The WICE Blog is presenting this guest
post to spread awareness of this important service to expats in France.
By
Rachel Mead*
I
first contacted SOS Help – an English-language listening line based in Paris –
to find out about its volunteering opportunities just one year ago, but I feel
it has permanently and positively changed my ideas about listening.
Callers
When
I started the training, I expected that most of the people calling up would be
in crisis and acutely distressed. What I quickly learned was that while the
callers are generally experiencing some form of emotional strain, their reason
for calling and their way of speaking about it varies hugely.
People
call about wide-ranging issues such as loneliness, financial difficulties,
unemployment, difficulties integrating into French life, physical and mental
health concerns, bereavement and relationship difficulties. While it’s true
that the callers are sometimes distraught, even suicidal, they can also simply
want to let off some steam or even treat their particular situation with wry
humor.
The
helpline really is for anyone experiencing any kind of difficult life
experience.
Listeners
SOS
Help is neither a religious nor a political organisation and the other
listeners I have met are from a range of nationalities, ages and backgrounds.
Twice
a year, SOS Help holds recruitment information sessions at The American Church
in Paris for people who live in the Paris region and can commit to at least 15
months with the organisation. They also need to be able to commit to three
shifts and one ongoing training meeting per month.
The next sessions will be held on:
Tuesday,
September 29
Thursday, October 8
Wednesday, October 14
For
people who want to get involved but can’t commit to that length or amount of
time, the organisation also recruits supporters to set up fundraising events,
help with publicity or in the general running of the organisation.
Before
training begins, every listener goes through two interviews: one with an
experienced listener and the other with a professional psychologist to gauge
their suitability for this kind of role.
Listener
Training
The
listener training involves one full-day Saturday session and four evening
sessions with a professional therapist as well as several shifts alongside
experienced listeners. During this time, listeners are trained to provide
empathetic, non-judgmental and confidential listening to anyone in emotional
distress.
One
aspect that the training emphasizes is the importance of anonymity and
confidentiality. Listeners don’t discuss
calls outside of the listening team or have access to the telephone number of any
caller. We also don’t talk about ourselves or our opinions, even if the caller
requests us to. The call is firmly focused on the callers themselves.
The
area I found especially interesting was the discussions on the skill of
supporting without intervention: volunteers are there to listen rather than to
counsel or give personal opinions. It made me think about my own reactions when
my family and friends would start telling me about something they were
struggling with. I realised that at times I was quick to leap in with
reassurance, solutions, or questions that moved the conversation away from the
feelings the person wanted to express.
What
the training reveals is how useful it can be to simply act as a sounding board.
While the organisation is called SOS Help, it’s more about listening to callers
so they can help themselves; when callers are given a space to safely explore
their feelings, they can often work through any emotional blocks and find their
own solutions. Sometimes it can be surprising to see how you can say very
little during a call and at the end the caller will tell you how much better
they feel.
From
my point of view, although I still sometimes pick up on my own bad listening
habits in everyday life, it has definitely made me appreciate listening in a
new light.
SOS
Help
SOS
Help can be reached on 01 46 21 46 46
The
listening line is staffed from 3 to 11pm daily.
Volunteering
Find
further information on volunteering at SOS Help: Volunteer
Find
out about the next recruitment session at
SOS Help: Events
*Name
changed to protect anonymity