What is crisis counseling?
Crisis counseling is a critical support for our most challenging times. By addressing several key objectives, the process aims to provide urgent relief and pave the way for long-term recovery.
Crisis Situations and Crisis States
A crisis can lead to a crisis state—a psychological condition triggered by significant trauma or the threat of trauma. This state results in disorganization, influenced by both internal factors and external circumstances. The crisis is marked by its duration and intensity, leading to experiences like despair, fear, anxiety, anger, frustration, and depression. Individuals may develop a narrowed focus, seek to escape reality or lose their sense of purpose, potentially leading to either personal growth or degradation.
The Role of Crisis Counseling
Crisis counseling provides psychological support to those emotionally, intellectually, and physically exhausted by challenging circumstances. The goal is to help individuals return to their pre-crisis level of functioning, typically within 1–3 months. Due to the complexity of crisis states, an integrative approach is essential, incorporating techniques from cognitive-behavioral therapy, gestalt psychology, existential therapy, family psychotherapy, and neuropsychic reduction.
Integrative Approaches in Crisis Counseling
Effective crisis counseling merges three main approaches: problem-oriented counseling, which focuses on analyzing and resolving issues; personality-oriented counseling, which addresses personal causes of conflict and promotes personal growth; and decision-oriented counseling, which identifies resources for solving psychological problems. The counseling process should also blend narrative, problem-oriented, systematic, and solution-focused strategies to meet each client’s unique needs.
Objectives of Crisis Counseling
Reduce Emotional & Physical Reactions: Decrease the intensity of emotional, mental, physical, and behavioral responses to a crisis.
Restore Pre-Crisis Functioning: Stabilize the emotional state and return to pre-crisis functioning.
Enhance Coping Skills: Develop new, effective coping mechanisms while eliminating harmful ones.
Prepare for Future Challenges: Build resilience and improve problem-solving abilities for future difficulties.
Stages of Crisis Counseling
Listening & Clarifying: Understand the client’s situation, attitudes, relationships, and needs.
Identifying Key Experiences & Problems: Discuss and address core crisis issues.
Creative Problem-Solving: Explore and test new solutions to overcome the crisis.
Therapeutic Assessment & Conversations: Process the experience, assess risks, and start healing.
Urgent Support: Provide immediate assistance to reduce distress.
Developing Coping Strategies: Establish effective ways to manage stress and emotions.
Problem-Solving: Strengthen skills to face current and future challenges.
The Benefits of Crisis Counseling
Crisis counseling significantly reduces distress, enhances problem-solving skills, and fosters more robust coping mechanisms. Early intervention can prevent severe outcomes, such as suicide, and ultimately helps individuals recover and build resilience, equipping them to handle future challenges with greater strength.
Request Help
Our team is dedicated to providing urgent, effective assistance to help you navigate through challenging times. If you need crisis counseling, please complete our online form to request services.
Immediate Support
If you’re experiencing an acute crisis right now, please call the 988 Suicide Hotline, the New Mexico Crisis Line, or 911 Emergency Services. We are not a crisis center and are unable to provide 24/7 support.
Disclaimer: New Mexico Crisis Counseling aims to improve the quality of life for people experiencing critical mental health concerns and the people who love them with fact-based content about the nature of behavioral health conditions, treatment options and their related outcomes. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed professionals. The information above is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers.