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PACO 604
by
Barbara A Servello
June 30, 2023
BOOK REVIEW CRISIS & TRAUMA COUNSELING
LIBERTY UNIVERSITY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
Book review of The Complete Guide to Crisis & Trauma Counseling;
What to do and say when it matters most.
By Dr. H. Norman Wright
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BOOK REVIEW CRISIS & TRAUMA COUNSELING
Abstract
Grief and trauma counseling is tough especially when one is not equipped. Dr. H.
Norman Wright’s book, The Complete Guide to Crisis and Trauma Counseling, shows biblical
and practical ways to guide pastors, counselors, lay counselors and professional counselors.
Wright first published the book in 1973 but this book has timeless information that is as pertinent
today as it was then. Wright’s forty plus years of experiences are shared in this book in a way
that gives readers a glimpse into counseling sessions. The book has been updated to keep up with
new findings and ways to deal with different types of crisis and trauma. He shares real-life
situations and dialogs which demonstrate to the reader how healthy and healing counseling
sessions should/could look. Wright provides his readers with biblical examples, various tools,
case studies, and general instructions so that the reader can get a better look into Wright’s
perspective and advice for counseling.
Crises happen to believers and non-believers and counselors need to be able to walk with
all folks through the days, weeks and months following any trauma which is exactly what this
book tries to teach the reader. It will also guide the counselor to help the person to find a path to
complete restoration even if that means the counselor must refer the person to someone who has
more expertise. Wright knows that referral is another part of counseling and therefore he devotes
a section of the importance of referring to the appropriate person when needed.
Wright starts the book by looking at the biblical perspective of counseling. He uses Jesus
as the model to counseling. Jesus’ work with people was a process. He spent time with people
and he saw more than the problems, he saw hope and potential. He looked beyond the immediate
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need so that healing and wholeness could happen. Wright demonstrates how to apply the biblical
principles when counseling.
Concrete Responses
As a pastor I was not prepared when a parishioner came to me and told me she
had been drugged and rape by a co-worker. I felt inadequate to help her. However, after reading
Wright’s book I did the preliminary things correctly. Things like listening, asking questions, and
showing genuine concern. I was concerned not only for her but for her spouse and how he was
handling things. She was in mourning because she felt she had lost a piece of herself physically
because she had been violated. She had only ever been with her husband and she was afraid her
husband would not love her anymore. She felt like she lost a piece of her soul because her
dignity had been stripped of her. She was afraid to tell her parents for fear they would think less
of her because she went out for a drink with friends after work. She had so many emotions she
was dealing with and she could not even concentrate on one thing. Not only that but she had to
walk back into work and face her attacker and he acted as if he hadn’t done anything wrong. She
began to think that maybe her mind was playing tricks on her.
After listening, I prayed with her and I suggested she seek some professional counseling.
She became very agitated when I mentioned that she needed to seek counseling. She repeated
said she couldn’t and that she couldn’t trust them. I didn’t understand at first what the issue was
only to find out later that the man who had did this was a certified counselor and she was afraid
of who in the area might know him.
She had been in contact with the police and she was not sure that they believed her. I
assured her that they would investigate and get back to her. Which eventually they did and they
continue to work with her.
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Wright has made me realize that even as inadequate as I felt that sometimes common
sense things are really what people need. Listening, empathizing and praying was all I could do
but that is what got her through. Now I can feel more confident and I have added other learning
tools to help me the next time I am faced with a crisis and trauma that I need to help someone
through.
Reflection
I found this book to be quite helpful to me. I liked the way that Wright laid out the
concrete steps in chapter 9 about the process of crisis intervention. The only thing is trying to
remember it all especially when you do not necessarily use it on a daily or even weekly basis.
However, I do like Basic Intervention Procedures (BIPs) and the idea that no matter what stage
you are in these truly are the basics.
It was also very helpful to find a section for children and adolescents. A lot of adults tend
to ignore the children. We think that the things they are going through are minor. Children feel,
hurt, struggle and have questions just as adults. What may seem like nothing to adults is very real
and significant to children and to teenagers also.
Teenagers are struggling just to find themselves and when a crisis happens in addition to
their everyday issues teens find it very hard sometimes to cope. I am glad to see that the children
and teens are not put aside in this book and that Wright gives useful technics to deal with
children and teens as well as adults.
Action
Even though I do not deal with crisis and trauma very often I will definitely work on
remembering BIPs. That is one tool that I believe will serve me well as I work with people in
crisis. It is also very good to use with children and teens. I will refer to Wright’s book as I enter
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into a crisis or trauma situation if I have time before hand. If not, then I will refer back to it when
I return home and see what my next faithful step will be with the people I am counseling.
It is hard sometimes for parents to help children and teens deal with a crisis when most
likely the adult is dealing with the same crisis. That is why counseling is important for everyone
in a family going through a crisis but I especially make an extra effort to talk with the children so
that they know that there is someone there for them. I don’t want any child or teen to feel like
they have been pushed under the rug and forgotten about like I was as a child. Back then the
saying was, “children should be seen not heard.” I am grateful for those who eventually realized
I needed to be heard.
