
“HEARTraining San Francisco” Human Empowerment And Resiliency Training in Burlingame, CA.
“HEARTraining Hawai’i” Human Empowerment And Resiliency Training in Honolulu, HI.
“OI & Spiritual Direction,” a webinar with Heather Ruce.
“HEARTraining San Diego” Human Empowerment And Resiliency Training in San Diego, CA.
“Diversity of Directions in OI,” a webinar with Charlie Ruce.

2017

“HEARTraining Hawai’i” Human Empowerment And Resiliency Training in Honolulu, Oahu, Hawai’i.
“OI Community Council,” OI Faculty development program.
“The Free Association Conversation Demo,” an online workshop.
“HEARTraining San Francisco” Human Empowerment And Resiliency Training in Burlingame, Bay Area, CA.
“Using Positive Psychology in Difficult Times,” an online workshop.
“Therapy from a Systems Perspective,” an interview conducted by Dr. Paul Leslie for Potential Not Pathology.
“Introduction to Organic Intelligence,” an introductory workshop to Organic Intelligence and HEARTraining.
“Clinical Essentials,” an introductory workshop to Organic Intelligence and HEARTraining.
“HEARTraining Tucson.”
“How to Overcome the 3 Most Common Errors in Somatic Therapy,” an online workshop.
“Re-establishing Healthy Connection in Couples Therapy,” an online workshop with Heather Berberet, PsyD.
“Embodiment: Not what you think!,” an online workshop.
“Keynote, US Trager Association,” USTA 2017 National Conference, Kansas City, MI.
“Mad2Glad,” Interview.
“Trauma Practicum,” taught at John F. Kennedy University.
“What Makes You Happy: OI’s Positive Psychology for Practitioners,” webinar.
“Demo Day,” Encinitas, CA.
“Coleyology Podcast,” Interview with Nicole Lemaster.
“Award: Top 75 PTSD Award” by Feedspot.
“Woo-Woo or Wu Wei?” An online workshop.
“OI Map reading 101 — Improving your Session Navigation,” an online workshop.
“Improvisation,” an online workshop.
“An Orientation to Orientation,” a blog post for the OI Blog.
“Session Work,” an online workshop.

2016

“From Biology To Cosmos” A Master Class for OI Expert members and Somatic Experiencing, Hakomi and Sensorimotor graduates.
“Somatic Experiencing Training for the Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute” San Diego, CA, Seattle, WA, and Belfast, Northern Ireland.
“HEARTraining Hawai’i”Human Empowerment And Resiliency Training in Honolulu, Oahu, Hawai’i.
“Advanced Somatic Experiencing Training for the Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute” (Tucson, AZ, Garrison, NY, and Portugal).
“Somatic Self-Similarity: The Fractal Nature of Body & Mind,” a blog post for the OI Blog.
“HEARTraining Tucson” Human Empowerment And Resiliency Training in Tucson, AZ.
“Introduction to Organic Intelligence,” an online workshop, Leucadia, CA.
“Clinical Essentials,” an online workshop, Leucadia, CA.
“Demo Day,” a full day of clinical demonstrations, San Francisco, CA.
“HEARTraining San Francisco” Human Empowerment And Resiliency Training in Burlingame, Bay Area, CA.
“Embodied Wisdom: Thriving in Life and Work” A workshop with entrepreneur and visionary Eileen Fisher, New York.
“Revival: Somatic Methodism & My Departure from the SE Trauma Institute,” a blog post for Somatic Psychotherapy Today and the OI Blog.
“USABP Conference,” 2016
“What is Resilience?” A blog post for the OI Blog.
“Love Me, Touch Me, Heal Me,” an online summit hosted by Erica Goodstone.
“Trauma Practicum” A one-day Somatic Psychology class taught at JFK University.
“The Yin & Yang of Being & Doing in Therapy,” a blog post for Somatic Psychotherapy Today and the OI Blog.
“Multiple Trauma Vortex (1),” a blog post for Somatic Psychotherapy Today and the OI Blog.
“HEARTraining,” a specialized training for the Southern Indian Health Council in Alpine, San Diego, CA, recognizing the vital contributions of aboriginal ways, the genocide of Native peoples, and focused on the healing of intergenerational trauma.
“How to Work With Vets,” an online workshop with Warriors Live On; Andrew Barone and Eva Belanger.
“Guide: How to Work With Vets,” created with Warriors Live On; Andrew Barone and Eva Belanger.
“OI Community Council,” faculty development program.
“Trauma as a Portal to Spiritual Awakening,” an online workshop with Robin Craig and Marisol Colette, Associate Faculty.
“Evolution of Organic Intelligence,” an online workshop.

