Chapter 4_Conclusion of the Learning Unit

Origins of crisis intervention as a professional help are usually dated in the 1940's and 1950's with pioneering work of Erich Lindemann and Gerald Caplan. A major contributions to crisis intervention come from observation of war trauma – both WWI and WWII.

An important contribution to the theory of crises was made by Erik H. Erikson, who emphasized the developmental abilities of the ego to constructively solve the tasks that a person is meeting at subsequent stages of life. Psychological intervention focused primarily on individuals, families, and small groups. This micro-level focus, sometimes must be complemented by macro-level interventions.

The psychological aspect of macro intervention relates mainly to ensuring an adequate level of helping relationship. The successful application of macro-social intervention is possible when different strategies are used in complementary ways.