Providing Emotional Support

July 9, 2005 -- Another place where I volunteered is San Francisco's HIV / AIDS/ HepC Nightline, a department of San Francisco Suicide Prevention. It is a telephone-based emotional support service.

Training to become qualified to deliver this service is a couple of months of weekly evening classes. The work itself is surprisingly challenging but uniquely rewarding and I learned a lot.

An essential skill is listening without attempting to problem-solve. Your job is simply to listen. Often that's the best therapy in the moment. People who are struggling need an ear that hears them. It's something that's in surprisingly short supply. And there was lots more. Here are my notes and observations.