Jennifer L. Hillman

Recent findings from an American Psychological Association task force suggest that one in four therapists will experience patient suicide, and that one in eight will feel threatened by patient violence during their career. Experts from this task force have also noted that clinicians receive virtually no formal training or coursework in crisis intervention. Despite the increasing need for professional services among members of the general population, current practitioners have few texts available that provide step-by-step, detailed information about how to engage in crisis intervention, and how to integrate recent, empirical research findings into theory and practice. This volume helps bridge this critical gap by providing a theoretically advanced, yet practical guide to crisis intervention. Particular attention is given to the role of violence within our culture, patient suicide, school and workplace violence, long-term sequelae of trauma, clinical assessment and risk management, professional boundaries and burn-out, domestic violence, and the neurophysiology of trauma, as well as the needs of typically underserved patient populations including minority group members, older adults, gays and lesbians, and children. The text also features critical reviews of controversial topics, including EMDR, critical incident stress debriefing, recovered memories, dissociative identity disorder, and alternative medicine. The material will appeal to psychologists, social workers, and therapists, as well as practitioners in allied professional fields such as nursing, criminal justice, pastoral care, and education. Crisis intervention and trauma counseling: Emergent issues in theory and practice represents an essential addition to any clinician's personal library.

Throughout my clinical training and practice, I have been surprised by the number of times that sexual issues have emerged as an unexpectedly central feature in my work with older adults. I can vividly remember my own internal reaction on hearing one of my elderly female patients tell me that she was date raped a few years after the death of her elderly husband-when she was 68 years old. I can see in my mind's eye the blood splattered on the floor of an inpatient unit from an elderly man who smashed his arm through a window, furious that his antidepressant medication made it impossible to climax through masturbation. On a much less dramatic but equally important note, I think about the elderly amputee who told me softly about his fears of resuming sexual activity with his wife of 25 years. I also think about the elderly woman whose inability to take herself shopping to find fashionable, comfortable clothes to fit over her hunched shoulders and large breasts helped precipitate a serious depression. In sum, I learned early on that elderly sexuality is not just about how many times a week someone makes love. It is my hope that sharing these experiences and introducing the related theories, research, and interventions will assist other clinicians in dealing with these often challenging and clinically demanding situations. Without my patients, this text would not have been possible.

Recent findings from an American Psychological Association task force suggest that one in four therapists will experience patient suicide, and that one in eight will feel threatened by patient violence during their career. Experts from this task force have also noted that clinicians receive virtually no formal training or coursework in crisis intervention. Despite the increasing need for professional services among members of the general population, current practitioners have few texts available that provide step-by-step, detailed information about how to engage in crisis intervention, and how to integrate recent, empirical research findings into theory and practice. This volume helps bridge this critical gap by providing a theoretically advanced, yet practical guide to crisis intervention. Particular attention is given to the role of violence within our culture, patient suicide, school and workplace violence, long-term sequelae of trauma, clinical assessment and risk management, professional boundaries and burn-out, domestic violence, and the neurophysiology of trauma, as well as the needs of typically underserved patient populations including minority group members, older adults, gays and lesbians, and children. The text also features critical reviews of controversial topics, including EMDR, critical incident stress debriefing, recovered memories, dissociative identity disorder, and alternative medicine. The material will appeal to psychologists, social workers, and therapists, as well as practitioners in allied professional fields such as nursing, criminal justice, pastoral care, and education. Crisis intervention and trauma counseling: Emergent issues in theory and practice represents an essential addition to any clinician's personal library.

Throughout my clinical training and practice, I have been surprised by the number of times that sexual issues have emerged as an unexpectedly central feature in my work with older adults. I can vividly remember my own internal reaction on hearing one of my elderly female patients tell me that she was date raped a few years after the death of her elderly husband-when she was 68 years old. I can see in my mind's eye the blood splattered on the floor of an inpatient unit from an elderly man who smashed his arm through a window, furious that his antidepressant medication made it impossible to climax through masturbation. On a much less dramatic but equally important note, I think about the elderly amputee who told me softly about his fears of resuming sexual activity with his wife of 25 years. I also think about the elderly woman whose inability to take herself shopping to find fashionable, comfortable clothes to fit over her hunched shoulders and large breasts helped precipitate a serious depression. In sum, I learned early on that elderly sexuality is not just about how many times a week someone makes love. It is my hope that sharing these experiences and introducing the related theories, research, and interventions will assist other clinicians in dealing with these often challenging and clinically demanding situations. Without my patients, this text would not have been possible.