DISCORDANT IDENTIFICATION IN CRITICAL INCIDENT STRESS

Conversations with a witness to a violent episode of hostage-taking le ad the author to reflect on the importance of understanding the role o f unconscious identifications in conducting group debriefings with tra uma survivors. Individuals with discordant identifications, identifica tions which run counter to the usual experience, present special chall enges to leaders of critical-incident stress debriefings. Such identif ications reveal much about the dynamics of calling to the helping prof essions and caring within them, and may serve a parabolic function, re vealing aspects of God and community otherwise hidden.