Traumatic Incident Reduction and Critical Incident Stress Management: A Synergistic Approach

From the Foreword: TIR offers an opportunity for the members of a CISM team to deal with any accumulated emotional baggage that their involvement in crisis-intervention has created. Training in TIR adds another tool to the toolkit of crisis-intervention techniques and enables peer-support to ad-dress an extended range of crisis-reactions, even those that might justify a clinical diagnosis. If virtually all the emotional reactions of a colleague in crisis could be ac-commodated and addressed through CISM and TIR, then the difference to the individual, the CISM team and the community would be immense. I look forward to the day that what practitioners of CISM and TIR already know is recognized in order for these approaches to be embraced and enjoyed more widely. What Traumatologists Are Saying about TIR and CISM. Now, as a psychologist, I think I can see what would have helped me-after the injury that led to PTSD andretirement as a firefighter-and why. I now train firefighters and paramedics in the crisis-intervention tactics of CISM and offer TIR training to the same people. -John Durkin, www.FireStress.co.uk After the crisis is over, and the CISM team has done crisis management briefings and debriefings, both crisis responders and victims who continue to be negatively affected by the traumatic incident will benefit greatly by using TIR to get back to normal as quickly as possible. -Nancy Day, CTS, TIR Trainer Specific training in TIR skills speeds the process of a person moving from novice to fully effective practitioner. One idea would be for this skill set to be included in CISD training. -Jill Boyd, RN, MS TIR has developed crucial understanding and training by managing communication and the development of rules of practice that can surely inform and enrich CISD sessions as well as other similar techniques. -Carlos Velazquez-Garcia, Psych., CT (Puerto Rico) Each modality can be enhanced by the skills and training that the other provides. CISM without TIR is missing the opportunities to complete the process. TIR without CISM training is missing the structure for working with and understanding the bigger process. -Gerry Bock, MA, RCC (Vancouver, BC) About the TIR Applications Series This new series from Loving Healing Press brings you information and anecdotes about Traumatic Incident Reduction and related techniques. Practitioners around the world use these Applied Metapsychology techniques. It is our opinion that stories of real-world experience convey the opportunity for healing that TIR provides. Readers interested in the theories behind TIR and Applied Metapsychology (the subject from which TIR is derived) should also consider the Explorations in Metapsychology Series from Loving Healing Press.…