crisis intervention counseling

15 Skills and Qualifications You’ll Need to Offer Therapy Online

Posted on by Joseph Gerard

Grief Counselors are trained to help the bereaved deal and cope with grief. Please also review AIHCP's Grief Counseling CertificationWritten by Veronica Turner

The digital transformation of therapeutic practices necessitates a skillset tailored to the nuances of virtual environments. As you transcend the traditional office setting, your adeptness in specific competencies becomes critical for maintaining efficacy and client rapport. This involves not only an understanding of online platforms but also a mastery over certain skills that are unique to the delivery of therapy in a digital realm.

As health care professionals venturing into teletherapy, it is imperative to enrich your repertoire with qualifications that facilitate robust and secure virtual patient interactions. The shift from face-to-face consultation to screen-based communication introduces novel dynamics, where proficiency must extend beyond core clinical expertise to encompass areas such as technology management and digital ethics.

With all that in mind, let’s draw back the curtain on some of the lynchpin skills and qualifications that are part and parcel of flourishing in this brave new era for therapy.

Digital Therapy Basics: Essential Technical Proficiencies

Delivering therapy online introduces a distinct set of technical demands that clinicians must confidently manage. Grasping these proficiencies ensures seamless virtual sessions, so don’t skimp on any of the following:

Digital Literacy

A robust understanding of various telehealth platforms is non-negotiable. Familiarity with their features, troubleshooting common issues, and guiding clients through setup are all critical for smooth operation.

For example, the likes of SimplePractice or Doxy.me, which specialize in compliant healthcare communication, need to be in your wheelhouse. Understanding their interfaces, optimizing video and audio settings, and navigating in-built practice management tools is a must.

Cybersecurity Acumen

Safeguarding client confidentiality online requires stringent security protocols. This encompasses encryption methods, secure data storage solutions, and vigilant practice to protect sensitive information from breaches or unauthorized access.

Adopt encryption services like Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) for information transmission, and utilize secure client portals offered by services like Theranest or VSee that adhere to HIPAA standards. Also, continual updating of passwords and awareness of the latest data protection protocols is crucial to deter security threats, and to ensure patient trust.

Hardware Competency

Having the right tools — such as high-quality webcams, microphones, and a stable internet connection — is fundamental to providing an uninterrupted therapeutic experience.

Premium hardware choices include Logitech webcams, known for high-definition video quality, and Blue Yeti microphones whose superior sound pickup capabilities enhance verbal communication clarity. Meanwhile, dependable high-speed internet access minimizes session disruptions – a key factor that’s often overlooked until it becomes problematic.

Mastering these competencies means licensed healthcare professionals can ensure that technology enhances rather than hinders therapeutic outcomes.

Cultivating Online Rapport: Interpersonal Skills in a Virtual Context

Transitioning to online therapy not only requires technical adjustments but also demands an evolution of interpersonal skills. The challenge lies in establishing and nurturing the same depth of therapeutic connection through a screen.

Enhanced Communication Techniques

Adept use of verbal cues, deliberate tone modulation, and strategic pausing can compensate for the absence of physical presence. Additionally, effectively translating non-verbal gestures into words becomes more salient in virtual sessions.

Attunement to Visual and Auditory Subtleties

Acquiring sensitivity to changes in client’s facial expressions or vocal inflections is paramount, as these may be indicative of emotional states that are less discernible online.

Developing a Presence on Screen

Crafting a professional yet comforting digital persona involves considered frame composition during video calls; this includes mindful positioning, appropriate lighting, and an uncluttered background which can foster a contained therapeutic space analogous to an actual clinic room.

Enhancing these relational competencies for the digital domain lets therapists reaffirm their commitment to delivering empathetic care regardless of medium. Advanced adaptability in communication honed through continued practice underpins the effectiveness of online therapy just as much as face-to-face interventions.

What Type of Therapy Might You Specialize In?

