Applications for the current course have closed. The next course starts August 2010

The Telephone Counselling Training Course

Telephone counsellor training runs twice a year, and covers a variety of communication and counselling skills, with both theoretical and experiential components.

The 14 module counselling course is run on Tuesday nights from 7pm - 10pm. There is a weekend workshop on Applied Suicide Interention Skills Training (ASIST), and a full day training workshop on Domestic Violence and Sexual assault which are compulsory and you will need to be able to attend on these dates in order to complete the course.

After completion of the training, there is a minimum shift requirement of 4 hours per fortnight as well as during the year 4 x (8 hour) overnight shifts. The overnight shift goes from 10pm to 6am. This can also be broken up into 8 x (4 hour) overnight shifts.

There is also a minimum commitment of at least 1-2 years to the counselling.

Trainee counsellor eligibility criteria

• a desire to learn
• an ability to display empathy
• a willingness to respond in an accepting and non-judgmental manner
• a willingness to adhere to Lifeline's Code of Ethics
• minimum age of 21 years

Once on the phones, volunteers support callers with a wide variety of issues, including:

 • Loneliness
 • Relationships
 • Domestic violence
 • Abuse
 • Gambling
 • Drugs and alcohol
 • Mental health
 • Suicide

If you care about people, want to help & are willing to listen - email Carolyn in July for an application and information pack for our course commencing in August.

Find out more

Lifeline Harbour-to-Hawkesbury has around 160 active volunteer telephone counsellors who answer the 13 11 14 Crisis Counselling line, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Our Centre answers more than 22,000 calls each year and with your help we could answer even more.