> > Jim Guinee wrote:
> > Interesting article
> >
> > As much as CISD on the surface seems to make some sense,
> > it doesn't seem to be faring too well
> >
> > http://www.psychologicalscience.org/media/releases/pr030912.cfm
> Paul Smith (aka JPII) said:
> In my almost completely uninformed opinion <grin>, the most interesting
> psychological questions about "crisis intervention" in the context of
> large-scale disasters have to do with explaining the
> behaviors/attitudes/beliefs of the counselors, rather than of the persons
> receiving the counseling.
I would say that's very astute
> On the anniversary of 9/11 last week a crisis
> counselor was interviewed on NPR, and had some very Freudian-sounding
> reasoning when answering questions about why so few New Yorkers had sought
> the counseling that had been made available (essentially "well, this is
> because their symptoms will appear later"). He seemed unable to accept or
> admit to the possibility that the people who had not sought counseling were
> in fact just fine already without it.
Like medication, counseling has its place, but it's not for everybody.
One of the worst interventions I ever did was during internship. I received a
call that a faculty member had died suddenly, in front of some of his
students, and was directed by my supervisor to go talk to the students.
In retrospect, it was completely worthless and invasive. I could tell
immediately these students didn't want some stranger bothering them.
Geesh, they were still in shock.
> To be perfectly honest, it feels to me (again, based on very little) as
> though "crisis counseling" is sometimes largely a way for people to feel as
> though they're making a contribution. I am sure that in some instances it is
> very useful (certainly for more personal crises), but I wonder how much
> effort is put into identifying those instances and using counseling
> resources more efficiently. More specifically, it seems to me to be very
> possible that there are people in genuine need of such counseling for very
> personal crises who cannot get it, while it is "pushed" onto people who do
> not need it when a large-scale disaster (with much media attention) occurs.
Yup
It's important to *do* something in a crisis, but part of being a team player
is sitting on the bench until you are called on.
Over and out,
Jim
************************************************************************
Jim Guinee, Ph.D.
Director of Training & Adjunct Professor
University of Central Arkansas Counseling Center
313 Bernard Hall Conway, AR 72035 USA
"Too many of us have a Christian vocabulary rather than a
Christian experience. We think we are doing our duty when
we're only talking about it." ... Charles F. Banning
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