Part II Crisis Communication

Chapter 6 The Communication Loop

The crisis intervention process proceeds on multiple levels. For those with little understanding of crisis and crisis intervention, the process appears to be relatively easy and sounds a lot like common sense. It has been said, though, that common sense represents the accumulated wisdom of the ages, and skillful intervention is not nearly so easy and casual as it might appear. When someone asks my kids what their daddy does, they usually reply that “he just talks to people.” Their daddy has more fancy names for it: counseling, psychotherapy, play therapy, and even crisis intervention. Nonetheless, the kids are right. In crisis intervention, most of what we do is “just talking to people.” At least, that is what it looks like to an observer. As we shall see, though, our talking to people is but one level of what is really going on in the process. We are helping the individual develop and maintain crisis focus. We are coming to an understanding of the precipitating event while developing judgment about the now potential and the self-resolution factor. We are developing a crisis definition and formulating intervention hypotheses. Throughout the process, we are evaluating our intervention and are being alert to potential cumulative effects and other unseen effects. We are actively involved with the individual in the process. Activities at this level tend to have a thinking/doing quality. At another level, we are carefully and caringly listening to the individual’s communication to us. We hear him, we are trying to understand, and we want him to know we care. The understanding that comes through listening is, however, not passive. We are actively involved with the individual, affecting and being affected by him, and intentionally and intently working toward his being able to deal with his difficulties. As we talk about crisis communication, then, we will see that our talk is really not just talk. It is a special kind of communication that requires sensitivity, self-awareness, compassion, and concern for the individual and honest empathy with his crisis involvement. …

MESSAGES AND RESPONSES

Figure 5 finds the individual in another crisis, but this time he has the good fortune to be in the communication loop with you. You are skilled at crisis communication and are focusing your intervention hypothesis on the need to help the individual slow down, and plan ahead.

In crisis communication, there is a communication loop in which messages, ideas, feelings, and so on, are sent out by the individual in crisis, picked up by you, and returned to the individual in a slightly modified and clarified form. Understanding this communication loop and the techniques involved in modifying and clarifying these messages, ideas, and feelings represents an important and valuable skill when working with people in crisis.

First, we need to consider the interactive nature of communication and of helping relationships. At an abstract level, a person in crisis is internally experiencing various and sometimes conflicting feelings, emotions, impulses, urges, and so on. Within the individual, then, is a confusing and possibly disturbing mix of things that contributes to his feelings of uneasiness and crisis.

Second, we want to help him feel better and become better able to deal with his situation. Within us are a variety of skills and ideas, including a knowledge of the crisis intervention process. Somehow, the individual needs to communicate what is going on within him. At the same time, and this must be emphasized, we need to make our knowledge and skills available to him.

Somehow, the individual in crisis needs to translate his feelings, emotions, ideas, and so on into messages and convey those messages to us. We will, in turn,