COUN 604 – Crisis in Movies Assignment #1 (Module 2)
Shane Sutherland

1. Identify precipitating event(s). (10 pts.)
The movie I chose to watch is Courageous. The precipitating event in this movie is the car accident that takes the life of Emily Mitchell. Her father, Adam Mitchell, and the rest of her family are traumatized by the sudden death of their 9 year old daughter/sister. In thinking about information that would be gained in the first contact with Adam Mitchell, one thing that stands out about his previous state of mind/functioning is that he was somewhat uninvolved with his children, taking them for granted. This fact can also be a trigger for how he processes this event, causing a crisis for him as he realized his …show more content…

Adam handled this crisis very well, as it became a catalyst for growth for him. In one session, he is talking with his pastor after a few scenes that have shown him grieving, his wife grieving, and his son beginning to isolate from the family. It is at this time that Adam has a choice in how he handles his opportunity to move forward or stay stuck. He tells his pastor that he does not want to get stuck and bitter, that he wants to heal and he wants his family to heal. It is at this point in the movie that Adam begins to pour himself into studying what God’s word has to say about being a father. After discovering that he was only doing a small portion of what God required of him as a dad, he makes a resolution to change that. Indeed, he does so and brings several other men along with him as well. By choosing to grieve in a healthy way, Adam allowed his crisis to make him a better father and to develop his relationship with his wife and son to a stronger place than it had been even before his daughter’s death. 6. Suggest several steps for your client that could be used to handle the crisis. (10 pts.)
Since this crisis did not put Adam, or anyone else in his family, in direct danger, I would take on the role of a facilitator. As a facilitator, I would collaborate with Adam to set some goals for himself. An important thing to remember would be to help him survive and