Choose Peace

My personal mission is to bring greater peace into this world. I believe each individual can be an advocate for peace. However, in order to be an advocate of peace, you must first be at peace with yourself. My coaching supports individuals and groups in building greater interpersonal understanding, humility, and confidence, leading to greater peace within oneself and subsequently with others.

I have been a coach in private practice since 2010 and have specifically focused on the topics of peace and conflict since 2017. I tend to integrate Eastern Philosophy with Western Psychology as an integrated approach to holistic peacebuilding, mindfulness, and conflict coaching. Currently, all of my coaching and training work is facilitated through my company Pollack Peacebuilding Systems, an international conflict resolution consulting firm. In addition to training, coaching, and mediating, I write and provide thought leadership on topics of leadership and conflict management for various publications and platforms.  I also currently serve as Chairman of the Board for the Peaceful Leadership Institute and Chairman of the Florida chapter of the Association for Conflict Resolution. 

 As a peace psychologist, I have studied human needs theories and concepts of the self, especially with regards to psychological well-being and human conflict. I earned my Ph.D. in Psychology at Grand Canyon University, where my research emphasis was in social and motivation psychology. I earned my Master’s Degree in Evolutionary Anthropology at California State University Fullerton and my Master’s Degree in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution & Peacebuilding from California State University Dominguez Hills.  I am also a Certified Organizational Development Coach (CODC™), a Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist - Individual (CCST-I™), a Certified Workplace Mindfulness Facilitator (CWMF™), and an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) under the International Coaching Federation. 

I previously served as a Research Fellow at Stanford University, where I was involved with interdisciplinary research bringing together social psychology and conflict resolution. Prior to Stanford, I worked as part of a research team at the Center for Behavior, Evolution, and Culture at UCLA where I led research projects in evolutionary psychology. You can see my scientific research here: https://stanford.academia.edu/JeremyPollack.

I began studying Taoist arts and philosophy in 1999 at the Taoist Institute in North Hollywood, CA under Taoist Abbot, Dr. Carl Totton, and later with the American Dragon Gate Lineage, under the founder and head Priest, Shifu Michael Rinaldini/ Li Chang Dao. I have also studied Zen meditation at the Shambala Institute in Boulder, CO as well as Yogic meditation at the Self-Realization Fellowship, and I have been a meditation instructor since 2010.

I am originally from Los Angeles, CA. Now, I live with my wife, Jenny, and our labradoodle, Denver, in Miami Beach. When I’m not training or coaching, you might find me practicing martial arts, playing guitar, hiking in strange jungles, or paddle boarding.