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Crisis intervention is a therapy administered by a mental health professional after a traumatic experience to offer support and coping strategies. It takes the form of counseling sessions and may continue for several weeks. The counselor creates a secure atmosphere, encourages reflection, and helps establish healthy coping mechanisms. Follow-up care may also be provided.
Crisis intervention is a form of therapy administered by a mental health professional shortly after an individual has undergone a traumatic experience. This trauma can include – but is not limited to – the loss of a loved one, witnessing a natural disaster, sexual assault, suicidal feelings, the termination of a job or personal relationship, or an automobile accident. The purpose of crisis intervention is to offer the traumatized person support and arm them with coping strategies in hopes of reducing the risk of long-term mental health problems or self-harming behaviors.
In most cases, crisis intervention takes the form of counseling sessions, which may take place at a psychiatric office, hospital or rehabilitation center, correctional facility, school health office, or, in the case of natural disasters, a relief shelter. For optimal effectiveness, these sessions should begin as soon as possible after the traumatic incident. Depending on the severity of the individual’s psychological trauma, crisis intervention may be limited to a single counseling session or may continue for several weeks.
The role of the mental health professional during crisis intervention is multifaceted. It must create an atmosphere of security and trust to facilitate openness and reflection on the part of the traumatized person. It is likely to encourage the sufferer to think about their traumatic experience and to identify the resulting emotions, feelings and behaviours. This reflection not only encourages the trauma victim to think about why the incident occurred and how it impacted her life, but also allows the counselor to evaluate the victim for signs of risk, such as suicidal thoughts.
After guiding the trauma victim through a period of self-reflection, the counselor’s next task is to help him establish healthy coping mechanisms. This is perhaps the most crucial phase of crisis intervention, as it aims to reduce the sufferer’s potential for self-harm and long-term mental health problems such as depression. The counselor can help the sufferer identify current harmful coping strategies, such as substance abuse, and suggest positive strategies such as keeping a journal, doing breathing exercises, talking to a friend, or exercising.
Finally, crisis intervention usually involves some degree of follow-up care. This may mean that the trauma victim revisits the counselor on a specific date so the counselor can evaluate the success of his or her coping strategies. In cases of mild trauma, the counselor may simply give the sufferer contact information, encouraging them to call if their PTSD feelings resurface.
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