"Giving warmth, respect, acceptance, unconditional positive regard and empathy"
Why do I need counselling?
Because its sometimes hard to deal with personal difficulties alone...
Because sometimes we are blinded by our own view of how our life is and will be…
Sometimes we just feel helpless in the face of problems that are overwhelming us…
So, it helps to bring in someone else who has an openness to seeing all of where we are.
What is counselling?
Counselling is creating a space where it is safe for the client to look at their life or situation and to gain some clarification and understanding of where their life is and what path they followed to be there. Once they can experience this, counselling can empower them to find their own way.
Frequently Asked Questions about becoming a counsellor
What kind of counselling does LifeLine follow?
The counselling approach of LifeLine is based on the person-centred approach of Carl Rogers. Research has shown that for counselling to be effective, the counsellor or psychotherapist should display high levels of warmth, respect, acceptance, unconditional positive regard, empathy and congruence (genuineness).
How do I become a counsellor?
The first step is to sign on for the LifeLine volunteer training course, because counsellors are chosen from among those who have completed the three-month course and have been selected as counsellors at the end.
To be accepted on the course, you must be at least 23 years old, you may not have had any recent serious losses, and you must agree to attend all sessions. Your commitment to the course shows you will be committed to counselling. As for the age requirement, LifeLine has found that by the age of 23 most volunteers have completed their education, have had a range of life experiences, know where they're going in life and can join in a group with people of all ages.
The commitment is to answer the phones during a five-hour shift twice a month and an overnight shift every two months, working with at least one other volunteer and often two volunteers.
LifeLine counsellors help the people who phone them to find options. Everyone at some stage faces difficult choices, crises, trauma. LifeLine counsellors offer clarity in what is a chaotic situation in the caller's life. They offer callers the chance to feel heard in a meaningful way, to achieve a sense of release after having spoken to someone who is non-judgemental, accepting and respectful of them as people. And as a result of that connection, callers will feel a sense of personal power and be better able to deal with their problems.
LifeLine's well-known training courses are run twice a year, starting during January / February and August. There are 19 sessions over three months: one morning or one evening a week, plus some full Saturday sessions. The first nine sessions are devoted to personal growth and self-awareness. Trainees are encouraged to learn as much about themselves as they possibly can, because LifeLine believes that in order to enter someone else's world you must first know your own world. The remaining ten sessions focus on counselling skills. Those who wish to put themselves forward for selection as counsellors do so when they have completed the course. An average of 120 men and women sign on for the course in Johannesburg every year.
Who uses LifeLine? LifeLine is used by anyone with access to a telephone. The majority of calls are to do with problems in relationships of all sorts family, friends, children, marital problems, lovers, or work-related hassles :: read more...
Are the calls completely private? Absolutely. LifeLine has been operating in Johannesburg for 30 years and throughout that time the confidentiality of the service has been beyond reproach.
Can I speak to the same person every time? No. Counsellors are all volunteers and they come in usually twice a month for a five-hour period, so they may not be available when the caller wants to phone back. Moreover, LifeLine believes that if a caller can always speak to the same counsellor, a degree of dependency could result which is contrary to LifeLine's philosophy that people can empower themselves.
Can I choose whether to speak to a male or a female counsellor? People sometimes say "I want to talk to a man or to a woman", but LifeLine's counsellors are skilful at starting communication with anyone. If the caller insists, the counsellor can tell the caller what time a male or a female counsellor will be on duty.
What happens if the caller's problem is medical? LifeLine gets a lot of calls via the cellphone companies' emergency numbers. If it's a medical emergency or any problem that is beyond the counsellors' competence the counsellor will refer the caller to an appropriate service. LifeLine counsellors often do referrals.
Do counsellors work only on the telephone? No. Some of our volunteers also do face-to-face counselling. If a caller would like to take their problem further either because it is not convenient for them to speak on the telephone for a long period of time, or perhaps they want to come in with their partner we can arrange to see them for face-to-face counselling free of charge, although donations are accepted. The counselling is short term and limited to 4 sessions, usually of about one hour. If required, they will be appropriately referred.
How many people phone LifeLine? In Johannesburg alone there are anywhere from 1 700 to 2 500 contacts a month largely telephone calls, but also face-to-face, rape and trauma counselling depending on the season.
How often does each person phone? Some callers will call many times during a period of crisis, others may only call once.
