Rolf J. Kleber Ph.D. is Professor of Psychotraumatology, Department of Clinical & Health Psychology, Utrecht University as well as Head Research of Foundation Arq (a holding combining the Institute for Psychotrauma, The Netherlands as well as Centre ‘45, the national expert centre for medical-psychological treatment of victims of war and organized violence). He was lecturer at the University of California, Irvine (U.S.A.) and held academic positions at several Dutch universities. He was also supervisor of the Continuing Education Department of the Dutch Association of Psychologists.
Prof. Kleber has conducted and supervised various research projects on psychotherapy outcome of posttraumatic stress disorder, work related trauma and intervention programs, late sequelae of war stress, psychosocial consequences of disasters, health issues of refugees, and cross-cultural aspects of mental health. Among others, he was supervisor of the large Mental Health monitoring study on the aftermath of Enschede Disaster (2000-2007). At the University, he teaches courses on clinical psychology, traumatic stress, personality psychology as well as culture and health.
Prof. Kleber is Chair of the Board of the Foundation for Accredited Education for Clinical & Health Care Psychologists and Psychotherapists Central Netherlands. He is also a consultant and advisor in the field of trauma care and mental health after serious life events, such as large scale calamities and disasters for rescue workers and other victims etc. He has developed various intervention programs for trauma-affected populations in The Netherlands and abroad. He was a trainer and consultant in `Mental Health Programs' (e.g. on behalf on Médecins sans Frontiéres and HealthNet International) in war- and disaster-stricken areas abroad (e.g. Bosnia-Hercegovina).
Prof. Kleber has supervised approximately 30 doctoral dissertations. His research and teaching fields are: conceptual issues concerning traumatic stress, general processes of coping with traumatic experiences, work related trauma and brief interventions, (late) sequelae of war and disasters, and cross-cultural aspects of health, trauma and illness. Prof. Kleber has published various scientific and professional articles (around 350) and books (around 12) on stress, coping with trauma and cross-cultural psychology.
In 2015 he was appointed a Knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion.