Dr Birgit Trauer

My Mission

I am dedicated to promoting a relational and peace-orientated culture, at home, at work, and the world at large. I aim to bridge the widening gap in our individualistic culture on one hand and our human need and desire for meaningful connection and healthy relationships on the other.

My Vision

I envision a world where curiosity, courage and commitment are seen as the way to extend our comfort zones and practice the breadth of human skills. I believe by nurturing greater understanding of relational intelligence, we all can make better informed and conscious decisions that elevate meaningful connections and healthy relationships.

Who I Am

I am a social psychologist grounded in positive psychology with a specialisation in travel and tourism. I draw on my extensive insight and expertise gained in my professional roles and along my personal life’s journey. I am passionate about sharing my knowledge with as many people as possible.

What I Do

• I have and continue to collate research-based insight from a variety of knowledge domains to inform my understanding of relational intelligence.
• I facilitate face-to-face group learning events in the form of workshops, seminars, retreats, and keynote presentations with a focus on relational intelligence.
• I offer events in various locations for everyone curious to know and practice relational intelligence – at home, at work, in business, in society at large.
• I collaborate and cooperate with like-minded and like-hearted individuals, organisations, and institutions to foster a relational and peace-oriented culture.

My Core Values

• Kindness: I believe in fostering greater appreciation of our shared humanity across cultures.
• Mutuality: I strive to create environments for individual, relational, and collective wellbeing.
• Integrity: I am committed to act on the values I proclaim in all relationships.
• Peace: I encourage a spirit of lifelong learning for inner and outer peace.

Come and join me on a new adventure: Unlocking your Relational Intelligence. Make relational intelligence your trusted companion as you travel through life.

Get in touch. Let’s connect. I value your feedback and inquiries. Reach out for general information and detailed discussions about co-operative events.
See my CONTACT PAGE for details

My curiosity and passion for life remain my constant companions. They inspire me to be courageous and explore not only the world around me but also the depth of my deepest yearnings and fears, my joys and heartaches, my sense of identity, and my aspirations for the future.

Like for many of us, all my personal experiences and my many emotional life chapters have been and remain to be my most ardent teachers. I am grateful for all the experiences and insights that have, and still to this day, nourish my personal motivation as I continue my life’s adventurous journey.

My life has taught me that there is so much for all of us to learn about relationships in general, relationships at work, and relationships with family members and our significant others. They all carry special meaning in our lives. I believe that we all can expand our comfort zones and keep our hearts open and the joy of love alive – in ourselves, in our relationships with others, and the world at large.

I was born and grew up in Bremen, Germany until the age of 19, when I migrated, freshly married, to Australia. I have two beautiful adult children who reside on the opposite sides of the globe. My daughter, who is married, lives in Sydney, Australia, and my son now has made in Innsbruck, Austria his new home.

Apart from my passion to read, research, and write, I immensely enjoy the sound of music, dancing, outdoor recreation, exploring nature and city scapes, interior decorating, and renovating homes and gardens.

Most of all, I treasure conversations and experiences with kindred spirits from all kinds of backgrounds who welcome inspiring discussions and exchanges. Feeling the enriching human energy is what feeds my soul.

My professional engagements, developments, and achievements

After my marriage, I took up higher education as a single mature age female. My educational journey started with a Bachelor in Leisure Management and concluded with being awarded a PhD in Tourism Management in 2005 at the University of Queensland, Australia. In my thesis, I explored the nature of adventure tourism experiences, looking at behavioural, cognitive, and affective involvement, risk perception, and identity formation. My PhD served to conceptualise Special Interest Tourism.

My studies resulted in a late academic career which led me to live and work in a few different countries around the world, including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Sweden, England, Austria, Germany, and the United Arab Emirates. My most recent academic appointment was at Semester at Sea, Spring 2022 – Mediterranean Exploration.

Prior to this I worked in the international airline industry, in retail and wholesale travel agencies, in tourism resorts, as a tour guide, and as a trainer and coach in the health and fitness industry.

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I have published in top international academic journals and academic text books, including the chapter on Special Interest Tourism in The SAGE International Encyclopaedia of Travel and Tourism (2017). At the end of 2020 I published my book entitled The Way of the Peaceful Traveller – Dare to Care and Connect.

I am a board member of the InstituteTourism – Voices for Insight and Change, a founding member of the World Tourism Network (WTN), a charter member of the International Institute of Peace through Tourism (IIPT), and a member of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP).

As a behavioural scientist with a specialisation in travel and tourism management, I draw on my background in social psychology and positive psychology, along with insights from other relevant domains, including the new field of neuroscience. My continuous research and further education, including online and in-person courses provide valuable additional information to all my work and my approach that include the following

• Emotional Intelligence, and Emotional Agility.
• Romantic Competence for healthy relationships
• Relational Life Therapy (RLT) and relational mindfulness
• Nonviolent Communication, also known as compassionate communication.
• Relational Intelligence for effective leadership
  

It is the culmination of all my insights that have inspired me to now focus on relational intelligence.

Are you curious to find out more about relational intelligence?

Come and join me on a new adventure, unlocking your relational intelligence. Make relational intelligence your trusted companion as you travel through life.

Get in touch. Let’s connect. I value your feedback and inquiries. Reach out for general information and detailed discussions about co-operative events.
See my CONTACT PAGE for details