2015

Invited Keynote Address: “Organic Intelligence: Complex Coherent Systems in Psychotherapy” Prescott College, Somatic Psychology Program.
“Organic Intelligence: The Fractal Nature of Body & Mind” Presentation for the Somatic Experiencing International Conference, Elsinor, Denmark.
“Live Demonstration: The Free Association Conversation” Presentation for the Somatic Experiencing International Conference, Elsinor, Denmark.
“Organic Intelligence and Meditation” Invited talk for the Tucson Community Meditation Center.
“Your Right to Project: Organic Intelligence and the Projective Psyche,” a blog post written for GoodTherapy.org and posted the OI Blog.
“Organic Intelligence and Exposure Therapy: Implicit Memory Integration Without Flooding” Webinar for GoodTherapy.org.
“Human Empowerment And Resiliency Training” (HEARTraining). A 3-year continuing education program.
“Advanced Somatic Experiencing Training for the Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute” (USA, Ireland, Norway, Switzerland).
“Organic Intelligence” The Complex Systems Society Conference, Phoenix, Arizona.
“Working the Physiology using Trauma, not Working the Trauma using Physiology,” a blog post for the OI Blog.
“A New Threshold: Trauma Means Unintegrated Resource,” a blog post for the OI Blog.
“OI Expert Master Class Program” (OIX); a 105-hour, post advanced CE program for Somatic Experiencing, Hakomi, Sensorimotor and HEARTraining graduates.
“Refining Mind Body Techniques,” an interview with Steve Hoskinson, by Irene Lyon.
“Somatic Experiencing,” an interview conducted by Boaz Feldman.

2014

“Fractal Mind & The Free Association Conversation” Three-day Master Class, Leucadia, CA.
“Organic Intelligence: Red & Blue Means Coherent Complex Systems Integration” Webinar for The Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute.
“Organic Intelligence and Climate Change” Webinar for the International Transformational Resiliency Coalition, sponsored by The Resource Innovation Group: theresourceinnovationgroup.org.
“Organic Intelligence & Exposure Therapy: Implicit Memory Integration Without Flooding” The 19th International Conference on Violence, Abuse & Trauma, sponsored by The Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma at Alliant University. San Diego, CA., September, 2014.
“Organic Intelligence & Exposure Therapy: Implicit Memory Integration Without Flooding” webinar for GoodTherapy.org.
“Organic Intelligence Retreat” Portland, OR.
“Somatic Experiencing Professional Trainings” for psychologists and allied health care professionals: Belfast, Denmark, Kobe Japan, Netherlands, Norway, San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, Switzerland, Tucson.

2013

“Natural Mindfulness for CBT Practitioners” Cutchins Program for Children & Families, Northampton MA.
“Organic Intelligence Teleconsult” Bimonthly teleconsult for professionals viewing the “Shifting Paradigms” instructional video.
“Grand Rounds” Sierra Tucson Treatment Center, Tucson, AZ.
“In-Service Trainings: Organic Intelligence for Stabilization” La Frontera Arizona and SACASA (Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault), Tucson, AZ.
“Organic Intelligence & Self Compassion” with Claudio Naranjo, MD in his “SAT Training,” Orvieto, Italy.
“The Rhythm of Compassion” Professional workshop on neurobiological synchrony and its relation to resiliency and compassion. Polarity Zentrum, Zurich, Switzerland.
“Organic Intelligence in Meditation” Full day presentation for the Teachers’ Retreat at Spirit Rock Vipassana Center, Woodacre, CA, with Jack Kornfield).
“Somatic Experiencing Professional Training” for psychologists and allied health care professionals: Belfast, Denmark, Honolulu, Kobe Japan, Netherlands, Norway, San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, Switzerland, Tucson.