Diversifying your practice through specialized online therapy options can significantly enhance the services offered to clients. With a multitude of therapeutic approaches available, obtaining additional certifications and training in specific methodologies allows for tailored online interventions that cater to varied client needs.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

A certification in CBT equips you to conduct structured, goal-oriented sessions virtually. This modality is well-suited for an online format given its emphasis on didactic elements and active tasks.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Obtaining specialized training in DBT can be beneficial for managing clients with borderline personality disorder or self-harm behaviors via teletherapy platforms that support secure sharing of worksheets and homework assignments.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

MBSR qualifications allow therapists to guide clients through mindfulness practices during video sessions, which can be as effective as face-to-face mindfulness training.

Family and Couples Therapy

Postgraduate certificates or diplomas in family and systemic therapy enable clinicians to facilitate relationship-focused therapies online, overcoming geographical barriers between family members.

Investing in continuing education relevant to these focus areas allows you to position yourself competitively within the expanding landscape of remote mental health professionals.

Mastering the Ethical and Legal Landscape of Teletherapy

With teletherapy’s ascent, practitioners must be vigilant in aligning with the intricate ethical and legal tapestries that govern digital therapeutic services. Mastery over these regulatory frameworks is essential for ensuring client welfare, maintaining professional credibility, and upholding the integrity of online practices.

Rigorous Knowledge of Health Privacy Laws

A practitioner should be conversant with laws such as the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), or the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). These regulations dictate stringent standards for transmitting health information digitally.

Licensure Across Jurisdictions

Varied state licensure requirements necessitate a clear understanding of rules for providing telehealth across state lines or international boundaries. This may entail obtaining licensure in multiple states or becoming familiar with specific provisions such as PSYPACT—an interstate compact allowing psychologists to practice telepsychology or conduct temporary in-person, face-to-face practice across member states without obtaining additional licenses.

Informed Consent Adaptations

Adapting consent processes to meet telehealth needs involves not only securing agreement on treatment but also educating clients about technology considerations unique to online services. This includes explaining the potential risks and limitations of teletherapy, such as privacy concerns or technical disruptions, and ensuring documentation captures this consent appropriately.

Ethical Boundaries and Best Practices

Teletherapists should be well-versed in guidelines provided by professional bodies such as the American Psychological Association (APA) or National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), which offer directives on how to maintain ethical boundaries and therapeutic best practices in a virtual setting.

Continuing Education on Relevant Legislation

Staying abreast of evolving standards requires commitment to continued education focused on legal trends in telehealth. Workshops, certification programs, and professional courses can provide essential updates that inform practice.

Through diligent attention to these comprehensive legal elements, clinicians not only protect their clients but also safeguard their own practice against potential liabilities. Active engagement with ongoing legislative changes further demonstrates a clinician’s dedication to excellence within the digital therapy domain.

Wrapping Up

As we’ve discussed, online therapy demands a sophisticated integration of technical skills, ethical diligence, and specialized knowledge. As clinicians invest in expanding their competencies to meet these criteria, they can deliver high-quality virtual care that resonates with professionalism and upholds the standards of modern telehealth practices.

 

Author Bio: Veronica Turner is a health and lifestyle writer with over 10 years of experience. She creates compelling content on nutrition, fitness, mental health, and overall wellness.

 

Please also review AIHCP’s Health Care Certification programs and see if it meets your academic and professional goals.  These programs are online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification.

Crisis Intervention and Policing De-Escalation Video

Posted on by Mark Moran

The sacred trust between police and public has never been more strained.  Between dangerous criminals, mental illness, political scrutiny, police corruption, racial profiling and riots, the police are held to a high standard they cannot sometimes keep.  Good cops carry the greatest burden due to coverups and corrupt officers.  Calls involving those with mental defects or drug addictions can turn violent and fatal fast.  Besides reducing corruption, policing needs to return to better relationships with the public and also ensure officers are trained in de-escalation and not fatal tactics with others.  Crisis Intervention Training is key for this to be successful.

