Crisis Text Line

Crisis Counselor

July 2018 • Spokane, WA

What I liked

I currently am volunteering for the ongoing position of Crisis Counselor for the Crisis Text Line, which is a very innovate program, which is very well organized and the supervisors are incredibly supportive. I enjoy volunteering in this way because I am innately service oriented, and I get a great deal of life satisfaction when I can be of service to people in this way.

What I wish was different

I wish that I had more time to volunteer and take conversations. And of course, I wish that the world didn't need the Crisis Text Line, aside from that Utopian thought, I have had a great experience with the training, the volunteering, and everything. I can't think of anything that I would really like to be different.

Advice

I would recommend that everyone with a service orientation consider volunteering specifically with the CTL, because it is very versatile with hours, and you can do it from anywhere that you have an internet connection, a computer, and two hour blocks of privacy. The training really prepares you, and I feel like a better person for doing. I would go a bit further with the same train of thought and also say that I have learned the value of volunteering from my experience, and I honestly feel that everyone should try contributing to the well-being of the world by volunteering. It is really personally rewarding as well.

3 ${count} people found this helpful

Crisis Counselor

April 2018 • Tampa, FL

What I liked

Getting the chance to help others in need. I love the fact that I get hands on experience, this has been an opportunity to get a feel of the field I will be going into.

What I wish was different

I wish I had more time to be more consistent with the amount of hours I am able to take on the platform.

Advice

It seems scary at first to get online and start talking to people who are in crisis, people who you don't know. In some cases these are people who are hanging on a thread in need of your compassionate response. But the crisis team will have your back during every shift. You're not alone and the work you'll be doing here will make a difference.

3 ${count} people found this helpful

Counselor

May - August 2018 • New York City, NY

What I liked

The support from other counselors and the helpful advisers.

What I wish was different

Nothing

Advice

It was emotionally intense but worth it when you help people through their crisis.

2 ${count} people found this helpful

Crisis Counselor

June 2018 • Henderson, TX

What I liked

I enjoy being able to help others through their times of need.

What I wish was different

I still have a hard time not becoming to emotional if the person I am speaking with is dealing with things that I have dealt with in the past. Especially because I can not share identifying information or tell them what to do. My job is to help them find a way to help themselves.

Advice

Be prepared for any type of situation. When you are talking with your friends about something they are dealing with it is easy to give them advice that you think would work best for them based off of what you already know about them. The situations you will be dealing with when becoming a crisis counselor vary in each conversation and one piece of advice does not work for the two different people.

6 ${count} people found this helpful

Crisis Counsellor

August 2018 • Boston, MA

What I liked

I love how passionate Crisis text Line is about training their volunteers so that we have all the tools we need to support our texters.

What I wish was different

Advice

If you are passionate about mental health advocacy and have time do devote to learning the training materials, this will be a really rewarding opportunity.

2 ${count} people found this helpful

Crisis Counselor

February 2018 • New York City, NY

What I liked

It has a flexible schedule and you can apply what you learn from training in real life situations or to those close to you.

What I wish was different

Nothing.

Advice

Being open and empathetic for people who text in to help. Also tone prepared for the training and constant learning, multitasking and typing.

1 One person found this helpful

Crisis Counselor

January 2018 • Monroe Township, NJ

What I liked

I like that I work with people in the field that I want to go in to. There are volunteer crisis counselors who are also psychologists and have jobs pertaining to the volunteering that we do.

What I wish was different

Nothing - it's a great company. Everyone is very supportive.

Advice

It can definitely be a hard job because of the types of conversations and topics you are dealing with. It takes a lot of strength and training to be able to deal with such heavy topics and providing people in crisis with support. It's not for everyone.

2 ${count} people found this helpful

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