Joann S. Peterson (July 26, 1934 – January 9, 2007) was an American social worker, counsellor, author and lecturer.
[1] Born premature and abandoned at birth, she struggled with physical developmental challenges as a child; she experienced chronic, unrelenting pain every day of her adult life.
[citation needed] She did some of the pioneering work in the field of child sex abuse in San Diego, California.
[4] She left private clinical practice to assume the position of Director of Education at the Haven Institute on Gabriola Island, B.C.
She authored numerous articles, and wrote many research grants in the field of child abuse prevention.
[4][11] In her work, she was always focussed on helping individuals and families to come into human dialogue with each other, overcoming the distances created by objectification.
[12] She designed an experiential workshop entitled "Disengaging Depression" which was based on her staunch belief that people can overcome psychological and physical difficulties through courage and personal responsibility.