I think "crisis" can be difficult to define, too. Along with what "safe" is.

The "crisis" definition came up a while back with my therapist, when I said I was struggling and asked for an extra session. He was booked that day but said he could fit me in at the end if it was a crisis. And I wasn't sure whether it was in his eyes. For me, it was, as I hadn't been able to stop crying for hours, I wasn't being functional, I couldn't seem to calm myself, etc. But I think to him, "crisis" is more like my life is at immediate risk (I think we still ended up meeting that time?)

There was a time a few years ago when I was out of town by myself and contacted him in the evening, around 8 pm, really upset. I texted him, even though that's usually just for scheduling changes. And I think both because he knew I was out of town alone (if I was at home, my husband would be here) and that I wouldn't normally text, he realized I was in a risky place. So he asked if I wanted to meet over Zoom, even though it was 8:30 at night and he wouldn't normally do that. We ended up basically having a normal-length session (which he charged me for, but I knew he would, so it was fine).

But it was unusual for him to do, and I wouldn't expect it again except on a very rare occasion. He doesn't even really allow phone calls that aren't scheduled, though he's said if it was a case where I was trying to decide whether I needed the hospital (and was before 9 pm, as he turns his phone off then), we could have a brief call to determine my next steps.

Normally, my only options would be to ask for an extra session (which would depend on his availability--he does often have them because of how he does his schedule). Or to email him--and he generally only replies for an hour in the mornings (so if I emailed him at 8 pm, I wouldn't hear back till the next morning). Though once, about 5 years ago, he replied on a Friday night when I was in crisis, but honestly, at the time, he kind of made it worse, And we had another exchange then, too (I wish we could have just talked for 10 minutes instead).

I have contacted the 988 text line a couple times, and they were only marginally helpful. The one time, I think I mostly did it just so that I could say later "I tried the text line."