Helpline 02 616 2626
Mental Health Centre 02 647 67 80
Mental Health Centre

HELPLINE

Often people call the Helpline because they feel overwhelmed or anxious.  They are exhausted from trying to cope with their personal difficulties, sometimes with no one else to turn to. It can take courage to reach out for help. It can also be a first step on the path of rediscovering the light of hope at the end of the tunnel.

People call for all sorts of reasons – some may be experiencing a major crisis, or just need a chat because they feel lonely. 

WHATEVER THE REASON, IF YOU NEED TO TALK, WE ARE HERE TO LISTEN.

+32 (0)2 616 2626

HELPLINE CALLER TESTIMONIES

Thank you for your time. I just want you to know that you saved a life tonight.
I used the Helpline and they really helped me to get through a very dark time.
Thank you for being here. I felt completely lost when I called, but you’ve been so kind and patient. It really feels like you care. I’m feeling a little lighter, and that means everything.
I don’t know what I would have done without you tonight. You listened when I needed it most. Thank you.
It wasn’t easy to reach out, but I’m so glad I did. The support you’ve given me has helped me see a way forward. Thank you for being there.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I called, but this was exactly what I needed—someone to talk to without judgment. You’ve really helped me process my thoughts and find the strength to take the next step.
I just want to say that it really helped to be able to talk things through. I see much more clearly now.
Thank you for listening. I normally find it hard to open up about my feelings, but with this Helpline being anonymous, it makes it easier for me to open up.
I was really glad to speak with someone so kind and helpful. The service is anonymous, she clearly explained my options, and what to expect. It made me feel supported -- thank you.
Elizabeth

HELPLINE FAQ

The Helpline is an English-language support Helpline for all ages. Even if you are under 18, you can call us. Everything you say will be treated in the strictest confidence. We are here for you.

Whatever you are going through, we are here to listen.

  • We are trained to listen to you, and not to judge, label or diagnose you.
  • We are here to help you explore whatever is going on in your life, in a safe environment.  You only have to tell us what you feel comfortable to share.   
  • We will focus on your thoughts and feelings, and may ask questions to help you explore these.

You do not have to be in a crisis to call us.  It’s enough if you just feel that you need someone to talk to.

We understand that it can take courage to call the Helpline and speak to a stranger.   When you call, you don’t need to know what to say.

  • If you are anxious about starting the conversation, feel free to express that or just to say “I don’t know where to start”.  

  • Our trained volunteers are patient and will try to put you at your ease.  They will wait until you feel ready to talk. They may ask you a question to start the conversation if you don’t know where to start.

We are here to listen to you, whatever you are going through. No issue is too big or too small.  Our volunteers understand that life throws up different challenges and that at times we may struggle to cope. 
  • Some callers just need a chat because they are feeling lonely.  
  • Others may be going through a crisis or feeling suicidal.  If you are feeling suicidal please see the next question. 
  • Some examples of issues that often come up are: Abuse | Addiction | Anxiety | Bullying | Feeling Overwhelmed | Grief |  Hopelessness | Burn out | Depression | Loneliness | Stress | Relationship difficulties
Our volunteers are trained to talk with you about your suicidal thoughts and to explore your feelings.  They are not afraid to deal with difficult issues.  They will respect you in the way that you feel and the decisions that you take.  But we do hope that by calling the Helpline you may discover that you have other options for getting through this difficult time. As well as calling the Helpline, do consider other people that you can turn to for help.  These may include:
  • Your doctor/general practitioner or a mental health professional
  • Family or friends
  • If you are a student, your school/college/university will have counsellors available that you can turn to
  • Yes.  For example, if you are new to Belgium or perhaps visiting for a short stay and you run into difficulties, we may be able to guide you as to what to do or who to contact.  We have a number of resources we can consult. 
  • If you are not sure, do give us a call and we will do our best to provide you with appropriate information.  If we are unable to help, we will try to put you in touch with someone else that can. 
  • One of our listening volunteers will answer your call in English saying something like, ‘Hello, the CHS Helpline’.
  • If all our volunteers are busy on calls or otherwise unavailable, you will hear a recorded message asking you to call back later. You will not be able to leave a message.   Please do call back.
  • Our Helpline is for English-speakers only.  
  • You do not need to be fluent in English to call us.  
  • Our trained volunteers are used to speaking with callers for whom English is not their first language.   
  • We are unable to provide our services in French or Dutch but there are other 24/7 Helpline’s available in these languages such as:

Télé-Accueil French-speaking Tel: 107

Prevention Suicide French-speaking Tel: 0800 32123

Zelfmoordlijn Dutch-speaking Tel: 1813

Tele-Onthaal Dutch-speaking Tel: 106

  • The Helpline is anonymous and everything you say will be treated in the strictest confidence.
  • We never ask for personal information. You do not have to tell us your name if you do not want to.
  • You choose exactly how much or how little information you wish to disclose about yourself.
It can happen that while you are speaking to a volunteer the connection may go dead.  Sometimes this is due to a network issue or technical problem.
  • Please know that our volunteers will not hang up on you in the middle of a call. 
  • In exceptional circumstances, for example if a caller is abusive, they will end a call. In such cases, you will be given plenty of warning in advance.  
  • If you have not received such a warning and the call goes dead unexpectedly, do not expect the Helpline volunteer to call you back.  Your call is anonymous.
  •  If you wish to continue the conversation, please call the Helpline again. 
  • If you are concerned about somebody else, you are welcome to call the Helpline to discuss the circumstances.  We may be able to point you towards some useful resources available in Belgium that can address the situation.  
  • However, in order to respect the confidentiality and anonymity of our Helpline, please understand that our volunteers cannot intervene on your or anyone else’s behalf.
You are very welcome to call as many times as you need to, but please note that you may not always speak to the same volunteer. To protect caller identity, the Helpline operates anonymously and there is no pattern to staffing.
For callers from Belgian numbers, CHS does not charge for the duration of your call to the Helpline, but you may incur a small connection fee which would depend on your provider/telephone contract.
Please note that if you are abusive towards our listening volunteers or are otherwise abusing the Helpline, we may use our system to block or limit your calls.

CHS never shares data, except in an exceptional emergency situation. Some personal data is used to detect and prevent malicious calls to the Helpline. Call data without personal information is used for statistics and research. This data cannot be linked to you personally.

In principle, CHS never calls the emergency services. Anyone who can call us is usually also able to call a doctor or the emergency services themselves. In case of danger, it is best to call 112.

Should you wish to make a complaint about the organisation and/or service provided on the Helpline, you may email us at office@chsbelgium.org, and your complaint will be dealt with promptly. For more details see our page on Feedback.

You will find a lot of information on this website. For additional questions, you can email the organisation’s office or call +32 (0)2 647 67 80 Mon–Fri between 10 a.m.and 2 p.m.

The Helpline is always looking for English-speaking volunteers living in Belgium to join our team.  CHS offers training to all new volunteers as well as supervision and ongoing support once you start taking calls.  If you are looking for a way of making a real difference in people’s lives, as well as joining a team of caring individuals, do get in touch to find out more. Click here for more info on volunteering with CHS

“It is good to know that I can be, in a way, a shoulder to cry on for some people who are lonely, isolated or overburdened with life in general. The fact that I am helping a fellow human being at a vulnerable moment is very rewarding. I feel like I am passing on the support that I got in my life, in difficult moments, from kind people.”  – Helpline volunteer.