De-escalation in policing and understanding how to react with police is critical. Please also review AIHCP’s Crisis Intervention Certification

In unison though, respect of police and proper reactions to officer safety is key.  Individuals need to know their rights but they must also work with the police to ensure safety and open lines of communication.  Unfortunately, sometimes profiling or bad police officers can make this difficult but it is still critical to de-escalate a bad officer in the moment and live later to find justice than be shot.

Please also review AIHCP’s Crisis Intervention Program and see if it meets your academic and professional goals.  The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification

 

 

 

Please review the video below

The Grief of Mid-Life Crisis

Posted on by Mark Moran

Age is a constant in life.  From the moment of one’s conception, there is biological change taking place.  One continues to change and age and grow physically and mentally and throughout each phase in life there are new challenges and expectations.  The ability to adjust and alter with change and aging is key to a happy life but certain phases in life can come with more emotional disruption.  Usually one’s teens is the first phase of large change as one leaves childhood and enters into teenage years and young adulthood.  The multitude of changes both physically, mentally and emotionally are extensive as one learns how to become an adult and take on responsibility, all the while forming an identity.

Aging and change to previous held concepts of self are the triggers to a Mid Life Crisis.

 

Very close or even equal is mid life.  Mid life change differs in that it does not look to form an identity but it actually reviews one’s identity and also the existential reality of that identity.  One is faced with the notion of life and death itself.  This can lead one into what is referred to as a Mid-Life Crisis.

Phases of Midlife Crisis

There are three phases to a Mid-Life Crisis.  First, the trigger.  Whether it is a death in the family or one’s own existential awareness, something triggers this state of alert to change.  Deaths of loved ones, children moving out, new family structures or even one’s own perception of self due to change can trigger a Mid-Life Crisis.  Whether this trigger causes an awakening or crisis is how one views the changes or how well they are able to adjust.  The second phase is the acute crisis.  During this phase, one experiences the fear, doubt, anxiety and changes that correlate with these feelings.  The final phase is the conclusion, where answers or adjustments are made to correct the imbalance to the non finite loss.  Like everything in change, loss and grief, one must find adjustment to the new normal.  How well one can cope and accept the person in the mirror and make the necessary adjustments in a non pathological way determine the success of the transition.

Triggers for Mid-Life Crisis

Like adolescence, middle age brings multiple changes in life.  For both men and women, this means potential weight gain.  Wrinkling, greying and balding are also physical changes also come with steep emotional prices.  Individuals begin to see themselves differently in the mirror.  The avatar they have envisioned themselves as for the last Twenty years is fading.  This type of loss regarding  youthful appearance can vary among individuals but it is a change that eventually some need to accept.

In addition, energy levels drop affecting one’s once athletic abilities, or also sexual drives.  This change in physiology can be a difficult time, as difficult it is for teens during their years of change.  What can become confused in this lost of identity and begin question oneself.  Confidence can drop and anxiety and depression can set in for some.  For most, it is only an uncomfortable transition of acceptance, but for some, it becomes a roller coaster ride of extraordinary crisis.

With this non finite type of grief and loss, one is sought searching and longing for the past.  One is in search of the symbolic Fountain of Youth.  Some may attempt to fabricate change through miracle drugs, or surgical procedures to attempt to recapture that look.  Others will attempt to revamp their entire robe ward .  In itself, these attempts to stabilize confidence can be innocent and non harmful but when these attempts overwhelm an individual to drastic change and dangerous procedures, then one may need to seek counseling or help.  One may also need to speak to grief counselors or even licensed counselors when one’s self esteem is becoming dangerously tattered from these physical changes.

Some enter into Mid Life Crisis through more mental perceptions.  One may become dissatisfied with their progress in life.   Unfilled happiness or goals may begin to enter into one’s mind as one realizes one is no longer in the prime of one’s youth.  Lack of pursued education, relationships, travels, or dreams may all begin to haunt the individual. This can lead to aimlessness, self doubt, dissatisfaction and longing.

