ABSTRACT
In March 2020, with the worldwide outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) a nationwide lockdown was clamped from 24 March 2020. COVID-19 has had an impact on the health, personal, professional and social lives of all individuals. As a mental health professional, serving as a frontline service provider, brought first-hand experience, along with challenges, of dealing with the sensitive issues of crisis and trauma counselling. In Assam, a novel approach was taken up by initiating tele-counselling helplines to cater to the needs of people stranded in far-off lands away from their homes during the lockdown and for reaching out to COVID-19-positive patients during their isolation stay at hospital or home. Crisis intervention or counselling focuses on providing opportunities for clients to learn new coping skills while identifying, mobilizing, and enhancing those they already possess. However, being a psychologist, it is expected and believed that the person themselves will be unaffected by any crisis. This notion is discussed by highlighting subjective crisis encounters.
