René Diekstra

René Diekstra is a Dutch psychologist, editor and author. He introduced Rational-Emotive Therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy in the Netherlands and was the founder of Psychologie Magazine. He was also the first Dutch psychologist to become a member of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Geneva and led the program Psychosocial Factors of Health and Development. In this context, he took the initiative for several international and still functioning research programs on causes for suicidal behavior. For this work, he received the Stengel Award, an international research prize from the International Association for Suicide Prevention.