Emotional First Aid

Emotional first aid is the foundation of Trauma Intervention Program (TIP) services. It is the compassionate, immediate support provided to individuals and families during the first hours following a traumatic event.

At TIP of Long Beach, emotional first aid means showing up with calm presence, practical support, and respect for each person’s experience — helping survivors feel supported during moments of shock, grief, or overwhelming stress.

Below is an overview of emotional first aid as practiced across the TIP National network.

What Is Emotional First Aid

Emotional first aid focuses on providing immediate emotional and practical support to individuals affected by traumatic events. It is not therapy or counseling, but compassionate presence during a critical time.

What Emotional First Aid Looks Like

Emotional first aid may include listening without judgment, helping explain what has happened, offering practical assistance, and remaining present so individuals are not left alone during moments of crisis.

What Emotional First Aid Is Not

Emotional first aid does not involve diagnosing, treating, or directing individuals. TIP volunteers do not provide medical, legal, or mental health advice.

Why Emotional First Aid Matters

After first responders leave the scene, individuals may feel overwhelmed or unsupported. Emotional first aid helps reduce additional emotional harm by offering calm, compassionate presence during the first critical hours after crisis.

  • Don't Overlook the Quiet Survivors

    Survivors after a tragic event are stunned and may even appear unaffected. Remember that a variety of people can be touched by a tragic event but might be overlooked - witnesses, rescuers and children. Don't forget these ‘invisible’ survivors. When you suspect someone is affected by a tragic event, reach out with ‘Caring Curiosity’ - How are you?

  • Reach Out

    Reach Out Physically:

    • Position yourself at the survivor’s side and at his level.

    • Touch; unless the survivor pulls away.

    • Use a soft voice - Use the survivor's name.

    Reach Out Emotionally:

    • Ask the survivor how they are feeling.

    • Acknowledge the survivor's experience.

    • Don't minimize the survivor's experience (by saying "You'll be O.K.").

  • Protect

    Protect the survivor from making impulsive decisions. Most major decisions can wait until the survivor is thinking clearly.

    • Protect survivors from being victimized by others who may not have the best interest of the person in mind.

    • Provide for the person’s physical needs - food, medicine, safe place.

  • Reassure

    Many people have an urgent need for information after a tragic event; "What happened?" and "Why?".

    • Assist in getting the information they need. The survivor may need an Information Advocate.

    • Survivors often blame themselves for the crisis event. Help a person that feels guilty gain perspective by asking them to tell you the "whole story".

    • Try to gently point out what they did right before, during, or after the tragic event.

  • Organize

    People often feel paralyzed after a tragic event and can lose their capacity to deal with all the new demands created by the tragedy.

    • Assist the person to develop a simple plan.

    • Suggest: "Let's focus on what needs to be done now."

  • Reinforce

    Reinforce the actions that the person is taking or wants to take to emotionally survive the tragic event. The survivor will struggle to find something or someone to hold onto almost immediately. You may need to "clear the way" so the person is able to do what they desire.

    • Do not "over care" or do too much.

    • Remember that the primary psychological challenge for the traumatized person is to regain a sense of control. Therefore, the person should be encouraged to make decisions and take action on their own behalf.

Finally…

A broken heart cannot "be fixed." Don't try! A caring presence is what you can offer to someone who is emotionally devastated. Just being there is very powerful and will be experienced by the survivor as very helpful.

In the first few hours after a tragic event, the survivor is often surrounded by people who have "a job to do" or who have opinions about what the survivor should or shouldn't do. The primary goal of the person providing Emotional First Aid is to enable the survivor to act according to their wishes, values and beliefs; and not according to what others think should be done.