Introduction to Crisis & Trauma Counselling

The Introduction to Crisis and Trauma Counselling course is designed to provide the lay-counsellor with a bio-psycho-social-spiritual understanding of crisis and trauma and the practical skills to come alongside those experiencing a crisis and/or trauma. This course will introduce the student to the basic theory and theology of crisis and trauma counselling from a biblically based perspective. Lay caregivers will be equipped with the necessary skills to come alongside people in crisis with compassionate care. Within the boundaries of their training, they will be able to support those in crisis and make appropriate referrals. Attention will also be given to suicide assessment and HIV/AIDS caregiving. Please Note: This introductory course does not provide training as a Crisis & Trauma Counsellor! By the end of this course you should be able to:

• Demonstrate familiarity with the basic theoretical approaches to crisis and trauma intervention
• Identify crisis, post-traumatic stress, and trauma situations
• Formulate applicable plans of coming alongside people considering context and providing support from a lay counselling perspective
• Recognize the onset of crisis, and high-risk or dangerous (to self or others) counselees
• Interface appropriately with other service providers and make appropriate referrals
• Understanding vicarious traumatization and the need for counsellor self-care

You will be required to purchase the following textbooks in order to complete all counselling courses:

• Collins, G. 2007. Christian Counseling - a Comprehensive Guide (Third Edition). Thomas Nelson.
• Meier, Minirth, Wichern & Ratcliff. 1999. Introduction to Psychology and Counseling: Christian Perspectives and Applications. 2nd Baker Books.
• Tan, S. & Scalise, E.T. 2016. Lay Counseling: Equipping Christians for a Helping Ministry (Revised and Updated).
• Tan, Siang-Yang, 2011. Counseling and Psychotherapy: A Christian Perspective. Baker Publishing