COURSE CONTENT

This course comprises of the following 9 lessons:

Lesson 1. Understanding methods of crisis intervention

• What constitutes a crisis and methods of crisis intervention?

Lesson 2. Ethical, professional and legal issues

• Current ethical, professional and legal implications of crisis intervention.

Lesson 3. Dangers of crises and effective intervention

• Dangers posed by crisis to the individual, the counsellor, and those around them.
• Determining effective modes of intervention.

Lesson 4. Developmental Crises

• Recognising and comprehending crises from a developmental perspective.

Lesson 5. Post-traumatic stress disorder

•  Symptoms, treatment options and possible outcomes of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Lesson 6. Violence and sexual assault

• Effects of violence and sexual assault on the individual, and possible modes of intervention.

Lesson 7. Crisis and drug addiction

• Determining the relationship between crises and drug dependence.

Lesson 8. Family crises

• Major issues raised in family crises and appropriate methods of intervention.

Lesson 9. Crises and cultural issues

• Cultural influences on crisis situations.

WHAT YOU WILL DO IN THIS COURSE

Some of the activities that you will undertake as part of this course are:

• Roleplay a critical incident debriefing session.
• Familiarise yourself with Codes of Conduct.
• Interview a counsellor from a community mental health service in your area.
• View video/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.

During the course, you will learn more about why SUPPORT IS SOMETIMES ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY

In times of crisis, social support is often paramount. Few people are able to deal with the emotional turmoil they face without the help of others.

This can take many forms - at home, at work, or amongst fellow sufferers in group work.  Whilst some people may have social support and help from friends and family, others may find that they are not getting the support they need in this way. This can be because people are not really willing to listen to them, others in the family are grieving as well, or because they do not want to share how they are really feeling with people in their social circle. 

Sometimes friends and family are very supportive at first, but then their interest and time spent listening to the person’s problems may wane. When this happens, the individual may seek outside support in the form of a counsellor, psychologist or psychotherapist.

Others may seek help from different professionals such as stress management consultants or life coaches in order to cope.

Occasionally, people may find that they cannot continue the life they are living. For example, a man whose wife has left him may find he is not able to live in the same house or same town, so goes to live abroad or buys a boat and lives on it. 

There is plenty of evidence to suggest that strong social support networks can alleviate even the deepest of crises or stressful situations. Where groups of people are exposed to traumas such as during wartime or in natural disasters those affected often form strong bonds with others around them and the shared experience can help to reduce tension to within a more tolerable range.