Grief Counseling and Support

Support and listening ears are ways individuals can navigate a Mid Life Crisis in a healthy and good way progressing forward

 

In response, individuals may seek to rectify some of these issues.  In taking inventory of one’s life and looking and what is lacking or unfulfilled, one is not necessarily entering a crisis stage, but actually taking proactive steps to make a better life, but again, when done in haste, without plan, or financial consideration, these moves can become merely reactional and not well thought out.  This may lead to a manic episode of off the wall purchases, such a dream car, or travel beyond one’s financial capabilities.  Furthermore, if one is discontent with one’s relationship due to the change of time, one may be more daring to enter into an affair.

It is of no wonder then that suicide rates increase during Middle Age.

In dealing with a Mid-Life Crisis many may ask new questions about oneself.  They may look where they came from and where they are going.  They make take inventory of successes and failures and account new limitations and how to creatively balance them.  In anything dealing with change it is crucial to have some relevance of coping ability and confidence in life.  This is why it is crucial to acknowledge one’s feelings and the loss one feels.  It is OK to feel uncomfortable and upset but one needs to be able to understand how is one going to react to these new challenges.

Optimistic outlooks point to the fact that life is growing and expanding and not becoming something less desirable.  With each phase in life comes new advantages that someone can part take in.  It is good to see optimism in one’s age and how one can make this phase of life the best it can be.  Maybe through more exercise and health diets to maintain oneself better, or new hobbies or things that one has not accomplished as of yet but now financially can.  It is important like any phase in life to take advantage of what each phase has to offer. If however one persists with depressive thoughts or suicidal ideas, it is important to seek counsel and help with a licensed healthcare professional.  It is important to share these feelings with trusted friends and family.

Understanding change and how scary but wonderful it can be is sometimes a way to reframe it.  Reframing is a key way to sometimes see the good over the bad.  While one is changing physically and emotionally, this change may incur some disadvantages but they are natural changes that everyone is encountering.  It is important to remain confident and secure in what one is while adjusting to the change through positive reaction or happy acceptance.

One needs an anchor in life.  While accidental changes are occurring throughout, one is still oneself.  One is must be anchored by that identity of self.  True happiness in fleeting things will never allow one to find security and peace within.  Placing happiness in eternal things over physical things is crucial.  If religious, faith can play a key role in anchoring oneself.  If not religious, ideals and concepts important to identity can help one find peace.

Mid Life Crisis can lead to substance abuse and other issues. Please also review AIHCP’s Crisis Intervention and Grief Counseling Certifications

 

It ultimately comes down to the ontology of happiness.  The glows that excite oneself versus the spurs that cause discomfort.  What does one place one’s sense of joy and happiness in?  Are they in tangible things that can be lost or destroyed or does one find a deeper happiness in family and friends.  Yet these people can be lost as well, so there must be something more within oneself that anchors oneself in relation to the many blessings one has.  This anchor, allows one to retain balance and security even when things of joy are taken by loss and change.  The ability to have focus and a goal that can never be stolen within one’s spirit is the primary tool to cope and to move with change gracefully.  For many this is faith, others it is idealogy.   It is critical for one to find that anchor to prevent one from being swept with the current of the ocean.

Those who have no true anchor will drift longer during a Mid-Life Crisis.  This is why it is important to have a great sense of self and values.  Unchangeable values retain one’s identity and self and no matter the accidental changes of life, one remains the same at the core.  Those who can adjust to aging gracefully and find youth as not a number can also adjust far better to these types of losses.  Their identity remains core despite the accidental changes.

Depression or Mid-Life Crisis

When a Mid-Life Crisis is not properly navigated, or without an anchor, it can lead to depression.  If individuals exhibit the physical and mental symptoms associated with depression, it is important to contact a healthcare professional or grief counselor. Others can fall victim to substance abuse and risky behaviors.    Those with better support groups or individuals to talk to or share experiences with have a better chance of exiting the crisis with new insight and hope, but for those without support or an internal anchor, it is important for them to seek the counseling help they need.

