1. Striking A Balance When Students Are Upset: Is It A Need For Empathic Listening Or A Crisis?
Lisa Thompson-Gibson, M.A.
Student Affairs Professional Development Mini-Conference
Thursday, July 14, 2016

2. What Is A Crisis?
A state where the demands on a person temporarily overwhelm usual coping resources
Subjective distress
Impaired functioning
Social
Work/Academic Related
Emotional
Physical

3. Crisis Principles Crises are universal Crises are time-limited
Crises are not necessarily negative in outcome
There are many different kind of crises
Situational
Academic
Developmental
Relational
A crisis issue for one person may not be for someone else

4. What You May Observe Intense crying
Feelings of helplessness and/or hopelessness expressed
Intense anxiety and/or depression
Report of a loss or a traumatic event
Disorganized thoughts/speech
Direct or subtle references to suicide

5. What Do People In Crisis Need?
A listening ear
A here-and-now focus
Awareness of coping strategies
Typical (What’s helped them before?)
Current (What might help now?)
Problem-solving options
Additional resources

6. Positive and Negative Coping
Reflect on a crisis you have personally experienced and how you reacted. How did your feelings and reactions inform negative or active coping skills?
Source:

7. Listening/Communicating Tips
Calm voice with an even pace
Prompts and sentence stems (“Can you tell me what that was like?” Or “When X happened you felt…”
Empathy
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Avoid passing judgment
Educate about crises
Summarize options
Take notes while you talk
Names, phone numbers, location, statements

8. Help For The Helper You are not the only source for help
Know about referral and backup resources
Ask, “What’s my role?”
Understand your limits in responsibility
Consult, consult, consult
The buddy system
Use your supports
Practice self-care

9. Local Resources SIUE Police Department
911 for emergencies or
SIUE Counseling Services (for students)
SIUE EAP (for faculty and staff)
anceprogram.aspx
SIUE Confidential Advisor for Sexual Assault Survivors – Lindsay Serrano
Provident Counseling (St. Louis)
HELP (4357)
Chestnut Health Systems (Belleville and Granite City)
Centerstone (Alton)
Gateway Regional Medical Center (Granite City)
Call For Help Sexual Assault Victims’ Care Unit

10. National Resources Suicide Prevention Lifeline Sexual Assault Hotline
TALK (8255)
Sexual Assault Hotline
HOPE (4673)
Domestic Violence Hotline
Trevor Project Lifeline
Trans Lifeline
LGBTQ partner abuse & sexual assault helpline

11. Additional Questions & Information
Lisa Thompson-Gibson, M.A.
Counselor
Suicide Prevention iCare Project Coordinator
SIUE Counseling Services
(618)