Narrative Sharing
Invite the people to share their stories. This helps them process and organize their experiences in a coherent way.
Example:
- “Can you share with me what happened?”
Emotional Processing
Facilitate the people’s emotional responses to their experiences. Reflect their emotions, validate their feelings, and provide emotional support.
Example:
- “How are you feeling? It makes sense to feel this way given what you’ve experienced.”
Noticing and Naming
Collaboratively observe (Notice) and label (Name) the people’s experiences and emotions. This helps them become aware of and articulate their experiences.
Example:
- “I’m noticing that you seem sad when you talk about this. Can you describe what you’re feeling?”
Co-Creating a Narrative
Through the process of noticing and naming, a coherent narrative emerges that helps people make sense of their experiences.
Example:
- “It sounds like this event has deeply affected you. Let’s talk about how it has impacted your life.”
Identifying Losses and Processing Grief
Recognize both tangible and intangible losses and help people process their grief.
Example:
- “What have you lost through this experience? It’s important to acknowledge these losses and allow yourself to grieve.”
Transforming Wounded Parts
Address past traumas that may resurface due to the current crisis. This provides an opportunity for deep healing.
Example:
- “I wonder if there might be past experiences that feel connected to what you’re going through now?”
Consolidating Learning Into Identity
Integrate the wisdom gained from the experience into the individual’s identity, fostering growth and maturity.
Planning Action
Help the individual develop a plan for moving forward, informed by the insights gained during the healing process.
Example:
- “What steps can you take to move forward? Let’s think about your relationships, work, and living arrangements.”
Conclusion
While pain and suffering are inevitable, trauma can often be prevented or healed through effective intervention. The NICC protocol for crisis stabilization and debriefing provides a structured approach to help individuals navigate their experiences, regulate their nervous systems, and organize their experiences into coherent narratives. Through this process, they can transform their pain into a source of growth and wisdom, enabling them to move forward and thrive.
For more information on the NICC treatment protocols and to access additional resources, please visit our website or contact us directly.
REFERENCES
This article originally appeared here.
