Crisis Counseling From A Christian Perspective is one of the required courses for students pursuing degrees in counseling with an emphasis in family counseling, domestic violence counseling, pastoral counseling and substance abuse and addiction counseling. Crisis counseling focuses on the etiology, context, process and effects of victimization. This course is designed to acquaint students, as well as pastors, chaplains, educators, and church workers understand the theoretical basis for, and acquire the practical skills necessary to carry out effective therapeutic interventions in a diversity of crisis situations. Emphasis is given those types of crises typically encountered by the Christian Counselor including: 1) Grief and Bereavement, 2) Emotional Traumatization, 3) Sexual Molestation and Incest, 4) Domestic Violence and The Abuse of Children and Elders. The underlying purposes of the course are to: 1) provide students an understanding of the nature, effects and consequences of crises, to perpetrator, the victim and witnesses as well as society in general, 2) educate students in the types of trauma inducing crises 3) teach students the signs and symptoms of unresolved trauma, resulting in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and manifesting itself in numerous associated personality disorders, thereby enabling students to identify victims of trauma, traumatized witnesses and their abusers, 4) teach students how to conduct an assessment and psychosocial evaluation of a traumatized individual, 5) teach students how and when to use direct and indirect counseling techniques, 6) how to develop appropriate social service networks and guide clients to hotlines, victim support groups and other support services that can assist them in regaining control of their lives, 7) train students in effective therapeutic intervention techniques including stress-reduction, and 8) increase students’ critical thinking, writing skills and report preparation.

Credits: 3