[LINK] Aussie 'Video Lifelines'

[Stephen Loosley]

At 07:06 AM 26/03/2007, Roger writes:

> the counsellee is at least hesitant to expose themselves,
> and may be very nervous about it. If that's the case, a text
> only or voice-only contact can be much more attractive. 

Fair enough, and relevant if a Lifeline-video-only solution were
being suggested. However, re this current Link discussion ..:-)

> My words "counselling services would need to be text-only, or
> voice-only"  over-state what I meant to say.

Fair enough Roger. What's impressive is Mike Shearer's response:

> did 10 years as a Lifeline voice-only telephone counsellor and trainer,
> and was also on the suicide call-out team ... 

Very well done, Mike. One should expect most people would understand
the absolute, intense 100% concentration required of any counsellor when
in session. Effectively done it's by far the most exhausting work imaginable
in my opinion. Ten years, plus your normal job, is incredibly impressive Mike.

> can't generalise about voice-only or voice+vision where suicide is concerned. 

Yes, but a necessary option soon, imho, with Karl's point naturally quite correct.

(Btw, having said suicide counselling is one of the hardest activities one can
undertake, being currently knee-deep in trying to configure this notebook to be
multi-homing, that is, able to use two ISP feeds at once, personally I would add
computers to that. Since XP, the best Microsoft can offer is regedit hacks which
allow one ISP, or the other, but not two ISPs simultaneously. Ahh well, we'll see).

Cheers, people
Stephen Loosley
Victoria, Australia
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