Dr. Steve played CBGB and Max’s Kansas City in the late 70s; drank, played in a toy rock band and then got sober in the 80s; became an international social justice/diversity educator and rocker again in the 90s; and is now a sought after consultant, trainer, clinician, writer and meditation teacher. Dr. Steve has attempted to cure Marc Maron on WTF, become a master EMDR therapist and provider of EMDR Training as Senior Faculty with the Institute for Creative Mindfulness, and has become a pioneer in the Buddhist recovery field. He developed the MET(T)A Protocol, a design for mental health agency treatment using Buddhist Mindfulness and EMDR Therapy, currently being utilized in trauma and addiction treatment centers across the country. He blogs and podcasts on topics related to mental health, recovery, and mindfulness. Besides maintaining a private practice in Los Angeles, he travels internationally speaking and teaching on Buddhist mindfulness, EMDR therapy, the MET(T)A Protocol, trauma, corporate wellness, Buddhist approaches to treating mental health issues, and clinician/caregiver self-care. He has been practicing Buddhist mindfulness for over 30 years (including a one year residency at a Zen monastery), and teaches dharma classes regularly in Los Angeles and other centers internationally. Steve is the Head of Health & Wellness Innovation & Partnerships at DropLabs (a company led by Susan Paley, former CEO of Beats by Dre), the creators of full immersion sound technology delivered through bluetooth to vibrational footwear simultaneously with your headphones. Steve’s technology company, StartAgain Technologies, develops, collaborates on and acquires applications to deliver through DropLabs hardware, to enhance the MET(T)A Protocol, add new dimensions and interventions to many other health and wellness platforms, and broaden access to mental health care and wellness. At all other times, he is wrangling and entertaining his 11 year old daughter.

Dr. Steve is the author of several books including Clinical Dharma: A Path for Healers and Helpers (2016), EMDR Therapy and Mindfulness for Trauma-Focused Care (coauthored with Jamie Marich, 2017), Mindfulness for Anger Management (2018) and coauthored Trauma and the 12 Steps: A Trauma Responsive Workbook, as well as Trauma and the 12 Steps: Daily Meditations & Reflections - both companion pieces to the updated Trauma and the 12 Steps by Dr. Jamie Marich.