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, need to decode the messages, interpret them in light of our knowledge and skills, and respond to the individual.  He will then take in our response and send us another message.  This interaction process of messages and responses may be verbal or nonverbal.  Nonverbal communication is probably familiar to all of us.  We get and give messages by touching, by the way we look or act, through gestures and posture, and so on.  Whether the messages and responses are verbal or nonverbal however, the purpose of the communication loop in crisis intervention is crisis reduction. …

Please press play to continue.