CRISIS COUNSELING IN SOCIAL WORK: INTEGRATING A PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACH AS THE BASIS FOR EFFECTIVE CLIENT SUPPORT

Abstract

The article explores the specifics of crisis counseling in social work under the conditions of military conflict in Ukraine, which is accompanied by widespread psychological traumatization of the population. The need to integrate a psychological approach – particularly psychoeducation and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) – into the professional practice of social workers is substantiated as a means of providing effective assistance to vulnerable population groups. It is demonstrated that war, as a hyper-extreme factor, leads to collective traumatization, prolonged distress, maladaptation, and the development of psychological and psychosomatic disorders. Under such conditions, traditional approaches in social work prove insufficient. The methodological foundation of the study is based on an interdisciplinary analysis that combines insights from crisis psychology, the neurophysiology of stress, and the practice of social counseling.The study reveals that effective crisis counseling requires a profound understanding of the nature of stress responses, the dynamics of crisis states, and the stages of traumatization. An adapted model of step-by-step crisis intervention is presented, based on P. MacLean’s “triune brain theory,” which incorporates psychoeducation, emotional stabilization, and the development of behavioral strategies. The scientific novelty lies in substantiating the effectiveness of combining psychoeducation with basic CBT tools within the context of social work without requiring full-scale psychotherapeutic training. It is shown that even basic interventions – such as normalization of reactions, stabilization techniques, and work with automatic thoughts – can significantly stabilize clients’ psycho-emotional state. The conclusions emphasize that, given the increasing psychological burden on Ukraine’s population due to war, crisis counseling must become an essential component of the social worker’s professional activities. Its integration with evidence-based psychotherapeutic methods such as CBT, along with an educational component involving psychoeducation, provides comprehensive support, enhances clients’ adaptive capacity, and contributes to the preservation of mental health. The article proposes pathways for integrating these approaches into the system of social services through short-term interventions, educational programs, and interdisciplinary specialist training.