Dr. James T. Reese

• CEO, James T. Reese and Associates
• Lecturer / Consultant to corporate and public entities
• Founder, FBI Stress Management Program
  

Workshops, Presentations and Seminar Topics

A partial list of presentations offered by Dr. James T. Reese, FAAETS. Presentations can be, and often are, tailored for specific client needs.

SUCCESS WITHOUT STRESS
There are strategies and attitudes that will help us, both at home and on the job, to limit unnecessary stress while increasing our productivity and enjoyment. Learning to use stress to our advantage will separate us from the masses. Develop personal standards of excellence and stress management techniques to define and achieve success.

SIX KEYS TO STRESS-FREE LIVING
Are you always taking chances or are you making choices? Do you let things happen or do you make them happen? Get excited about consciously choosing an "attitude of gratitude", an "attitude that increases your altitude." The 'high' associated with your attitude enables you to be excited about facing life's challenges. Together, these keys: challenge, choice, change, courage, control and commitment can greatly assist you in reducing the stress in your life.

SEVEN STRATEGIC LESSONS ABOUT LIFE, RESILIENCY, AND COPING WITH STRESS©
Dr, Reese, together with Dr. George Everly, Jr., authored a book entitled Psychological Body Armor: Seven Strategic Lessons about life, Resiliency, and Coping for Emergency Response and Public Health Personnel (Chevron Publishing, 2007). This presentation, as in the book, goes beyond techniques of stress management and addresses the core values that set the stage for stress vulnerability as well as stress resistance and resiliency. From developing a moral compass by which to live to the importance of optimism and good friends, this is truly life-saving information.

SNOWMEN FALL FROM THE SKY UNASSEMBLED
We live in prisons of our own fashioning. We have to eliminate these self-imposed limits. The power, which propels our future, is within us. The only limits are those of vision. Too often, we look for that power elsewhere. Many talented and motivated people simply stand by and wait for a break, that streak of luck, that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. In reality, each day is an opportunity. Realizing that most of us get «stuck» at some point in our lives, and realizing that life is full of crossroads, which blend opportunity and risk, we must act responsibly and make educated choices.

COPING WITH CHANGE AND ADVERSITY
Coping with Change and Adversity, provides an examination of the uniqueness of stress experienced by those who serve and support others. Fewer people, less equipment, less support, lower budgets, and a demanding work environment creates a theater in which we are asked to continue to act with dignity and surety and dedicate ourselves to the well-being of others. There are proven ways to address these issues, to move forward and create a sense of personal well-being while doing an outstanding job.

THE GREATEST DIFFICULTY IN LIFE: CHOICE
At no other time in our history has there been so much change in so little time. From computers to IPODS; from microwaves to lasers; technology is on the move. Change creates stress and the need to choose alternatives. Traumatic events such as responding to the problems of others can create even greater changes and subsequent stress. Change is constant and unrelenting on the demands it places on our abilities to cope. Simple guidelines can assist in coping.

WORLDS AT WAR; MINDS AT PEACE: SIX STEPS TO SANITY
Letting the situation in the world dictate your happiness and contentment? From the economy, to the horrors of the World Trade Center, if the affairs of the world dictate your attitudes, you are out of control. Some of the most meaningful decisions we make, and important actions we take, are surprisingly simple. This presentation allows you to see how you can actually do something to recapture control of your affairs, summon up the emotional strength you once had, and bring back the joy that is missing in your life.

TRAUMATIC STRESS: STAYING BITTER OR GETTING BETTER
Of the many challenges facing our personal, emotional well-being, the most formidable foe may well be our responses, and subsequent reactions, to critical incidents and the potential for traumatic stress. Those who assist others, chaplains, fire, police, rescue, mental health professionals, physicians, and more, continue to be an "at risk" population with regard to exposure to such incidents. Experts agree that even in cases in which apparent "normal" psychological adjustment has occurred, there is a high probability that there is or will be some degree of disequilibrium.

ETHICS-BASED LEADERSHIP: LEADING FOR A CHANGE
Ethical behavior and personal integrity are essential components of successful leadership. The current status of world affairs places everyone whose profession is that of helping others on the front line. Too many leaders are concerning themselves with "harmony" rather than demanding "ethical behavior" and actions that reflect personal integrity from their employees. Understanding the fundamentals of ethics-based leadership creates a stronger leader while also providing information that allows one to become a better follower. The greatest leaders in the world are, in actuality, servants to those who must follow them. It is virtually impossible to excel in a leadership role without recognizing leadership principles, and having good working definitions of the concepts of integrity, work ethic, power, authority, courage, and influence.

LEADING THE FIELD: VISIONS AND DECISIONS
A vision expresses a desired future state that is better in some important way than what exists. It describes where you will be in the future and what it will be like. The primary function and role of a leader is to transform visions into actions. Visions without actions are dreams; actions without visions are nightmares. The key to successful leadership today is not power and authority, it is the kind of influence that was witnessed in Ghandi, Thomas Jefferson, The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, and other great leaders.

RESPONDING TO TERRORIST ACTS: CRISIS LEADERSHIP AND THE PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILES OF TERRORISM
Employees are being asked to work more diligently than ever; to accept additional tasks that will allow them to succeed; to be ever mindful of terrorism and related issues; to do more with less; and to support each other. Leaders and followers have similar responsibilities during a crisis event. In fact, leaders create more leaders, not followers. Learn the psychology of terrorism so that you can protect yourself from an attitude that lessens your ability to serve others. Each employee impacts upon the organization; everyone is a leader!

RECOGNIZING THE PHASES OF DISASTER: COMMUNITY AND INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIORS
Instituting the concepts and practices of "traditional" counseling rather than using the techniques of disaster mental health during and following a major crisis is a mistake. All disaster-related activities are divided into distinct time periods. Understanding the conceptual differences of disaster versus traditional mental health services provides a better standard of care for immediate care of victims. One of the worst mistakes that can be made is not knowing the stages of disaster and continuing traditional assistance rather than integrating disaster mental health concepts.

OTHER REQUESTED TOPICS:

CRITICAL INCIDENT STESS MANAGEMENT AND PEER COUNSELING

GET READY FOR ANOTHER DAY: COUNSELORS AS VICARIOUS VICTIMS OF OTHERS TRAGEDIES

HOLISTIC WELLNESS: THE BIG PICTURE

Reviews

Corporate, public service, military, and other references available upon request.

Following is a partial list of organizations with whom Dr. James Reese has interviewed, consulted or trained: