We have focused on the individual and on his total situation; next comes the interaction between the two.  He is a whole person, and his total situation is everything affecting or affected by him.  The affecting or being affected by is what is meant by interaction.  As seen in Figure 1, the interaction is between the individual and his total situation.  Conflict then, from this social interaction perspective, is in that interaction.  The difficulty or problem is with some conflict or tension in the interaction between the individual and his situation.  This is the first focal point in understanding crisis intervention.  The type of conflict considered here is neither in the individual nor in his total situation.  It is, rather, in the interaction between the two.  As we define crisis later, this interactional understanding of conflict is essential to understanding the crisis intervention process.

Ann, age fourteen, seems somewhat drowsy and is not speaking very clearly.  I don’t think it will help any.  My friend told me to come talk with you.  That school—I’m not going back.  I’m not going to hassle it anymore. [You ask: What happened?]  He did it again.  That damn Mr. Z thinks he knows everything—he is the only one that knows anything.  Kids are nothing.  He thinks he’s a real big man hassling kids.  [You ask: What happened?]  I don’t know—the same ol’ thing.  He got on me.  He said I was using dope.  He said he was going to turn me in to the ‘pigs.’  He called my mom; that’s the end of that.  [You ask: What did your mom say?]  I don’t care what she says; she’ll probably tell Dad.  [You ask: What will he say?]  He’ll have a fit; that’ll really be something.  There’s no way I’m going home.  You can’t make me go home.  [You ask: Was I trying to make you go home?]  No.  But I’m not going home.  I’m not going back to that place.  [You say: That place?]  I can’t stand it anymore.  There’s too much hassle.  [You say: What’s the problem?]  Dad’s been laid off, and he’s drunk all the time.  He’ll kill me if he finds out about this.  I’m going over to Jane’s house and drop some acid.  I’m going to get so high and so out of my mind.  [You ask: Will that make things better?]  It won’t hurt anything, that’s for sure.  We do it all the time.  It’s fun. …

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