The New Guide to Crisis & Trauma Counseling

by H. Norman Wright

An informative and practical guide for beginning or lay counselors and those in situations that require immediate action in emergency situations. This relaunch of Crisis Counseling is upgraded and expanded, with new material and anecdotes in chapters that cover the areas of crisis intervention, how to counsel the depressed, the suicidal, and those going through divorce, children and adolescents crisis, and more. This classic volume on the trauma of loss and grief provides excellent instruction on what to do for others in the first 72 hours following a crisis for those who are helpless to help themselves.

Genres: Counselling, Christian

370 pages, Hardcover

First published April 30, 2003

About the author

H. Norman Wright is a well-respected Christian counselor who has helped thousands of people improve their relationships and deal with grief, tragedy, and other concerns. He helps couples bring vibrancy to their relationships through counseling, seminars, and more than 90 books, including Before You Say “I Do” and After You Say “I Do.” Norm also reveals insights for spiritual growth, great relationships, and success in devotionals that include Strong to the Core, Quiet Times for Every Parent, and Truly Devoted: What Dogs Teach Us About Life, Love, and Loyalty. www.hnormanwright.com

Reviews

[Brook · Rating 1 out of 5]

According to many Christians, there is significant prejudice in academia toward professing Christians and Christianity itself. Christianity, these concerned say, is charged with being unscientific, preferring emotions to reasoning, and thus doing little to add to most areas of study. This review is not the place to analyze how the Christian Church should respond to judgements such as these, but this book does, unfortunately, demonstrate that this charge against much Christian work is not entirely unfounded. Wright wrote this book for “pastors, counselors and lay counselors in the church, as well as for professional counselors,” yet he cites little research and offers few statistics on the specific difficulties for pastors and parachurch workers (16). Further, he does not indicate the specific strengths of these workers, or the methods typically used by them or the special difficulties encountered in counseling within the church. His use of personal examples and case-studies are insightful, but without the use of other methods of observation, many may find themselves questioning whether Dr. Wright’s few examples could be peculiar, not exemplary. Therefore, it is likely that few will look to this book as a valid resource, apart from those interested in crisis counseling from a similar Christian perspective to Dr. Wright.

Dr. Wright may even acknowledge that his book will serve as little good for those outside the Christian perspective. (Although if he is indeed of this persuasion I find his writing then a waste of a great opportunity to open the eyes of non-believers to the invaluable role faith plays in counseling.) The book’s strengths lie in its providing plenty of Biblical examples of the types of crises discussed. Yet, the flow of the book could be reduced to a series of lists rather than a systematic biblical discussion on suffering and the role that God plays in crisis. My fear is that, upon reading this, many will be persuaded that counseling, especially Biblical counseling, is based upon having list after list of steps, questions, indicators, and factors memorized or written down, for this is what Wright preaches in form if not in content. Instead, Wright could have looked at how a Christian perspective could be used to reframe a person’s perception of a situation in a time of crisis, or what the Bible says about death and what comes after it, or Biblical characters who faced suffering and questioned God, like Thomas or Job. The need for work that is both dedicatedly religious and seriously academic is tremendous. Unfortunately, this book does little towards filling this gap.

[Stephen Bedard · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a good introduction to the issues surrounding various kinds of trauma. The problem is that it gives the reader just enough information to be dangerous. Reading this won't make one a trauma counsellor but it will provide the resources to point people in the right direction.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great resource

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some helpful insights.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible and insightful.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book can be insightful to the lay worker in church to the person sitting in the pew. This is another must read if you have the heart to help others in there time of need!

[RevRonR · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was sort of long, yet still helpful for those who work in church settings.