Disruptive, difficult, frustrating, and concerning individuals make them difficult to assess, treat, or interview. However, learning to understand the meaning, sensibility, and motivation for their behavior helps navigate these challenges to support a person experiencing a personal crisis. Doing so may aid us in moving past the aversive reactions and countertransference to see the person for more than just their behavior; a key to crisis intervention, threat assessment and management, and violence prevention.This presentation will offer insight and strategies for engaging and managing the most perplexing and defiant personality types, brought to life through cases managed by both presenters. The information is presented in a manner appealing to attendees from all disciplines and backgrounds, avoiding a clinically dense discussion to offer a universal approach to effectively responding to disruptive and difficult people. Primary takeaways will be an enhanced ability to successfully interact with challenging persons, avoiding response to satisfy our own needs in uncomfortable circumstances, and recognizing personal biases that impede the ability to recognize that a person is not solely defined by their behavior.