LIFE LINE JOHANNESBURG
Training in Sandton

We counsel on the phone or face to face, and we don't charge a cent. Our experienced lay counsellors will help you, whether you're facing HIV/AIDS, depression, rape, suicide, relationship issues and self esteem or you're a survivor of crime. We believe everyone can think and feel better, which will then enable them to live happier, more productive lives. LifeLine Johannesburg provides counselling and connects with people, giving them the tools they need to better handle stress and improve their emotional health. We started out as a telephone counselling service over 40 years ago. But now, we've expanded our service to include face to face sessions and group training interventions that help people deal with issues they face before they become a crisis. LifeLine Johannesburg is part of a family of 17 such centres countrywide, all operating autonomously in response to local need. Our centres in Norwood, Alexandra and Soweto together are staffed by over 275 highly trained volunteer counsellors, peer educators and victim empowerment supporters who give their time to ensure that we meet the ever-increasing demand for our services. LifeLine is rooted in its capacity to encourage and enable volunteers to provide a service of caring and offering support to people in distress. There is a powerful sense of altruism and neighbourly love that permeates the fabric of our organisation. The volunteers, on whom LifeLine's operations depend, offer their services because they want to do what LifeLine has to offer to support their community. It is one of our greatest strengths, and one that we take great care to preserve. Few, if any centres, have the luxury of excess funds and resources. It creates a perpetual sense of fighting for survival in the short term. It requires a focus on the immediate challenges and this has bred a strong capacity to respond and live in ways that are immediately practical rather than merely strategic. This has bred an extraordinary capacity to demonstrate empathy, patience and non judgemental attitudes towards the people who are in need of our services. At LifeLine we truly live our values of tolerance and operating in a non directive and empathetic mode. And it is precisely this conservatism that enables people in distress to trust us and come to us for help when they need it most. Identifying and facilitating the establishment of self-sustaining community development programmes. Actively developing networks and partnerships with other NPOs, business and Government. Promoting emotional intelligence and well-being through personal skills development. Conducting professional training and skills development within the private and public sectors. LifeLine started in 1963 in Australia as an extension of the pastoral work of a Methodist Minister whose vision was that a telephone network will be like a mantle of care covering the whole city. The association was brought to Cape Town, South Africa in 1968 and then developed into a proud network of telephone counselling centres and other services offering support to those experiencing emotional distress. In Southern Africa there are 18 LifeLine centres, along with thirteen outreach centres, co-ordinated nationally to extend help to each other and to the individuals in need throughout the country. Used as a referral by many other community based organisations throughout Southern Africa, LifeLine is actively involved in developing networks and partnerships with other non profit organisations (NPO's) and with business and government.