Trained Samaritans Listener!
 

Just want to share my excitement.
I've gotten through the training and Samaritans have decided to take me on as a Listener, hurrah!
My first shift is in 3 hours, 2.30-6.30, so i'm excited for that :D

WOO!
I think it's going to be hard, but really satisfying.

Anyone else worked for Samaritans?

I've not done it and not sure I could to be honest!

Congratulations though! That's a wonderful thing to sign up for and I really hope it all goes well for you. :)

Wow, how exciting - Well done! I agree it will be very satisfying, I've been trained as an active listener before (not for the Samaritans) but it feels really good to know that you've helped someone in some of their lowest moments. Good luck for your first shift, let us know how it goes! :)

That sounds very exciting! Well done and good luck with it! I hope it goes well for you :).

I've just applied to samaritans to be a listener. Really want to give something back to the service. What was the training like?

likewise I am interested to know what the training is like.

I would like to do something along these lines, in a similar way to a poster above "wanting to give something back".

Thats amazing!! well done for getting through and i hope your shift goes well :)

exciting! Have fun.

Thankyou all! My shift went well, i just observed today, but got to listen in on some real calls which was interesting :)

lie-low and Tessar, the training's definitely eye opening. It's tough at times, especially in skills practise (you sit in a room with several people and pretend to answer the phone like you would as a Samaritan). Also, you have to be prepared to get sexual calls, because they happen quite a lot! Just on my shift alone today, we had 3!
You definitely need to be in control of your emotions too, and be strong willed or you'll get drawn into calls and it's upsetting at the best of times when you receive active suicide calls.
But everyone's really lovely, really supportive of each other and it's an experience and a half! :)

Congratulations! I'm glad to hear your first shift went well, that's awesome :)

Glad you enjoyed your first shift. Sounds an amazing experience. Really hope I get to volunteer.

Congratulations!! :)

I'm so glad to hear your first shift went well!

See, sitting in a room full of several people pretending to answer the phone would stress me out a lot!

Thankyou guys!

Yeah at first you're really conscious of everyone listening in. But by the 3rd and 4th roleplays, i just blocked everyone out :)

Would definitely recommend volunteering to anyone who feels emotionally secure enough to do so, it's tough and takes it out of you but rewarding and interesting!

wooo, well done :)

That's great, congratulation! :)

Congrats, glad your first shift went well :)

I'd love to be a Sam as I loved Nightline so much (helpline my university ran) - I got really involved and ended up training 50+ person intakes of new Nightliners :)unfortunately full time shift work means I would never be able to commit to the training. Well done x

Well done I'm so pleased your first shift went well! :)

Congratulations on your work :)