Crisis Counseling

When an individual begins to be overwhelmed by difficulties, a common first reaction is to feel that one has let oneself and others down, that one has failed because of personal weakness and therefore subsequent feelings of being inadequate arise. Unfortunately, when people try to solve serious problems on their own, not only are they usually unsuccessful, but the problem becomes more severe. Worse yet, as the problems become more complex and disabling, the individual's problem-solving capabilities become even more impaired allowing the events to reach crisis proportions BEFORE the individuals can admit that he/she needs outside help. To deal with the emotional and at times physical turmoil in such a crisis, the concept of crisis intervention was developed.

New River Community College offers, through its counseling center, a crisis intervention program that assists students in dealing with the situation that they are facing. It can be looked upon as a supportive rather than an "uncovering" type of therapy. It focuses on building on the individual's existing strengths and assesses whether the individual's coping style is adequate in response to the threatening event.

Students attending NRCC can make an appointment to receive this service by calling 674-3609 or by visiting the Counseling Center in Rooker Hall.