Ellis Amdur
MA, NCC, CMHS

De-escalation:
Grace Under Fire

Trainer Biography: Ellis Amdur

Ellis Amdur received his B.A. in psychology from Yale University in 1974, and his M.A. in psychology from Seattle University in 1990. He is both a National Certified Counselor and a State Certified Child Mental Health Specialist.

Since the late 1960s, Ellis has trained in various martial arts systems, spending thirteen of these years studying in Japan. He is a recognized expert in classical and modern Japanese martial traditions, and has authored three iconoclastic books, as well as one instructional DVD on this subject. 

Ellis has released three instructional books concerning communication with seriously mentally ill individuals and verbal de-escalation of aggression:  one for social services professionals, one for hospitals and one for families who live with seriously mentally ill family members, and the other for social services professionals. He has authored a number of books on crisis intervention and communication with mentally ill individuals, all of which are listed on this website.

Ellis has worked in the field of crisis intervention since 1988. He has developed a range of training and consultation services, as well as a unique style of assessment and psychotherapy. These are based on a combination of phenomenological psychology and the underlying philosophical premises of classical Japanese martial traditions. Ellis’s professional philosophy can best be summed up in this idea: the development of an individual’s integrity and dignity is the paramount virtue. This can only occur when people live courageously, regardless of the circumstances, and take responsibility for their roles in making the changes they desire.

Ellis Amdur is a dynamic public speaker and trainer who presents his work throughout the U.S. and internationally. He is noted for his sometimes outrageous humor as well as his profound breadth of knowledge. Ellis’s vivid descriptions of aggressive and mentally ill people and his true-to-life role-playing of the behaviors in question give participants an almost first-hand experience of facing the real individuals in question.