More
about Befriending
Befriending takes place when a suicidal person interacts with a volunteer - through
visits, telephone or letters. During befriending, callers get a chance to
ventilate their feelings to the volunteer who will give them undivided
attention. The caller can contact the centre freely, they are not required
to give volunteers either contributions or gratitude.
The
aim of befriending is to support callers as they face their
difficulties and to share their pain by demonstrating acceptance, empathy
and care.
The
essential nature of befriending is love - in its simplest and purest
form. It is this love that heals and restores to callers their dignity,
confidence and self-esteem. A volunteer responds to a
suicidal person as a friend, on an equal level, with unconditional,
uncritical acceptance and respect.
Befriending
does not limit callers' freedom. Callers are offered simple emotional support and remain free to make their own
decisions, reject help, break contact and even move on with their
decisions about ending life.
Befriending
is not forced. Volunteers do not intrude on the person who have sought
Centre's help. A person who contacted once is not sought after.
What
Befriending is not: Befriending is not counselling, neither is it a substitute for medical
treatment or specialised help.
Privacy Statement
Maithri Kochi insists that those who
are intending to use its befriending service need not reveal
their
personal data, such as name, address, phone number etc: so that
they can remain anonymous. Maithri
Kochi does not demand any such information for providing its
befriending service effectively. The
befriending service offered inside the Maithri Kochi centre is
totally free and any contributions or
gratitude in kind will not be accepted. Whatever communications
made by a person during the
befriending service to the volunteer in the centre will be kept
confidential. Persons who are seeking its befriending service,
are offered simple emotional support with unconditional,
uncritical acceptance and respect. They remain free to make
their own decisions, reject help or break contact.
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