Brianna Jacobson on De-Escalation Strategies

In fall 2024, Women’s Democracy Lab invited therapist Brianna Jacobson (MA, LMHC) to create and lead a de-escalation workshop for WDL community members.

During this workshop, she shared strategies on how to self-regulate in moments of crisis, how to plan ahead for potential crises, and how to react appropriately to aggressors in-the-moment based on their exhibited behavior.

About Brianna

Brianna is a therapist, trainer, and program director at Serna Solutions, which has provided clinical outpatient counseling and Comprehensive Community Support Services to individuals, couples, and families since 2003. She completed Edgewood College Clinical Counseling Certificate Program in Ethnic Studies and Women Studies and is LGBTQIA+ affirming.

She is trained in several evidence-based practices and is a certified trainer and supervisor of Crisis Prevention and De-escalation and Community Reinforcement and Family Training. She embraces a transformative, strength-based approach that honors lived experiences and inner wisdom while cultivating practical skills, critical thinking, and curiosity. 

Steps for Managing a Crisis Situation

Understandably, there is a lot to think about and manage when you are actively in a crisis situation. Below, Brianna shares the acronym COPING as a reminder of each step of managing crises.

Control

The first step is to regain physical and emotional control.

This may look like: practicing box breathing; visualizing a safe or peaceful place; physically removing yourself from the area; connecting with people within your circle of trust post-event.

Orient

Next, orient yourself to the events and facts of what just happened. Trust your intuition and your memory. Document as much as you can.

Patterns

Identify patterns. Is this a first-time experience, or is it recurring? Have you experienced harm in this environment before?

Enlist help from others who were present during the crisis to fill in blanks if necessary - but be sure to preserve your own experience of what happened to you.

Investigate

Investigate alternative responses and forms of support.

This may look like: Requesting additional physical safety measures; attending de-escalation training; researching preferred mental health professionals before a crisis occurs. 

Negotiate

Negotiate future responses, expectations, and behaviors. What personal boundaries will you set? What rules and parameters will you communicate when entering a space?

This may look like: Sharing ground rules and a code of conduct before every meeting; set clear personal boundaries on what kind of behavior you will and will not tolerate.

Give

Give support, validation, belief, trust, care, and concern.

After the crisis passes, you will still need ongoing support and care. Advocate for yourself to receive the support you need - and make sure you are extending this same care to yourself.

As elected officials, and especially as elected women of color, chances are high that you will face opposition that will turn threatening, aggressive, or potentially violent. Protect yourself beforehand by preparing your own personal toolkit that includes personal safety plans, de-escalation tactics, and a roadmap for how you will manage through crisis and continue to heal on the other side.

Looking for more safety strategies? Apply to join our members-only community to gain access to specialized workshops, training opportunities, and resources.