Joseph Rieforth died on 29 August at the age of 65. For several decades, he headed the departments for psychotherapy with the associated outpatient clinic and for counselling and conflict resolution.
"We are bidding farewell to an inspiring companion and a highly esteemed colleague," says Tim Zentner, Managing Director of the university's C3L - Centre for Lifelong Learning. As a researcher and teacher, Rieforth influenced many generations of graduates who are now working in fields such as psychotherapy and counselling.
In 1990, Rieforth took over as academic director of the Department of Psycho-Social Further Education and Contact Studies in the former Centre for Advanced Scientific Training (ZWW), which was merged into the C3L in 2006. He founded postgraduate programmes for supervision, coaching and organisational development, for systemic counselling and systemic therapy/family therapy as well as for mediation and conflict management. Since 1998, he has headed the psychotherapeutic training centres and university outpatient clinics that he founded. The latter are open to all those with statutory health insurance and contribute to psychotherapeutic care for children, adolescents and adults in the region.
His publications have provided impetus in particular for the further development of counselling and therapy methods as well as supervision, mediation and conflict management. Rieforth designed further training programmes together with professional associations such as DGSv, DGSF, BAFM and BMWA. As a member of the IMPP expert commission, he was involved in drawing up the written questions for the final examinations for training programmes under the Psychotherapists Act.
Rieforth studied psychology in Münster, Vienna and Oldenburg, where he obtained his Diplom in 1982. His doctorate in philosophy followed in 1996, also at the University of Oldenburg. Since 2003, he has been Dr phil. habil. Privatdozent at the School of Education and Educational Sciences.
His last book publication, entitled "Wunschkompetenz" (Desire Competence), was about the ability to shape one's own life in a meaningful way. In view of his life's work as a university lecturer, researcher and teaching therapist, this can be considered a success.