Crisis intervention

Crisis intervention is a form of first aid in an emotional crisis.

Experiencing a crisis occurs when we are confronted with circumstances that are beyond our current capacity to cope with. It may be, for instance, death or serious illness of a close person, an accident, witnessing a crime, divorce or infidelity of a partner, loss of a job, but also positive events, e.g. birth of a child, winning the “lottery”. It is worth remembering that undergoing a crisis is not a sign of weakness.

The aim of crisis intervention is to provide ad hoc support for regaining one’s balance and recovery to such an extent that more long-term action can be taken to address the problem. The problem we face may be beyond our current capacity. However, this does not mean that the problem is unsolvable at all. We simply need more time to develop new mechanisms and skills to tame and overcome it.

Crisis intervention can be compared to pre-medical first aid, instructions for which are displayed in many institutions and public places:

you see an accident -> secure the site -> call for help -> check if the victim is breathing; if not – provide artificial respiration -> check if the victim has a pulse; if not – provide cardiac massage -> wait for the ambulance to arrive.

Similarly, “psychological first aid” includes, among other aspects:

providing emotional support (“catching your breath”),

threat assessment (suicidal thoughts, violence),

assessment of the situation (in shock we often lose our ability to make a sound judgement),

mobilising resources,

finally, jointly defining the most urgent steps to be taken.

Crisis is a normal reaction of a healthy person to abnormal circumstances.

Once the patient has regained his or her balance, they will be able to manage further actions on their own, including consulting a specialist appropriate to their problem: doctor, lawyer, psychotherapist, addiction therapist. In practice, crisis intervention involves 3 sessions, each with a specific purpose and structure. Sessions are held at intervals of several days (up to a week), depending on the needs and condition of the Client. Session duration ranges from 1-1.5 hours (1st session) to 0.5-1 hours (the last one).