Gisela Zurek

Gisela Zurek trained as a dance therapist in Monheim am Rhein and studied psychology in Cologne. She worked as a research associate at the Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy and, from 2009, at the outpatient service for victims of violence operated by Düsseldorf’s public health department. She was also involved in training and further education in psychotraumatology and served as a scientific adviser to the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance. Her research focused on psychosocial aftercare following major disasters, people affected by terrorist attacks, and people with disabilities in complex disasters. In 2019, she undertook a humanitarian assignment in Tajikistan concerning violence against women. Her publications address trauma, psychosocial emergency care, workplace violence, and human rights violations.