Among conservative Christians H. Norman Wright is a respected name. His books on marriage, premarital counseling, and communication are well accepted as presenting biblically based Christian advice. Crisis Counseling is no exception. Written for ministers and lay counselors, the book gives a good introduction to counseling from a Christian perspective.
After two chapters of general introduction and two on the biblical perspective, Wright devotes seven chapters to intervention techniques in specific crises, such as suicide, death, and various types of stress. The book concludes with a chapter on Scripture, prayer, and referrals. An appendix deals with the legal question of privileged communication and provides a sample form for assessment.
The strength of the book is in its practicality. The author does not spend a lot of time on theorizing, but focuses on the "what" and "how." He frequently uses examples from the Bible and his own experience to illustrate his points. He also provides numerous tools such as charts, inventories, lead phrases, and questions that can be helpful for pastors and lay counselors.
Some readers may be disappointed with Wright's tendency to state the obvious. His method of organizing his material is not very convincing. The book has no index or bibliography.
Nevertheless, for the pastor and the lay counselor without specific training in crisis counseling this is a good, easy-to- read, biblically oriented, and practical book. I warmly recommend it.