 

Conclusion

Loss of identity is a common issue in Mid-Life Crisis. Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification

 

Please also review AIHCP’s multiple counseling courses.  AIHCP offers both a Grief Counseling Certification, as well as Crisis Intervention Counseling Programs.  The programs are online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking training in counseling in these lay and pastoral fields.  Of course licensed counselors can also become certified and utilize these skills in a clinical setting.

References and Additional Resources

“Midlife Crisis or Midlife Myth? What to Know About Going ‘Over the Hill’”. Crystal Raypole. July 8th, 2021. Healthline. Access here

“Midlife Crisis: Why We Reevaluate Our Lives at the Halfway Mark”. Amy Morin. February 23rd, 2023. VeryWellMind. Access here

“Midlife”. Psychology Today Staff. Psychology Today. Access here

“Midlife Crisis: Transition or Depression?”. Kathleen Doheny. November 11th, 2009. WebMD. Access here

 

 

 

 

Crisis Intervention Counseling Certification Blog on Mental Crisis

Posted on by Mark Moran

Mental health crisis can occur at any moment especially when tragedy or traumatic loss occurs.  The crisis counselor is equipped with training to help individuals face the present crisis or deal with the suicidal ideas.  Many crisis counselors are licensed counselors but many also work under the umbrella of an mental health organization at crisis centers.  First responders are also sometimes trained in crisis intervention strategies.

What constitutes a mental crisis? Please also review AIHCP’s Crisis Intervention Specialist Program and see if it meets your goals

 

The article, “What Is a Mental Health Crisis?” by Matthew Boland looks closer at the nature of a mental health crisis and how professionals help individuals deal with the crisis.  He states,

“Others define a mental health emergency as a life threatening situation in which someone is a danger to themselves or others, while a crisis is non-life-threatening, but the person is still severely distressed. Some others say an emergency is someone attempting suicide, while a crisis is someone thinking about or planning suicide. Whether you call it a “mental health emergency,” “crisis,” or “mental breakdown,” people having these experiences need immediate support.”

To read the entire article, please click here

Please also review AIHCP’s Crisis Intervention Counseling Certification and see if it meets your academic and professional goals.  The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking training in Crisis Intervention.

Crisis Counseling Intervention Certification Article on Crisis Training and Police

Posted on by Mark Moran

Mental health crisis requires a special brand of response from the state.  Using law enforcement when violence is not an issue can quickly escalate the situation.  In the news, the United States sees many unneeded deaths and escalated situations due to poor training by the police in crisis intervention.

Crisis intervention is key in policing. Please also review AIHCP’s Crisis Intervention Counseling Certification

 

The article, “What’s Next: Improving Mental Health Crisis Response” by Nicole Merlene looks into how law enforcement can become better trained to face these unique situations.  The article states,

“There is limited co-response with both a clinician and responding police officer. While it is impressive that ¾ of Arlington’s police force is “Crisis Intervention Trained” (CIT), police acknowledged during this process that their presence with flashing lights and uniforms immediately escalates a crisis situation even with the best trained officers.”

To read the entire article, please click here

Please also review AIHCP’s Crisis Intervention Counseling Certification and see if it matches your academic and professional goals.  The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification in Crisis Counseling.

 

Team Training and Crisis Intervention Counseling

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Team training is one of the aspects available to those looking to put together a cohesive crisis intervention training program in their community. Most community Crisis Intervention counseling teams include law enforcement professionals, mental health care teams, medical professionals and in some cases school personnel. Offering team training can create a professional team to respond to emergencies and disasters. While individual training can be more focused; team training for crisis intervention can bring together a group of different professionals and use their various strengths to resolve potential issues. Crisis intervention training involves different aspect of crisis aversion and prevention. Team training puts into effect a team building scenario. Since crisis can involve small concerns to large disasters, having a team and a plan in place is important to law enforcement and community services for prevention. Crisis intervention training as a group can be effective in diffusing emergency situations quickly and with little consequences.

crisis intervention counseling
crisis intervention counseling helps prepare first responders for anything.

