Crisis Intervention - What To Do in the Event of a Crisis? Part 2
The first 3 steps are essentially listening activities.
Step 1: Defining the Problem
As the first important step in helping a person overcoming a crisis ask her to tell you about the incident. In the process of her story reflect the content and her emotions, and summarize and clarify the details. Empathic way of listening will support the person to move smoothly through the story and help her to see different perspectives. As a result you reduce her initial distress level and form a reassuring relationship.
Step 2: Ensuring Client Safety
The second step requires you to evaluate the risk for her to be in danger of hurting herself or others. You may ask her if similar things had happened in the past to access her past coping mechanisms and inquire about her social support network.
Step 3: Providing Support
As the next step you need to provide support in showing the person that you really care about her. Find out about her present coping mechanisms and her usual ways of dealing with conflict, validate her achievement and encourage her self-confidence by reassuring her in her actions.
The next 3 steps essentially involve acting strategies.
Step 4: Examining Alternatives
Common for people in crisis is that they do not usually see the obvious. Some clients actually believe there are no options. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to facilitate clients in their search for feasible solutions. Help that person to look for alternatives. This opens up other possibilities and additional resources.
Step 5: Making Plans
In trying to tease out the best possible solution among the alternatives you explore, encourage that person to think about the advantages and disadvantages of the different possibilities. The important and central issues in planning are clients' control and autonomy. The aim is to place the primary responsibility on the client in order to restore their sense of control and independence from the support person.
Step 6: Obtaining Commitment
With the previous steps in mind, ask her what she would be doing next. This enables her to summarize and choose from the options that you discussed which in the end helps her to reclaim her power and independence.
Related Tags: help, stress, stress management, support, crisis, resource, intervention
Nathalie Himmelrich is the founder of 'Reach for the Sky Therapy' (www.reachforthesky.com.au) on Sydney's Northern Beaches and specialises in 'relationship related issues'. She is working with individuals and couples using techniques ranging from Counselling, Neuro Linguistic Programming to Journey Therapy. She supports clients in their personal growth in a supportive and professional environment.
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