Coping, Crisis Intervention & Grief

Kübler-Ross's stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance) are not strictly linear, and a patient may move back and forth or skip stages — recognizing this prevents the trap of assuming a patient "should" be at a particular stage. Crisis intervention prioritizes immediate safety first, then helps the person mobilize their own coping resources rather than solving the problem for them; crises are generally time-limited (commonly resolving within about four to six weeks) because the person's usual coping mechanisms are temporarily overwhelmed, not permanently broken.