Brief Crisis Therapy Institute (2025)

14/07/2022

What is a crisis?

There are many ways to define, interpret, and experience a crisis. Roberts (2000) defined a crisis as "a state of psychological disequilibrium caused by an event perceived as hazardous and an inability to use existing coping skills to resolve the issue.”

From a clinical perspective, we may also look for the following experiential features:
1) The individual must have been exposed to a stressful or hazardous situation.
2) The individual’s perception of the event leads to considerable upset or disruptions.
3) The individual is unable to resolve the disruption with previously used coping mechanisms.

The state of being in crisis is often why clients seek out psychological support from mental health professionals. They have exhausted or feel unable to utilize their own resources to resolve the crisis and need help.

As professionals, how do you respond? How you set up your sessions with someone visibly in distress? It can be a challenge to build rapport, get the formal paperwork and consent to care covered when a client is in this state.

We'll dig more into applying polyvagal theory in your initial (or ongoing) sessions with clients in crisis later this week. Stay tuned!

If you are interested in learning more about weaving theories and interventions from , , , , and , join us for our full day training on on July 22.

For more details and to register see the link in our bio.

12/07/2022

We are dedicated and passionate to help other gain the skills and resources to counsel clients in crisis. The model we have developed has been a labour of love and we are so excited to be able to share it. And although we think it is highly impactful, don't just take our word for it.

Here are just a few things past participants have said about this training:
"I experienced an AHA moment"
"This approach is so transferable! It could be used in EAPs, emergency departments, universities, really anywhere that you have a short amount of time to make a big impact with clients"
"The coping questions were eye-opening"
"This training provided a great way of integrating positive psychology, solution-focused brief therapy, narrative, therapies, polyvagal theory and mindfulness approaches"
"The instructors were so passionate and excited about this approach, it made me excited about it too"
"I was impressed with the caliber of the instructors. They were knowledgeable and professional"
"When is the full certificate training coming out? I can't wait to dig into this more"

01/05/2022

Life-long learners. That is what so many of us identify as - and it makes sense!

As therapists, we are always learning, reading, and getting certified in new models and approaches.

I always love hearing what others are reading, learning, and training in. You - all of you - are so inspiring!

Please share a comment with your awesome professional development goals this month!

28/04/2022

Don't miss out on this Full-Day Training on Brief Crisis Therapy.

April 29, 2022
10am - 4pm EDT

The goal of this training is to feel more confident and competent in brief crisis therapy so you can increase hope, create change, and reduce clients' suffering.

All in three sessions or less!

To learn more/register go to the site (link in profile)
www.briefcrisistherapyinstitute.com/trainng

25/04/2022

Many mental health professionals first meet clients when they are in crisis.

But what is a crisis? The same situation may be experienced differently by different people. For one person, what might be a minor stressor may be a trauma or a crisis for others.

Much of how an individual interprets their experience has to do with their ability to cope or manage the situation with their own resources.

"A crisis is a state of psychological disequilibrium caused by an event perceived as hazardous and an inability to use existing coping skills to resolve the issue.” (Roberts, 2000)

There are usually three aspects of an experience the make it unmanageable for an individual.
1) The individual has been exposed to/perceived a stressful or hazardous situation.

2) The individual’s perception of the event leads to considerable upset or disruptions.

3) The individual is unable to resolve the disruption with previously used coping mechanisms.

So what now? You have a client who is seeking care because they are experiencing a crisis. How do you help counsel them to find hope and discover the first step forward?

Join us on April 29th for a full-day training on counselling clients in crisis.

To learn more or register go to (link in bio):
www.briefcrisistherapy.com/training

20/04/2022

Have you ever had a client walk into the room in a dysregulated state?

It can be a common experience for those in crisis. They may be barely hanging on, barely able to cope, and just barely able to make it in to their appointment.

They did the hard part. They made it there! But as the therapist, you now set the stage.

Sometimes clients need to borrow you calm to co-regulate and de-escalate. You can try some of these simple strategies (maybe you use them already)
👉Talk in a calm voice
👉Slow your breathing
👉Bring awareness to sensations that will ground them in the present moment (i.e. what do you small, see, taste, touch, hear in this moment).

19/04/2022

Have you been looking for new strategies to counsel clients in crisis?

Since the start of the pandemic, we have been working to support therapist (like us) to provide effective brief therapy. From trainings to professional development sessions with the Canadian Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (CAMFT/ACTCF), we have heard from colleagues that they still have more questions and want more information about how to do brief therapy well - especially when clients are experiencing a crisis.

We have dug into the latest research on neurobiology, trauma-informed care, stress responses, and integrated approaches like solution-focused brief therapy, mindfulness, positive psychology, narrative therapeutic approaches to offer a complete therapeutic package.

Our full-day training is NEXT WEEK and we are so excited to share this with you!

This is a really special live offering of the training which is interactive and experiential where you will learn about the theories behind the model, see the approach in action, and practice it together.

The training may be offered as an asynchronous/recorded training in the future, so don't miss out on this great learning opportunity!

