ABSTRACT
A crisis intervention model is most effective in working with families such as the Shores. Crisis events can include life-cycle transitions, such as entering adolescence, or sudden, unexpected crises (“bolts from the blue,” Pittman, 1987), such as sudden disability or unemployment. At this point the Shore family is experiencing multiple life transition crisis events, as Michael approaches adolescence and Rena moves toward becoming independent of her parents. The Shore family has also experienced traumatic crisis events: Nancy's recurring back injury, Charley's unemployment, and Michael's persistent asthma attacks. Their marriage began with a crisis; Charley's mother was killed by a car shortly before the Shores’ marriage.
