A Guide to Crisis Intervention
Good Fit
- Students of psychology, social work, or counseling
- Professionals new to crisis intervention who want a clear grounding in the theory
- Readers who enjoy a structured academic style explained through formulas and diagrams
- Anyone who wants theory tied to real case examples (e.g. a sexual assault survivor)
Not a Fit
- Casual readers looking for quick, everyday "self-help" tips
- Anyone put off by an academic textbook tone (citations, cross-references like "detailed in Chapter 3")
- Readers with low tolerance for the occasional rough patch in the translated text
The chapter opens with true/false self-test questions (14 of them) that prompt the reader to think through the chapter's core concepts in advance; the answers are given at the end of the chapter.
Gerald Caplan's (1961) classic definition is presented — a crisis as "an obstacle that, for a time, traditional problem-solving methods fail to overcome" — alongside James and Gilliland's (2013) nine alternative definitions.
The author lays out her own four-component model: (1) a triggering event, (2) its perception as a threat, (3) the emotional distress this causes, and (4) the breakdown in functioning that follows when habitual coping methods prove insufficient — visualized through the formulas in Figures 1.1 and 1.2.
The Chinese character "wei-ji," which combines the meanings of "danger" and "opportunity," is offered as a symbolic anchor (Figure 1.3) — how a crisis unfolds depends on whether help is received: with help, it can lead to growth and new coping skills; without it, to a lower level of functioning, even suicide or psychosis (Figures 1.4–1.5).
This is followed by the concrete example in Box 1.1 — a sexual assault survivor who receives no help appears outwardly normal while gradually losing functioning; it illustrates the book's habit of pairing theory with clinical examples.
The chapter continues by explaining how physical resources (money, shelter, transportation), personal resources (ego strength, prior coping history, health), and social resources shape how well a person emerges from a crisis, drawing on Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
- Each chapter opens with true/false self-assessment questions, fitting the academic-textbook format
- Theoretical models (Figures 1.1–1.5) are visualized through simple diagrams and formulas
- Real clinical examples (Box 1.1) ground the abstract theory
- Translated (in the Turkish edition) by a seven-person academic committee — some sentences retain a dense, academic tone
A similar academic crisis-intervention textbook, directly cited in this book
A more practical, field-oriented crisis intervention guide
After Chapter 1, the book moves into ethical and legal issues (Chapter 2), the detailed application of the ABC Model (Chapter 3), and crises involving risk of harm to self or others (Chapter 4).
Later chapters address developmental crises (bullying, pregnancy, runaway teens, eating disorders), loss crises (death, separation, economic loss), trauma and disaster, sexual assault, substance abuse, issues facing veterans, and crises tied to serious illness or disability — each supported by concrete case examples.
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