The Emotional First Aid Manual

This book has provided the right advice and motivation for me, at the moment I needed it. I've had this book for about one year now. It's been just the advice I needed, right at my finger tips. I have been able to refer to it seven times during the past year to help me and my loved ones through some difficult times and situations: cousin getting run over by a car, death in the family, my young child bullied by another child, severe health problem of a parent, best friend losing her job, and others. It has not only guided me through situations, but allowed me to help those I care about. Thank you for this wonderful resource!

Trauma counseling specialist Janet Buell dispenses her professional expertise for readers of all backgrounds in Emotional First Aid Manual, a straightforward guide to basic techniques to prevent and lessen emotional suffering in others. From the seven golden rules of emotional first aid (including "Listen - don't talk", "Be compassionate - not critical", and "Do not attempt a diagnosis") to recommendations specific to certain aggrieved situations such as the loss of a child, an impending divorce, or trauma of humiliation, Emotional First Aid Manual walks the reader through what to say and how to say it in order to be a good friend and a source of comfort in a time of need. Divided into three major sections covering Adult Traumas, Childhood Traumas, and Trauma in the Mentally Ill, Emotional First Aid Manual is equally valuable to lay citizens and to individuals considering fields of work that involve regular interaction with aggrieved individuals (such as the funerary business or credit counseling). Highly recommended.

This resource is helpful to those who have or will respond to people in crisis. I appreciated the vignettes and especially the Appendix which provided other helpful resources. Victor F. Kolch, D. Min.