2012

“Implicit Memory and Stabilization” One-day professional workshop for professionals working with war veterans. Sponsored by Clear Path for Veterans, Syracuse, NY.
“Love and Lineage: Intergenerational Trauma Resolution” Three-day Master Class, Leucadia, CA.
“Phase II: Ego Strengthening and Stabilizing” Three-day Master Class, Leucadia, CA.
“Organic Intelligence Retreat” Boulder, CO.
“Rapid Stabilization: Recognizing the Body’s Natural Tendency to Become More Present” One day workshop for professionals. Amherst, MA, Encinitas, CA, & Syracuse, NY.
“Self Knowledge In The Context of Self Care” with Claudio Naranjo, MD. Three day retreat, Ratna Ling Retreat Center, Cazadero, CA.
“Using OI in Play Therapy with Children” A two-day workshop for professionals. Berkeley, CA.
“Somatic Experiencing Professional Training” for psychologists and allied health care professionals: Amherst, Belfast, Denmark, New York, Netherlands, Norway, San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, Switzerland.
“How We Are Made For Pleasure,” a video interview conducted by Media for a Playful Planet.

2011

“The First 30 Seconds & Holographic Blue” Three-day Master Class, Leucadia, CA.
“Trauma Treatment State of the Art: Understanding Phasic Nervous System Process” Professional Seminar, Mountain View, CA.
“Trauma Treatment State of the Art: Understanding Phasic Nervous System Process” webinar for GoodTherapy.org.
“Shifting Paradigms: From Stabilization to Transformation” One-day workshop for professionals. Los Angeles, CA, San Diego, CA, Seattle, WA.
“Somatic Experiencing Professional Training” for psychologists and allied health care professionals: Amherst, Denmark, New York, Netherlands, Norway, San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, Switzerland.

2010

Founding Member, Northern California Society for Integrative Mental Health.
“De-Escalating Stress and Healing Trauma.” Keynote Address at The 18th Annual Child Abuse Prevention Conference, Flagstaff, AZ.
“Image and Archetype – From Medusa to Psyche” Workshop for professionals. Hoskinson Consulting, Leucadia, CA.
“Trauma, Development and Attachment.” Invited panelist for the Somatic Psychology Forum Series, sponsored by John F. Kennedy University and The California Institute of Integral Studies.
“Trauma Resolution: The Necessity of Mindfulness and Desirability of Dissociation” The 15th International Conference on Violence, Abuse & Trauma, sponsored by The Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma at Alliant University. San Diego, CA, September, 2010.
“Trauma Treatment State of the Art: Understanding Phasic Nervous System Process” San Diego, CA chapter California Marriage & Family Therapists.
“The Next Step — Life Pleasure in Advanced Recovery” The Cutting Edge, Winter, 2010. Wickenburg, AZ: The Meadows.
“Trauma Healing: Skills Building for Working with Children and Families” Flagstaff, AZ. A Post Conference Workshop at Flagstaff Medical Center.
“Somatic Experiencing Professional Training” for psychologists and allied health care professionals: Amherst, MA, San Diego, San Francisco, Tucson, Switzerland.
“When & Why Not Somatic Experience? Integration Through Mindful Dissociation” Presentation for The 12th Congress of the European Association for Body Psychotherapy. Vienna, Austria.

2009

“Narrative: An Essential Tool for Trauma Work” Copenhagen, Denmark.
“Recovery and Contemplation: Here and Now Practices of Trauma Healing, Recovery and Mindfulness” Encinitas, CA.
Video Project: “Test-Taking Stress Reduction for Los Angeles Unified School District middle school.” Videographer: Scott Marvel.
“Trauma Healing: An Introduction” Prague, Czech Republic. Invited participant and presenter, Garrison Institute’s Initiative on Transforming Trauma Leaders Forum: Integrating Contemplative Practices, Neuroscience and Cross Cultural Perspectives. (35 participants, including Bessel Van Der Kolk, John Briere, et al).
“Trauma Healing” San Diego Center for Gays & Lesbians.
“Multiple Trauma Vortex: Associative Networks & Conditioning Paradigms for Trauma Work” Master Class, San Diego, CA, and Berlin, Germany.
“Reducing Stress & Improving Performance” a pro-bono video project shown for all students in a predominantly Latino Los Angeles Unified school.
“Introduction to Somatic Experiencing: Chaos Theory & Phase Transitions in Processing Implicit & Explicit Memory of Trauma” Prague, Czech Republic; Lausanne Switzerland; Zurich Switzerland; Tucson, AZ.
Democratic Republic of Congo Trauma Healing Interventions (with Fastenopfer). Development & implementation of multi-year intervention and education for relief in war-torn DRC.
Invited expert panelist, SOMA Study on Interoception, University of California San Francisco, Osher Center for Integrative Medicine. W. Mehling, M.D., Principal Investigator.
“Somatic Experiencing Professional Training” for psychologists and allied health care professionals: Boulder, San Francisco, Scottsdale, San Diego, Tucson, Switzerland.

