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Prof. Dr. Sebastian Murken

                                                                                                     

 

 Education and Professional Experience

• 1983 – 1992: Student of Comparative Religious Studies in Munich (M.A. degree 1988) and of Psychology in Marburg (diploma 1992) 
• 1989-1990: Graduate student (Fulbright grant) at the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) in Berkeley, California (doctoral program “Religion and the Personality Sciences” )
• 1992 – 2014: Clinical psychotherapist at a hospital for psychosomatic diseases in Bad Kreuznach [Psychosomatische Fachklinik St. Franziska-Stift] 2009 – 2014: Leading psychologist 
• 1997: Ph.D., University of Trier (doctoral thesis “Gottesbeziehung und psychische Gesundheit. Die Entwicklung eines Modells und seine empirische Überprüfung” [God relationship and mental health. The development of a model and its empirical testing.])
• 1998 – 2014: Establishment of the Psychology of Religion Research Group within the Center for Psychobiological and Psychosomatic Research, University of Trier. Until 2014: director of the research group
• 2005: Habilitation (Dr. phil. Habil.), University of Leipzig (Faculty of History, Arts and Oriental Sciences); teaching authorization for Religionswissenschaft [religious studies].
• 2008: Honorary Professor for Religionswissenschaft [religious studies], Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of Marburg.
• 1997 – 2012: State licenses as psychoanalytical psychotherapist, supervisor for group analysis, organisational advisor 
• Since 2014: self-employed psychotherapist, coach, supervisor and lecture. For further information see the homepage of my practice and the homepage of my company LebensWerk

Lectureships at Universities

• Since 1996: lecturing at University of Basel (Switzerland), University of Bielefeld (Germany), University of Graz (Austria), University of Leipzig (Germany), University of Luzern (Switzerland), University of Mainz (Germany).
• Since 2008: lecturing regularly as Honorary Professor at the University of Marburg (Religious Sciences Department).

Other Teaching Posts

• Since 1995: teaching in various training courses for psychotherapist, in further education for “specialist nurse in psychosomatic medicine” or “palliative care”.
• Activities as professor / lecturer, supervisor and director of a self-awareness group at the Institut für Gruppenanalyse Heidelberg [Institute for Group Analysis].

Further Activities

• 1989: Founding member of the “Religionswissenschaftlichen Medien- und Informationsdienst e.V. (REMID)” [Religious Studies Media and Information Service], board member from 1991 to 1993
• Since 1995: Development and realization of a concept for the treatment of patients with spiritual and religious problems at the St. Franziska-Stift, Bad Kreuznach (hospital for psychosomatic diseases) 
• 1997: Expert for the Commission of the German government on “So-called Sects and Psychogroups” 
• 1997- 2009: Board member of the “Deutschen Vereinigung für Religionswissenschaft (DVRW)” [German Association for the Study of Religions]
• 1998: Prix André Godin of the “Commission Internationale de Psychologie Religieuse Scientifique” for important contributions towards the psychology of religion
• 2001- 2009: Board member and General Secretary of the Internationalen Gesellschaft für Religionspsychologie (International Association for the Psychology of Religion)
• Public and scientific lectures on the topics “Religion and Health/Sickness”, “Religion and Psychotherapy”, “Cults and New Religious Movements”