Defusing

A traumatic event is any situation in which an individual experiences a thre­at to their own or someone else’s life, or to their physical and/or emotional safety. Following such an event, individuals may face various psychological, physical, and social consequences. Traumatic or crisis events are encounte­red in various work organizations. In professions where exposure to crisis or traumatic events is considerable (e.g., firefighters, police officers, certain healthcare staff, emergency responders, etc.), appropriate psychological support is especially important. Psychological support for such workforces is based on three levels of assistance. At the first level, individuals can help themselves when experiencing signs of stress through various methods, such as breathing techniques, conversations with family or friends, enga­ging in recreational activities, etc. At the second level, employees can receive help within their work organization. A defusing session is conducted, either individually or in groups, immediately after the crisis event or before leaving work, and it focuses on the direct experience of stress as a consequence of the intervention in the crisis event. The individual is given the opportunity to express what happened and how they responded. Participants are also informed about the normal stress response to crisis events and the types of support available. The session is led by a confidant or a professional in crisis intervention, who is adequately trained to conduct defusing. This professio­nal also assesses whether additional support outside the work organization is necessary, which constitutes the third level of psychological assistance.