When dealing with dependent callers, a crisis worker should:

When working with dependent callers, reinforcing their strengths and supporting their concerns is essential for effective crisis intervention. This approach helps build rapport and trust, creating a safe environment for the caller to express themselves. By focusing on their strengths, the crisis worker acknowledges the caller's capabilities, encouraging empowerment and fostering a sense of worth that can counteract feelings of helplessness.

Supporting concerns allows the crisis worker to validate the caller’s experience, which is especially important for individuals who may feel overlooked or dismissed in their distress. This validation can help decrease anxiety and enable clearer communication, allowing the caller to articulate their needs and vulnerabilities more effectively.

This supportive approach contrasts with encouraging callers to solve their own problems, which may not be realistic given their current state of distress. Additionally, minimizing feelings of dependency could invalidate their experience, making them feel worse. Redirecting them to self-help resources, while beneficial in some contexts, may not address their immediate emotional needs during the crisis, leading to a sense of abandonment. Reinforcing strengths and supporting concerns addresses both the emotional and psychological aspects of the crisis, aiding in the caller's overall well-being.