Crisis Counselling

This Course is Taught By:
Iona Lister

Her Background: Licentiate, Speech and Language Therapy, UK, Diploma in Advanced Counselling Skills.

She has been a clinician and manager of health services for fifteen years, and a trainer for UK-based medical charities, focusing on psychosocial issues, mental health disorders, and also the promotion of communication skills for people in helping roles. As a freelance writer, she contributes articles for magazines, has written four published books, and has written course material on coaching and counselling related fields.



Crises happens to everyone, and intervention can take many forms, from family helping and support strategies to professional counselling strategies aimed at helping the individual cope with crisis in ways that reduce the negative psychological, physiological and behavioural effects of trauma on that person and his or her environment.

The purpose of crisis counselling is to deal with the person's current status by dealing with a crisis. Chronic exposure to stress or trauma can lead to mental illness. Therefore, it is important that counsellors have the skills and knowledge to help clients cope with their current stressors and trauma. Crisis counselling is not intended to provide psychotherapy or similar, but offers a short-term intervention to helps clients receive assistance, resources, stabilisation and support.
Lesson Structure: Crisis Counselling BPS304

Understanding methods of crisis intervention
What constitutes a crisis and methods of crisis intervention?
Ethical, professional and legal issues
Current ethical, professional and legal implications of crisis intervention.
Dangers of crises and effective intervention
Dangers posed by crisis to the individual, the counsellor, and those around them. Determining effective modes of intervention.
Developmental Crises
Recognising and comprehending crises from a developmental perspective.
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Symptoms, treatment options and possible outcomes of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Violence and sexual assault
Effects of violence and sexual assault on the individual, and possible modes of intervention.
Crisis and drug addiction
Determining the relationship between crises and drug dependence.
Family crises
Major issues raises in family crises and appropriate methods of intervention.
Crises and cultural issues
Cultural influences on crisis situations.

Learning Goals: Crisis Counselling BPS304

Identify what constitutes a crisis and to discuss methods of crisis intervention
Discuss current ethical, professional and legal implications of crisis intervention.
Explain the dangers posed by crises to the individual, the counsellor and those around them during crisis intervention, and to determine effective modes of intervention.
Identify and explain crises evolving from a developmental perspective.
Explain the symptoms, treatment options and possible outcomes of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Describe the effect of violence and sexual assault on the individual and possible modes of intervention.
Explain the relationship between crises and drug dependence.
Discuss the major issues that arise in family crises and appropriate methods of intervention.
Discuss cultural influences on crisis situations.

Practicals:

Role play a critical incident debriefing session
Familiarise yourselfwith a Counselling Association Code of Conduct
Interview a counsellor from a community mental health service in your area
View videos or films, read or listen to stories (where possible) about personal or family crises
Discuss post-traumatic stress disorder with a community mental health worker
Explore physical, emotional, cognitive and social responses to sexual assault or violence
Examine the relationship between trauma and drugs
Interview or observe people from other cultures to identify cultural and sub-cultural responses to crises
Explore how sub-cultural groups may require different counselling approaches
Consider various methods of crisis intervention.


This course is accredited by ACCPH and allows you to join as a professional member after completion. Membership allows you to add the letters MACCPH after your name (post-nominals).