It Can Happen To Anyone
While many of us are exposed to the traumatic experiences of our clients, we don’t often think in terms of experiencing trauma first-hand, personally or professionally. We like to think it would never happen to us, that it could never happen to us. But trauma does not discriminate. A traumatic experience can happen to anyone, anywhere, and for reasons that make no sense at all. A traumatic experience is an extraordinary and stressful event that shatters one’s sense of safety and security. These events often involve situations that potentially place our life or the lives of others at risk.
What exactly is a traumatic experience?
A traumatic experience is an extraordinary and stressful event that shatters one’s sense of safety and security. These events often involve situations that potentially place our life or the lives of others at risk. But any situation that leaves one feeling fearful, overwhelmed, and isolated can result in a trauma response, even if it doesn’t involve physical harm. It is not the objective circumstances that determine whether an event is traumatic for an individual. Rather, it is that person’s subjective emotional experience of the event. In other words, the real determinant is not the situation or event itself, but how one reacts to it. People don’t interpret the same events in the same way. Two individuals could be in the exact same situation and each person could have a different reaction. There is not a right or a wrong way to react to any situation.
LAP Provides Triage and/or Crisis Debrief Services
LAP counselors are experienced in providing immediate triage and support services in the aftermath of a crisis event as well as longer-term crisis incident stress debrief services to a firm or judicial district in the wake of a crisis event. Crisis incident stress debriefing is a facilitator-led group process conducted soon after a traumatic event with individuals considered to be under stress from trauma exposure. Think of it like psychological first aid. The goal is to help stabilize and empower the group that has been affected.
Managing a Crisis Event
LAP has worked with individuals as well as law firms in the aftermath of a crisis event. This simple, straightforward guidance manual addresses how best to navigate the aftermath of a crisis event, including issues and questions that may arise, and who best to contact to help with those questions. It also contains contact information for key departments and individuals across the state. This document is updated annually. It is suggested that law firms keep a hard copy in a central location. The last page should be filled out and then posted somewhere like on a bulletin board in a break room for easy access for everyone.
