CISM
Critical Incident Stress Management
What is critical incident stress management?
Critical Incidents (CIs) are highly stressful situations. Simply put, a critical incident is a traumatic event (or perceived life-threatening event) that has sufficient power to overwhelm an individual’s ability to cope. Normal physical and psychological responses occur which place considerable pressure upon that person.
When the stressor becomes extremely threatening, overwhelming or severe, it often produces a heightened state of cognitive, emotional and behavioural arousal called Traumatic Stress. (Traumatic Stress [TS] and Critical Incident Stress [CIS] are terms that are often used interchangeably.)
After having been exposed to traumatic stress, employees may experience a range of reactions including deterioration of job performance, personality change, anxiety states, relationship discord, grief reactions, depression and suicidal ideations. These effects can be immediate, appear later or both.
Counselling for individuals affected by Critical Incident or traumatic events is coming very much to the fore in today’s society it involves and aids anyone individual or groups of individuals involved or having experienced a traumatic event.
This traumatic event can vary from a mugging, a road traffic accident, a work-related accident, an injury, an assault, witnessing something distressful (death / crash / accident), you don’t have to be the victim in many cases you can be an observer.
In other words it need not necessarily be the sort of major event that you see reported in the News. The more serious Trauma incidents may be caused by serious events such as Hostage taking, Plane or car crashes, Fires, Robberies or being attacked at work.
The difference between Critical incident stress management and Counselling for critical stress incident management.
While both are important, Critical Incident Stress Management only deals with the immediate event and may only normalise the situation. On the other hand Counselling for critical incident traumatic events offers a more intense, supportive and helpful understanding of what is going on for the individual or indeed individuals effected by the trauma.
It helps the individual deal with the event and the effects that the event have on their life.
Counselling with Critical incident stress management is a process, which explores the effects of the trauma both long and short term.
While often the Critical incident stress management alone only deals with the events or causes. Counselling also offers a long term support process and gives structure and a safe confidential place for the individual.
I offer an unique approach with my training and skills to help individuals or families or groups to deal with this successfully.
Failing to deal with trauma properly can have many side effects such as Depression, Addiction, Suicidal Ideation and a general inability to cope.
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