You do not need to be a specialist. Psychological first aid is standing beside someone properly in the hours after a hard event: making them safe, listening, linking them to what they need. This handbook is written for volunteers.
Field handbook 15 min read Pre-training reading CC BY-NC 4.0
This page does not replace training. Reading it is not enough to take a field role. TAKDER volunteers do not work directly with affected people without practical training and supervision. For the training calendar see the training page.
What it is
What it is not
The distinction matters in practice: the well-meant question "so tell me exactly what happened" can pull someone back into a memory they are not ready for, and cause harm. In psychological first aid, whoever wants to talk is listened to; whoever does not is left in peace.
Framework
Every contact in the field runs through these three steps, and the order matters: you cannot listen before you have looked, or link before you have listened.
1
Read the situation before you approach. Rushing in puts both you and the other person at risk.
2
Approach, introduce yourself, ask permission. Listening is the heart of this work, and what is often said is silence.
3
The lasting effect comes not from the half hour you spend but from the connection you make. Skip this step and the help is unfinished.
Language
Do not say"I understand, the same thing happened to me."
Say"I can't imagine how hard this is. I'm here." — The conversation must not turn into your story.
Do not say"You're lucky, at least you're alive."
SayNothing. Standing quietly beside someone helps more than trying to console them.
Do not say"Everything will be fine, don't worry."
Say"You're safe right now. In the next hour, this is what will happen…" — concrete, short-term information you can stand behind.
Do not say"Tell me what happened, from the beginning."
Say"I'll listen if you want to talk; if you don't, we can just sit here." — Telling is the person's choice.
Do not say"Don't cry, calm down."
Say"You can cry. I'm right here." — The feeling needs to move, not to be stopped.
Do not sayPassing on unconfirmed news: "I hear help is on its way."
Say"I don't know that. I'll find out and come back to you." — Bad information destroys trust in the field faster than anything else.
Particular situations
Get down to eye level. Keep them with their caregiver where possible; if separation is unavoidable, record in writing who they were handed to. Speak simply and honestly, and keep drawing and play materials to hand.
Never leave them alone and never take them anywhere by yourself. Record their name, the place and the time; two adults accompany them; notify the protection team immediately. Do not share their photograph.
Speak slowly and clearly without shouting. Ask whether hearing aids, glasses, a walking stick or medication have been lost. They may be disoriented; calmly repeat where they are and what has happened.
Talk to the person, not their companion. Ask how they want to be helped before helping. Do not touch their equipment, chair or guide dog without permission.
Ask no questions and request no details. Provide privacy and, where possible, a worker of the same gender. Refer to a specialised service only with the person's consent. Tell no one else.
Stay calm, keep your arms open, do not block your own exit. Do not argue. Move onlookers away. If there is risk to the person or others, call health and security staff; do not intervene alone.
Limits
The following are not a volunteer's job. Identify them, hand over to a specialist or medical team without leaving the person alone, and record the handover.
Principles
Printable
Before you leave the site, run the 20-minute decompression sequence: bring the body down · list the facts · one sentence each · close tomorrow. Details in Secondary trauma for field workers.
Emergency: 112 · Police: 155 · Civil Defence: 101
Training
Psychological first aid works when it is taught through role play and field scenarios. We run a one-day practical programme for organisations, schools and volunteer teams.
References
The Look–Listen–Link framework and the principles are adapted directly from the guides below. The example phrases and the field card layout are TAKDER's adaptation and are not literal translations of the source texts.
Links go to the publisher; last accessed 11 September 2026. If you spot an error in a citation, tell us and we will correct it.