2008

“Introduction to Somatic Experiencing.” John F. Kennedy University.
“From Biology To Cosmos: A Systems View of Symptom Reinforcement and Extinction” A 4-day Master Class. Les Granges, Switzerland.
“The First 30 Seconds: How Associative Process Expresses in Language and Body” Hamburg, Germany.
“Image & Archetype: Processing Incomplete Experience with Naturalistic Eidetics” San Diego, CA.
“Advanced Training in Somatic Experiencing” California, Colorado, Denmark, Switzerland.
“Science and Ancient Wisdom: Treatment Here-And-Now” The Cutting Edge, Summer 2008. Wickenburg, AZ: The Meadows.

2007

“Advanced Training in Somatic Experiencing Therapy” Workshop for therapists, Jerusalem, Israel.
“Image and The Mirror: Advanced Rapport” Workshop for therapists on eidetics, archetype and therapeutic resonance, Polarity Zentrum, Zurich, Switzerland.
“The First 30 Seconds: Holographic Paradigms in Client Initial Communication” Workshop for therapists on interpersonal theory in the recognition of a primary session theme within the opening moments of a session, San Diego, CA.
“Organic Intelligence: Emerging Coherence in Somatically Informed Therapy” Presentation at the American Academy of Psychotherapists Annual Conference, San Diego, CA.
“Advanced Training in Somatic Experiencing Therapy” Workshop for therapists, Victoria, BC, Canada.
“Narrative: An Essential Tool in Somatic Experiencing” at The Meadows’ and the Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute‘s 1st Annual International Conference: “Life Energy and the Emergent Therapeutic Paradigm: A Balanced Approach to Body, Brain & Mind. October 24-26, 2007. Berkeley, CA.

2006

“Advanced Training in Somatic Experiencing Therapy” Workshop for therapists, Denmark
“Somatic Experiencing’s Systemic View of Functional Reward Systems” The Cutting Edge, Summer 2006. Wickenburg, AZ: The Meadows.
“Recovery, Balance and The Nervous System” Workshop at Shakti Rising, a recovery program for young women, San Diego, CA.
“Healing Stories, Creative Conversation: The Use of Narrative in Therapy” Workshop for therapists, Zurich, Switzerland.
“Introduction To Somatic Experiencing” Geneva, Switzerland.
“Advanced Training in Somatic Experiencing Therapy” Workshop for therapists, Malente, Germany.
“Trauma Healing and Organic Intelligence” Invited Presentation for The Meadows Annual Symposium, “Pioneers in Recovery.”
“Trauma and Spirituality” Workshop for Pathwork of California.

2005

“Introduction to Somatic Therapies for Trauma” Seminars in Arlesheim and Geneva, Switzerland.
“Trauma and Spirituality” Workshop for Pathwork of California.

2004

“Crisis Intervention Presentation” Trauma Intervention Programs of San Diego County, Inc. (TIPS)
“Trends in Counseling” Invited presentation for National University, “Introduction to Counseling,” program, San Diego, CA.
“Using Imagery: From Impulse to Archetype” Center for Inner Ecology, Zurich, Switzerland.

2003

“Health Psychology & Healing Trauma” Health Medicine Institute, Oakland, CA.
“The Mindfulness of Therapy” San Francisco Zen Center, San Francisco, CA
“Jazz Psychology: Cultural Roots in Peter Levine’s Trauma Therapy” chapter in Festschrift On the Work of Peter A. Levine (2003), Urs Honauer (ed.).
(in press) Other contributors include Eugene Gendlin, Stephen Porges, & Bessel Van Der Kolk.
“Somatic Tools In Trauma Treatment” One-day workshop for therapists, sponsored by San Diego chapter of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT).
“Somatic Approaches To Trauma: Supervised Practicum In Somatic Psychology,” John F. Kennedy University, San Francisco, CA.

2002

“Working With Survivors of Torture and Other Severe Trauma.” (with Peter A. Levine, PhD) One-day workshop for therapists, sponsored by SURVIVORS of Torture International and The San Diego Psychological Association.
“Dissociation: From Immobility to Stabilization and Reintegration.” Presentation at The Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists’ 10th Annual Conference.
“Somatic Approaches To Trauma: Supervised Practicum In Somatic Psychology,” John F. Kennedy University, San Francisco, CA.

1998-2001

“Balance In Motion” A wellness seminar of mindfulness and body-mind resource. An 8-hour seminar held in four two-hour sessions.