Goals of Crisis Resolution

In the aftermath of crisis, the person who acted out may be ashamed about the outburst. Recovery may include crying spells and apologies so allow some time for them to express remorse and reconcile the prior events. A therapeutic rapport and empathic response not only protect the patient's dignity but also smooth the way for important follow-up treatment.

Overall, the goals of crisis resolution are to prevent violence in the short term, and in the long term, to assist the patient's return to normal cognitive, emotional and behavioral functioning and avoid crisis recurrence. This process takes time and its success will be greatly enhanced by a calm, reassuring, and skilled approach toward non-violent crisis resolution. It also requires making post-crisis connections to appropriate follow-up counseling services.