Crisis intervention =
short term, immediate, how do we get back equilibrium TODAY and RIGHT NOW
How is it different from “regular” counseling
1) moves fast
2) immediate
3) trust is built fast
4) directiveness and assertiveness (depends on the situation and you don’t start this way)
5) situational awareness
6) stakeholders (think about who is affected outside of client)
7) assess danger level
Crisis Intervention: Immediate, short-term assistance for individuals facing events causing emotional, mental, physical, or behavioral distress.
- Accurate listening skills are essential for therapists, especially in crisis intervention and adapting person-centered counseling approaches.
- In crisis situations, therapists may need to employ more directive, action-oriented, and judgmental verbal techniques.
- Effective crisis intervention involves adapting to high-stress situations and using various, possibly unfamiliar, verbal techniques.
Open-ended questions (what, how, tell me more, help me to understand)
- Effective crisis intervention involves a balance between open-ended questions for exploration and closed-ended questions for specific information.
- Open-ended questions start with “what,” “how,” or seek detailed clarification and are crucial in the problem exploration phase.
- Techniques include requesting descriptions (“Tell me about…”), focusing on plans (“What will you do?”), expanding discussions (“Tell me more.”), and assessing situations (“How is that different from before?”).
- Avoid “why” questions as they often lead to defensiveness and externalization of problems.
Closed-ended questions (did, do, can)
- Closed-ended questions begin with verbs like do, did, is, and can and are used in crisis intervention to gain concrete, specific information quickly.
- These questions are effective for obtaining commitments to action, especially when clients are unable to articulate detailed responses.
- They are useful for ensuring clarity and focus, especially on safety issues, where direct and straightforward answers are crucial.
Restatement/reflection
- Restatement involves the crisis worker repeating what the client says in their own words, aiding clarity and confirming understanding.
- It focuses on the content of the crisis event, helping clients feel heard and understood amidst their emotional or thought disarray.
- Effective restatement requires complete focus on the client’s world, avoiding distractions and personal biases.
Summary Clarification in crisis situation
- Summary clarification consolidates the dialogue, ensuring both client and crisis worker are aligned on the crisis situation and planned actions.
-This technique is crucial, especially at the commitment stage, to confirm and clarify the action plan agreed upon by the client and worker. - It involves asking the client to summarize the intervention plan, reinforcing their understanding and commitment to the proposed actions.
Own your perceptions or feelings
- Owning statements, or “I” statements, are crucial in crisis intervention for direct communication and establishing a bond with the client.
- These statements are particularly important when dealing with behavioral emergencies, requiring the crisis worker’s undivided attention.
- They help model behavior for clients, demonstrating ownership of thoughts, feelings, and actions in crisis situations
Effective use of owning statements
- use “we”, “our”, “here” so they do not feel alone
- no disowned statements (avoid disowned statements that indicate perfection or superiority (trust me i know what I am talking about)
- use “i understand what you are saying”
- say “I know i could not possibly understand”
- give positive reinforcement
Assertion statements
“i am going to need you to put that down”
- statement that tells them this is what is going to happen
Communication
Silence: In some cases, by reacting immediately, the crisis worker might make less than a potent response. Silence enhances understanding and avoids intrusion and enables workers to formulate a helpful response.
