Steve Andrews
Speaker, Author, Researcher, Human
Steve Andrews
Welcome! I am a speaker, author, and independent researcher exploring the science of feeling safe, why it really matters, and how it shapes our lives and the world around us. Through research, writing, and speaking, I explore why humans think, feel, and act as we do, and how that understanding can help us create the conditions for a kinder, safer world.
Felt-Safety
The science of feeling safe and why it really matters.
My work explores how felt-safety shapes predictable patterns of human behavior and social organization, from individuals to global systems, across time and place.
Why do we think, feel, and act as we do? Why do people sometimes behave in ways that seem contrary to their own needs, values, and interests? Why do we create relationships, institutions, and societies that so often make life harder for one another? And why, despite everything we have learned about ourselves and the world, do we continue to struggle with so many of the same human problems?
My primary vehicle for exploring these questions is my Felt-Safety Hypothesis, an integrative theoretical framework drawing on neurobiology, anthropology, psychology, human development, sociology, and other fields to investigate the relationships between neurobiological felt-safety, human behavior, and social organization.
Rather than continuing to approach human behavior primarily as something to control, what might become possible if we organized our relationships, communities, institutions, and societies around a better understanding of what humans need to feel safe?
- Residence Seattle, WA, USA
- Presentations Given 178
- Countries Spoken In 2
- States Spoken In 33
- Topics Include felt-safety · human behavior · neurobiology · child development · trauma · neurodiversity and disability · relationships and belonging · social organization · systems thinking
- Audiences Include individuals and families · students and educators · researchers and academics · healthcare and mental health professionals · disability communities and advocates · business and organizational leaders · policymakers · community organizations
Testimonials
Steve is a social pioneer and an engaging speaker who will leave you spellbound and wanting for more. His personal story and hypotheses are a needed addition to the scientific dialogue.
Steve's keynote presentation was enlightening and engaging. His knowledge of disability and interrelated topics combined with his ability to captivate an audience of professionals, self-advocates, and family members makes for a unique learning experience. I highly recommend Steve's work.
Thank you for sharing your experiences with us. Your insights and personal stories were really eye-opening and gave us great ideas on how to be more inclusive and supportive. Your message definitely made a big impact on everyone.
I am still in awe of your presentation. It was everything a person who teaches community college needs to hear! Again, thank you so much for just being you.
I can’t thank Steve enough for his incredible presentation. Steve is a pioneer in fostering change, and his insights should be included in textbooks and shared with major CEOs and DoD senior leaders so that we can cultivate real change within our culture. We would be honored to have him back!
The training with Steve was great and extremely informative. The way the information was presented was very tangible and relatable to the population that we serve. I highly recommend Steve for group trainings. We’re looking forward to having him come out to our organization again soon!
I have had the pleasure of hearing Steve share his personal journey and professional mission with both coworkers in special education, and also with the students themselves. His presentations are extremely powerful, and need to be heard. Thank you, Steve, for your drive, commitment, and enthusiasm to our students with untapped potential.
My thanks to Steve for a meaningful presentation. He opened my eyes to important issues that I need to recognize in my work with adult learners. I learned a great deal and am so glad I attended.
Steve's perspective and personal story can profoundly impact businesses, families, students, and educators like myself. By sharing his story, he brings the word accommodation to life like no other. He is a voice to individuals who still feel the stigma of being different, and shows them and us that different can be beautiful and most of all very useful.
Brilliant talk, thank you. Your model is very helpful and challenges us to think more broadly i.e. look at the environment, not just the individual. The concept of safety and the important of relationship was very well explained. I have learnt a lot.
I hoped for a heck of a lot less than what Steve presented, this talk and Steve's slides are excellent!
This presentation was amazing. Great examples, made a very complex human experience understandable.
Steve broke down a very complex issue into simple understandable language and gave us strategies that are easy to implement.
Thank you for your wonderful contribution as our keynote speaker during Professional Development Week. I heard from many of our faculty and staff that it was the best workshop they had ever attended!
This is one of my favourite talks in the three years I've been watching. I really appreciated how the model presented is grounded in neurological research and also supported by lived experience. Thanks for this excellent talk!
Highlights
Keynote Speaker
Sacramento, CA37th Annual Cal-TASH Conference
Presented on my Neuro-Social Model of Emotional Wellbeing through the lens of disability
Presenter
OnlineAutism Explained Conference
Presented on my Neuro-Social Model of Emotional Wellbeing through the lens of the Autistic experience
Panelist
Tacoma, WAInfant and Early Childhood Development Conference
Topic: Practices that Promote Community Participation
Speaker
OnlineData Platform Mental Health and Wellness Day 2024
Presented: Bringing Your Inner Child to Work Day
Guest Lecturer
Long Beach, CACal-State Long Beach
Spoke with education graduate students on transitioning after high school
What I Do
Software Engineering
Human-Centered. Passionate Technologist.
I've spent more than 25 years designing and building software, working with organizations ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 enterprises. My experience spans complex enterprise systems, integration and automation, accessibility, and user experience, with a particular interest in making technology simpler, more intuitive, and more useful to the people who depend on it.
These days, much of my development work focuses on building browser-based tools for research, learning, knowledge organization, and exploring complex information. I continue to take on selected software engineering and consulting projects on a limited basis, particularly where my experience can help solve difficult problems or make technology more accessible and usable.
I believe that simple doesn't mean easy any more than complex means hard. My approach is to understand the underlying problem and distill complexity into elegant, straightforward solutions. I'm passionate about writing clean, maintainable code and building intuitive, accessible technology designed for the human experience.
- Residence Seattle, WA, USA
- Open To Select projects and collaborations
- Affiliations Microsoft MVP Alumni (4x), ASP Insiders
- Expertise Includes C# · integration and automation · dataflow · UX and accessibility · cognitive accessibility · middleware · refactoring · legacy code upgrades · code conversion · code recovery · code assessments · Umbraco
- Work Experience Includes Microsoft · Coca-Cola Enterprises · Merck · NASA JPL · Sungard (now FIS) · SEI Investments · DevExpress · Tai Software
- Bugs Ever Zero (just kidding, that's why we test)
- ESM Platform more info
What I Do
Blog
RSS
Categories
Contact
Seattle, WA, USA
Available in the
United States and
Remote Worldwide
How Can I Help You?
I'm always interested in connecting with people who share my curiosity about human behavior, felt-safety, science, and the possibility of building a better world. I also welcome inquiries about speaking, collaboration, writing, research, and selected consulting opportunities.