I am a big BIG fan of helplines. The UK has many helplines from services focusing on loneliness for the elderly to anxiety amongst LGBT communities. ChildLine and Samaritans the largest, but there are many.
Our helplines do amazing things, and they are here to stay.
In therapy, it's not uncommon that I suggest clients make use of a helpline, especially when they need someone to talk to (or cry to) over the week when it would be inappropriate to contact me, or when they feel they're in an emotional crisis. I have no problems suggesting helplines (why would I???). Helplines support therapy.
A helpline is not psychotherapy/ psychological counselling! People will get a different service and different experience from a helpline.
So what's the difference?
Different purposes
In psychotherapy, a client and counsellor aim to understand the client better and discover meaning in their experience. Depending on a client's goals and reasons for being in therapy, counselling may aim to develop or overcome the client's present issue. It's a very tailored relationship between therapist and client that work on a particular focus. Psychotherapy is an in-depth look into the client's self with a highly experienced, ethically trained and knowledgeable mental health professional over an organised time period.
In contrast, telephone helplines are designed to offer a conversation (focusing on the caller) or problem solve for a caller in the moment they need it. Call and somebody will answer! "Somebody" being a caring volunteer who may also work as a hairdresser, a teacher or a lollipop man. These helplines may answer questions or signpost the caller onto a relevant service or simply chat. Chat like, "how was your day?" "what is your favourite animal?" "what are your plans for the weekend?" These volunteers are available 27/4 and are trained in conversational skills in-house and are guided to manage high risk situations such as handling thoughts about suicide or self-harm.
Different context
As mentioned above, psychotherapy is an organised process that is measured and tailored by a professional. Appointments are booked in the diary for a session usually lasting 50 minutes to one hour, and, when online, clients tend to be in a safe, private space. Therapists are always in a private, secure place no matter if therapy is online or face to face. Almost always a therapist is aware of certain details about a client, like the client's contact details, home address and GP address. This is for insurance purposes. Often times GPs or an employer (if an employer covers the therapists fee) may be involved too. Psychotherapy is structured and organised.
However, a helpline is totally the opposite. It's anonymous for starts. A caller doesn't need to pass over any details and helpline volunteers are not even aware of the number that the callers calls from. Not only are callers able to ring anytime, they can call from anywhere. From my experience in ChildLine, young people call from the beach, from the playground and from inside MacDonalds. Anywhere. You may wait in a queue and only be able to talk for 20 minutes, but listeners are available anytime and are on the other side of the phone. Helplines are free and unstructured.
Therapy and helpline have different strengths.
Help is available at all time on a helpline. And it's not available 24/7 in therapy. Yet, with psychological counselling/ therapy you are given the stability of on going care from the same individual professional in ways that go far more in depth.
They're different - with different purposes, goals and reasons.
Written by Lily Llewellyn
8th May 2023
Lily is a psychotherapist trained and educated in person-centred counselling to master's level and achieved an MA in anthropology. Her areas of interest include our relationships with ourselves and others as well as the ways in which we relate to objects, such as food and money, and activities, such as shopping and work.
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