Some mental health issues can and do rise to a crisis level. Crisis intervention therapy is a practical and quick-response method for dealing with mental health emergencies. It goes beyond traditional therapy, sometimes happening in a single session, focusing on stabilizing individuals in crisis and planning the next steps for their ongoing treatment.
This approach isn’t limited to therapy settings; crisis hotlines also use it, providing support from trained volunteers or professionals even outside regular working hours.
In the world of mental health, crises can occur unexpectedly. Whether triggered by stressful events, past traumas, or sudden increases in symptoms, crisis intervention steps in to ensure immediate safety, offer coping strategies, and connect individuals with ongoing treatment options.
Let’s explore the practical aspects of crisis intervention, examining its application, understanding what triggers mental health crises, and highlighting its crucial role in providing support during urgent situations.
What is Crisis Intervention Therapy?
Crisis intervention therapy is a focused, short-term therapeutic approach designed to provide immediate mental health care interventions during times of acute psychological distress or crisis. This form of counseling aims to assist mood stabilization for those facing a mental health emergency, offering timely assistance and strategies to manage the immediate situation effectively.
Crisis intervention therapy provides relief and coping skills when emotions and stress overwhelm normal functioning, writes Melissa Galica, LPC. ‘This can reduce the risk of harm to self or others.’
Key strategies used in crisis intervention therapy include:
- Immediate response: Crisis intervention is characterized by its swift and immediate response to individuals in crisis. The aim is to address the critical needs and concerns of the person facing a mental health emergency.
- Short-term focus: This intervention is typically short-term, often occurring in a single session or a few sessions. The emphasis is on addressing the immediate crisis and stabilizing the individual rather than long-term, ongoing therapy.
- Assessment and safety planning: Clinicians conducting crisis intervention assess the individual’s immediate safety and work collaboratively to create a safety plan. This may involve identifying potential risks and implementing strategies to ensure the person’s well-being.
- Active listening and support: Crisis intervention counselors employ active listening skills to understand the individual’s experience and emotions. Providing empathetic support is a crucial aspect of the therapeutic process.
- Coping strategies: Individuals are guided in developing and utilizing coping strategies to manage the immediate crisis. These strategies may include emotional regulation techniques, problem-solving skills, and accessing available resources.
- Referral and follow-up: Depending on the nature of the crisis, individuals may be referred to additional support services or resources. Follow-up may be recommended to monitor progress and ensure ongoing care.
Crisis intervention therapy is applicable in various situations, including acute stress reactions, trauma, substance abuse crises, and other mental health emergencies. It plays a pivotal role in providing quick and targeted support to individuals in distress, helping them navigate the immediate challenges they face.
What Causes a Mental Health Crisis?
There are several factors that can trigger mental health crises, often arising unexpectedly. Understanding the diverse causes behind a crisis is essential, as it allows for a more nuanced approach to intervention and support. Here are some common triggers:
Stressful or Traumatic Events
Individuals may enter a crisis state following highly stressful or traumatic events. The overwhelming nature of such experiences can compromise the long-term wellbeing of individuals, potentially leading to a mental health crisis.
Crisis intervention involves urgent psychological intervention following trauma. ‘The goal is to help survivors decrease distress, regain emotional stability, and adapt effectively’ (Flannery & Everly, 2000, in Zhang, Zhou, & Li, 2015).
Triggering of Past Traumas
Even if a traumatic event occurred in the past, individuals may experience minimal symptoms after the trauma but still experience a crisis later in life. Therapeutic interventions aim to break the cycle of catastrophic appraisal and extreme distress, helping people to recognize that their reactions are not abnormal and that they still possess inner strength. The goal is to transition individuals from a state of disarray to effective coping.
Acute Increase in Mental Health Symptoms
Those with mental health diagnoses, including mood disorders, or substance use disorders, can face sudden, acute increases in their symptoms. Crisis intervention is instrumental in ensuring immediate safety, introducing coping skills, and establishing connections with ongoing treatment options.
Suicidal Ideation
Individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts can find themselves in a crisis, particularly if they feel compelled to act on these thoughts. Crisis intervention helps the individual identify specific triggers for these thinking patterns, manage their safety, and provides essential suicide prevention support.
By recognizing these triggers, crisis intervention can offer targeted and timely support, helping individuals navigate the complexities of their mental health during challenging moments.
The SAFER-R Model of Crisis Intervention Therapy
When faced with a crisis, a systematic and empathetic approach is crucial for effective intervention. The SAFER-R model is one such approach which provides a comprehensive framework, addressing biophysical, psychological, and social aspects of individuals in crisis.
Let’s explore each step to understand how this model guides intervention and fosters recovery.
Stabilize: Meeting Basic Needs
In the initial phase, the focus is on meeting biophysical needs to ensure the individual’s immediate safety and well-being. This involves addressing questions such as:
- Are they safe?
- Do they have injuries?
- Are basic necessities like food and drink met?
This biophysical foundation lays the groundwork for effective communication and sets the stage for the subsequent phases.
Acknowledge the Crisis: Reviewing the Event and Reaction
This phase involves implementing psychological first-aid by acknowledging the emotional impact of the critical incident. By reviewing the event and its emotional aftermath, the intervention aims to provide immediate support for the individual’s psychological well-being.
Facilitate Understanding: Normalizing the Situation
Moving further into the psychological domain, the focus shifts to cognitive elements essential for normalization. Facilitating understanding involves helping the individual grasp the situation’s context and reassuring them. This phase aims to bring a sense of normalcy, fostering cognitive resilience in the face of the crisis.
Encourage Effective Coping: Mechanisms and Support
This phase explores the individual’s coping mechanisms and styles. Understanding how they typically cope with stress becomes integral.
Additionally, therapists will discuss the biophysical and social support elements of the situation with their client, guiding the individual on self-care practices and assessing the availability of social support to aid in the coping process.
Recovery or Referral: Access to Continued Care
In the final phase, the focus turns to post-crisis care.
The interventionist exercises judgment to ensure the individual is on a path to effective recovery. A thorough review of biophysical, psychological, and social parameters determines whether the individual requires additional evaluation or care from mental health professionals.
If needed, a referral is suggested to facilitate continued support and recovery.
When to Meet With a Crisis Counselor
Recognizing when an individual may benefit from the expertise of a crisis counselor is crucial. The signs indicating this need can manifest in various ways:
- Inability to perform daily tasks: Demonstrated by struggles to engage in routine activities, such as getting out of bed, eating, or attending work or school.
- Poor hygiene: Evidenced by a decline in personal care practices, such as failing to bathe or change clothes regularly.
- Suicidal thoughts or self-harm behaviors: Indicated by explicit expressions of suicidal ideation or engaging in self-harm behaviors, demanding immediate attention and intervention.
- Psychosis: Involving experiences like hallucinations or delusions, signifying a disconnection from reality and necessitating prompt intervention.
- Paranoia or seeming disconnected from reality: Marked by feelings of paranoia or a perceptible detachment from reality, which require careful consideration and intervention.
- Feelings of hopelessness, depression, irritability, anger, or anxiety: Expressed through emotional states like hopelessness, depression, irritability, anger, or anxiety, indicating a significant emotional struggle that merits professional support.
Recognizing these warning signs empowers individuals and their support networks to proactively seek the guidance of a crisis counselor. Timely intervention can make a substantial difference in navigating challenging circumstances and promoting mental well-being.
