Crisis Intervention

It is at times of crisis that the deepest pain is felt and the full intensity of human suffering may be experienced. It is also the point at which the potential for growth and enhancement is at its greatest. This clear and concise introduction to the theory and methods of crisis intervention shows how valuable the approach can be for those in the helping professions. Enlivened with case studies, the book shows that crisis intervention is a helpful - albeit demanding - method of working with people in difficulties and distress. It is an excellent basis for promoting empowerment and can enhance the use of other approaches or therapeutic tools. This is the extensively revised and updated version of Crisis Intervention Revisited (Pepar, 1991), and it * clear up misunderstandings and oversimplifications that have at times caused the immense value of crisis theory to be lost * bring crisis intervention fully up-to-date with developments in theory, policy, and practice * present a strong case for its wider and more informed use in practice * show how complex and multilayered crisis intervention work is * take fuller account of the sociological dimension of crisis, such as issues of discrimination on the grounds of gender, race/ethnicity, and age * deepen traditional crisis theory by incorporating within its framework an understanding of issues of meaning, purpose, anguish, and threatened identity * demonstrate core practical issues, such as awareness of advantages and difficulties, including the potential for aggression and violence, and the need for work to be allocated fairly rapidly in order to be successful.