Paige Gersten is a freelance writer based in Georgia.
She wants to because of her medical background. Day about one in four American adults are living with a diagnosable mental disorder.
They are missing out an opportunity that could potentially make them feel a whole lot better, and it’s free Whether it’s they think that nobody cares what they have to say,, or individuals are discouraged from calling as they think weird, they are embarrassed of their issue.
To further complicate matters many of us are aware that there is a large sector of the population that does not have a diagnosable mental disorder but still needs some lots of us are aware that there is an option that most Americans won’t be able to take advantage of, while there’s certainly nobody solution to address these concerns.
No issue is when you take the first step and call, extremely well trained counselors are there to listen with an empathetic ear and unconditional positive regard.
We will be honest, we could all use a little therapy. Talking just makes you feel better, and talking about yourself to a rapt audience, well who could ask for more? Ok, and now one of the most important parts. While calls are kept confidential and anonymous I know it’s always possible that the person you call for to better educate as they have had a time in their own life when they needed may be determined if this new volunteer is ready to answer phones on their own.
Volunteers at my hotline are interviewed and hereupon accepted depending on different criteria including their ability to be ‘non judgmental’, their empathy skills, and their passion for helping others. Usually, a rigorous training weekend ensues followed by a semester of weekly on the job teaching. Trainees receive practice calls from counselors and any call is consequently scrutinized and strategic listening and counseling skills are discussed. Loads of info can be found by going online. My phone hotline has many different listening and helping strategies its volunteers employ, and is prepared to deal with a myriad of potential problems.
Counselors listen to a client, repeat back to them their thoughts, paraphrase their stories and try to focus in on specific feeling words.
Volunteers never give advice, say in my opinion or you must.
While allowing the caller to choose for him or herself what actually is best, in this portion of the call the counselor suggests resources and courses of action to address the real problem discussed, and asks the caller if they will feel comfortable trying that option. Generally, mostly look, there’s a basic flow to a call that includes active listening, empowerments and options. Consequently, the conversation may turn to options, I’d say if the counselor feels it’s appropriate on the basis of the rapport between themselves and the caller. Then, counselors also empower callers by determining what the caller deems positive behavior or thoughts and highlighting the good things that are coming from these behaviors or thoughts. We practice Rogerian ‘clientcentered’ therapy which means we do our best to let the callers talk about their issue and come to their own conclusions about their feelings and potential courses of action. We are not licensed psychologists or medical doctors, simply people who need to listen and being that we look for to listen and since we are not intending to judge you, That’s a fact, it’s not a singular remedy. Use of phone hotlines is intended for anyone, however if you are looking for a long period solution to a mental illness or chronic problem so it is not the correct venue. If talking to a hotline counselor sounds like it should be right for you taking the first step to call is often the hardest part, make sure you do not be discouraged. Then, you can easily search the internet for a hotline that is near you and specific to your needs.