Credit goddess for terrible situation (6)
I believe the answer is:
crisis
'terrible situation' is the definition.
'credit goddess' is the wordplay.
'credit' becomes 'cr'.
'goddess' becomes 'isis' (I've seen this before).
'cr'+'isis'='CRISIS'
'for' is the link.
(Other definitions for crisis that I've seen before include "Crucial stage in a series of events" , "Climax point in, say, a fever" , "Crucial or decisive moment" , "Serious or crucial situation" , "Time of intense difficulty or danger" .)