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January- Volunteering with Crisis Textline

 Volunteers Hours Completed in January 2021: 2.5hrs

    During this month I continued my previous work with the Crisis Textline and the texters that I interacted with this month tended to have a similar theme of self-harm. I try to go into these conversations without making any assumptions or judgements towards the texters and their situations.  This month I had to take the time to learn about a particular coping mechanism that a texter was using, which I was less familiar with and they had experienced judgement about from those close to them. In this moment it was not my job to critique or give my opinion to the texter regarding their chosen coping mechanism, which from what I was told was not doing any physical harm to them. Instead, I had to maintain focus on what it was the texter was seeking out help with and to then provide them with the support and resources needed so that they felt like they could move forward in their situation. It is important in moments such as these that we remember that what we may initially perceive as the issue or something worthy of commenting on or projecting our own personal opinions on is not what the focus should be about, but instead it is whatever our texter has sought out help for.  It is not my place to decide what their issues are for them.  This seems to be the most important lesson that I learned from this month's volunteering expereince and one that I believe we should all keep in mind as we go about our lives and jobs, sometimes the skill of being a receptive listener is more valuable than being someone ready at any point to critique or advise another.


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