Effective Crisis and Trauma Management

Overview

In this 4-week course, you will gain a deep understanding of post-traumatic stress syndrome in terms of primary and secondary stress factors. A particular focus is on the negative and profound effects of Rape trauma and Partner violence and understanding reactions to these traumatic events and the impact of trauma on memory.

This course also provides counsellors with a comprehensive understanding of the importance of self-care, given the risk of being exposed to secondary trauma while working with those in crisis. Explore compassion fatigue and the potential adverse consequences of working in this field.

Finally, the course looks at the need for sustainable referral strategies as part of an effective crisis and trauma management strategy.

Course Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Define the differences between primary and secondary trauma.
• Describe secondary post-traumatic stress.
• Define compassion fatigue.
• Identify the elements that can result in the development of compassion fatigue in counsellors.
• Explain the importance of self-care as a counsellor.
• Identify the characteristics of effective crisis counsellors.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the prevalence of rape, and rape trauma syndrome.
• Describe the phenomenology of rape in terms of fear, helplessness and powerlessness, self-blame and feelings of guilt and shame, loss of sexual identity, betrayal and loss of trust, loss of meaning, isolation and alienation, the impact on subsequent health and functioning, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
• Discuss the dynamics of partner violence: psychosocial and cultural dynamics, psychological factors, including incidence and prevalence stressors, myths about battering, and profiling of the batterer. The cycle of violence and the realities for abused women.
• Describe the steps to be taken when referring a client.
• Identify appropriate referral resources for clients when faced with crisis or trauma.

You will have also created a portfolio of evidence, which you can use to demonstrate your understanding of the breadth and depth of crisis and trauma to make informed decisions concerning treatment options.