If you are looking to become a part of a crisis intervention team then you will need to receive the proper training.    Crisis intervention counseling training is a great place to start.  There are plenty of high quality online crisis training certification programs available.   Once you are a certified crisis intervention counselor, you can then help your community be prepared for crisis situations.

What is Crisis Intervention Counseling?

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Crisis intervention counseling is short term counseling that addresses emergency situations for people in crisis. A counselor will either speak to a person on the telephone (emergency hotline situation) or face to face, but it is better for people in crisis to have the one on one counseling, which allows the counselor to get a better gauge of the client’s demeanor.
It is difficult for a counselor to deal with a crisis over the phone because they cannot read the client’s body language or see the expression on their face; however, hotlines are important because they are a means in which to calm a person down and stop them from taking drastic and irreversible action.

There are many situations that can be considered a crisis for people. These could include:
• A woman who has been beaten once or repeatedly by her spouse. She takes the opportunity to call a crisis line while her partner has left the home, or possibly while he is pounding on the door to try to get to her and hit her again. The counselor can offer telephone support while contacting 911 and dispatching them to the address, if the counselor can manage to extract that information from the client;
• Someone who lives with a person who has a drug or alcohol problem, and they need someone to speak to because they do not know what to do about the problem;
• A person who has lost their job and is facing financial problems, including foreclosure, debt collectors and bankruptcy. Perhaps this person is unable to train for a new job and has no other prospects for employment;
• A teenager who is being bullied at school and is either terrified to go to school, or is thinking of taking their life;
• A man has just found out he has terminal cancer and has two weeks to live. He is unable to tell his family about the situation and needs to speak to someone about it. He is worried about his family and how they will get by in the future without him.
While it is not the role of the crisis counselor to “fix” the problem, they do have an obligation to provide support and explain to the client that the feelings that they are experiencing are completely normal. It is also important to point out to the client that the situation is temporary and that the crisis will eventually pass.
Crisis counselors can help their clients to develop certain skills that allow them to better cope with a situation. By open dialogue and careful discussion, they can help the client to explore various solutions to the problem while helping them to deal with the stress and think in a more positive way. The problem in a crisis situation is that people have complete tunnel vision, and they forget that there are other aspects to their life that are positive.
When a person is suicidal, they are only thinking of the current situation and how to get out of it. They are probably not thinking very clearly, and they are certainly not considering the effect that their death would have on others around them, such as guilt and remorse. The counsellor would point out all of those things to the client and help them to think of other ways to work through the situation.
People in crisis can learn skills that give them the ability to recover from their situation, but it is up to the crisis counselor to provide them with the guidance and resources to accomplish this. One important aspect of the process is for the counselor to have the client face the crisis head on, and try to move past it. The longer that the situation is prolonged, the less chance that the client has of dealing with it. Sometimes it may be necessary for some sort of confrontation to take place in order for the client to move on with their life. This can be very frightening and difficult, but the counselor is there to assist with the process.
If there is a cycle of behavior that continues to lead to crisis, it is up to the counselor to encourage the client to recognize and change that behavior. One very good example of this would be a drug or alcohol addiction and the cycle of destruction that goes with the addiction. The client is routinely causing extreme emotional pain to those around them, but they refuse to take responsibility for their part in the crisis. The counselor works with the client to break those cycles and heal the pain between the client and their family members and friends. To learn more about crisis intervention, click here.

Crisis Intervention Counseling

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Thank you for visiting our AIHCP web blog. This category of the blog focuses on the specialty practice of Crisis Intervention Counseling. Our blog provides our visitors and professional members and students an ever expanding platform for related articles, information, discussions, event announcements and much more. We invite your participation by posting comments, information, sharing and authoring for our blog. Please visit us often and be sure to book mark us!

Trying to recover from PTSD can be delayed over distortions about the event. Licensed counselors through Cognitive Restructuring can help individuals find the truth to move forward. Please also review AIHCP's Crisis Intervention Program