Join Andrew Sofin, Dina Bednar and Julia Imanoff on April 29, 2022 from:
7am-1pm PDT,
8am-2pm MDT,
9am-3pm Central
10am-4pm EDT
11am-5pm Atlantic
12:30pm-6:30pm in Newfoundland

For more information and to register, check out our website (link in bio): https://lnkd.in/gvAs8zH5

12/04/2022

Thank you to everyone who came out to our first webinar yesterday! It was an amazing turn out and we are so honoured to have gotten to learn and hear from so many amazing professionals.

Here's just one of the many comments we have received about the Brief Crisis Therapy Model.

"I was intrigued to learn more about the BCT model. It is interested that you have bundled up so many approaches into one therapeutic model. Can't wait to learn more."

Thank you to .actcf for collaborating with us to make this webinar happen and to offer 1 CEU to participants!

10/04/2022

Tomorrow is the day! Don't miss our FREE 1-hour webinar on 5 things to know about Brief Crisis Therapy.

There is still time to register! Link in bio.

Bonus: This webinar is also eligible for 1 CEU from CAMFT.

09/04/2022

Sometimes we forget the powerful change we can have on the world. Though we may only help one person at a time in our practices, the larger impact we have on the world may not be as evident. But it is like a ripple effect where the smallest change can have a profound and lasting effect.

In case you needed the reminder today, your work is valuable. Your care has impact. What you do every day is important! You are important!

08/04/2022

Have a question about registering for an event?

You can reach us easily through direct messaging (DM) on social media (like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn).

Maybe you are on our site and have a question.
We can help! You can use the chat button on our site to get quick and friendly support.

Maybe you just want to talk to someone - not through a chat.

No problem! Call or email us! We can help you there too.

07/04/2022

On this world health day, we are reflecting on what the WHO has asked...
👉Are we able to reimagine a world where clean air, water and food are available to all?
👉Where economies are focused on health and well-being?
👉Where cities are liveable and people have control over their health and the health of the planet?

That last one really made us pause. So often individual's don't feel in control of their health. In fact, over the last few years many of us have felt out of control. Many have experienced a crisis on many levels (individual to global).

Although the pandemic isn't over, there is a sense of hope for how we all move forward.

What are you best hopes for today?

06/04/2022

Ever wonder what Brief Crisis Therapy is?

Join us for a 1-hour webinar on 5 things to know about Brief Crisis Therapy.

April 11, 2022 from 12-1 pm EDT

Bonus: Participation is eligible for 1 CEU from CAMFT!

To learn more and register, go to www.briefcrisistherapyinstitute.com/learn

10/03/2022

Are you looking for ways to improve your skills in brief crisis therapy?

There are so many models and approaches to choose from when you are looking for professional development.

We often hear things like...
👉I wish therapeutic models weren't so ridig.
👉I have been looking for a counselling model that is trauma-informed.
👉I am unsure how to start or end a brief therapy session.
👉I would love to have examples of how to phrase questions.

That is why the team of clinicians at Brief Crisis Therapy Institute created this mode! We have been frustrated with training models in the past. We wanted a model that we could integrate into our own practices.
It is intuitive, integrative, and outcomes driven. It blends trauma-informed, brief, solution-focused, and positive psychology therapies into one amazing model!

Join us for our introductory training on April 29, 2022.

In the Brief Crisis Therapy training you'll get introduced to a model that...

✔Allows you to integrate your experience and style as a clinician

✔Provides sample questions, outlines, and rationale for each intervention/strategy

✔Provides a simple flow of brief crisis therapy sessions that is trauma-informed

✔Addresses the needs of the therapist to create a more effective and impactful session for the clients

For more information or to registered, see our website (link in bio):
www.briefcrisistherapyinstitute.com

08/03/2022

Strong Women – may we raise them, may we know them, may we be them.

We are also proud to be a 2/3 women-owned organization and have witnessed the power and strength of women in the work that we do.

Celebrate the amazing women in your life today (and every day).

Happy International Women's Day!

04/03/2022

Meet the team behind the Brief Crisis Therapy Institute.

For more about the three founders, check out 👇👇👇👇👇www.briefcrisistherapyinstitute.com
(link in bio)

02/03/2022

What to love what you do again?

Are you feeling burnt out? Tired of the constant state of overwhelm trying to get through your client sessions for the day - but wondering if this is really what you want to be doing?

That can be a hard place to be.

You have invested your time, energy, and money into your education. You have worked hard to get here. And you deserve to enjoy the work that you do.

Do you remember why you got into the mental health field?

Many of us want to help people through the tough times in life. We know the value of quality support and how impactful and satisfying that can be.

We want you to love what you do! We want you to be the best therapist you can be.

That is why the team here at Brief Crisis Therapy Institute created this powerful 1-day training that is easily integrated into your current work.

It is flexible so you can bring your own style and strategies, tools, and resources (but we give you a lot of those too).

You will be able to bring your best self to your client session. Improving your work satisfaction and client outcomes.

You'll fall in love with the work that you do... all over again!

Brief Crisis Therapy Institute