Counseling Call Etiquette

Attending Helpline Calls

A Mental Health Helpline is a phone service that provides immediate support, guidance and
information to individuals experiencing mental health challenges or crisis.
These helplines have the following features:

 Confidentiality: Helplines prioritize the confidentiality and privacy of the callers. This is
a necessary condition for gaining the trust of the caller.
 Immediate Assistance: Mental health helplines are designed to offer
immediate support to individuals.
 Emotional Support: The helpline staff members are trained to provide emotional
support and empathetic listening.
 Information & Resources: Mental health helplines provide information about
mental health conditions, treatment options and available resources.
 Crisis Intervention: Many mental health helplines offer crisis intervention sources.
Trained professionals can provide immediate support and help individuals manage
mental health emergencies, including situations involving suicidal thoughts.

DO’S

 Listen Actively: Give your full attention to the caller, allowing them to express their
feelings and thoughts without interruption.
 Practice Empathy: Show understanding and compassion towards the caller’s emotions
and experiences.
 Maintain Confidentiality: Assure callers that their information will be kept
confidential, adhering to ethical and legal guidelines.
 Remain Non-Judgmental: Avoid making judgements or expressing personal opinions
about the caller’s situations or beliefs.
 Be Patient: Allow the caller to share at their own pace, even if they seem hesitant
or take time to articulate their feelings.
 Respect Boundaries: If the caller is not comfortable discussing certain topics,
avoid pushing them to share more than they are willing to.
 Encourage Self-Care: If appropriate, suggest self-care practices that may help
the caller cope with their emotions.

DON’T’S

 Don’t offer personal advice: Avoid giving personal advice or imposing your opinions
on the caller.
 Don’t be Dismissive: Never belittle or trivialize the caller’s emotions or experiences,
no matter how insignificant they may seem.
 Don’t share personal information: Refrain from sharing your own personal
experiences or divulging any identifying information about yourself.
  Don’t rush the conversation: Allow the caller to take their time to express themselves
fully.
 Don’t Diagnose: As a helpline counselor, you are not qualified to diagnose mental
health conditions. Leave that to licensed professionals.
 Don’t promise outcomes: Avoid making promises about resolving the caller’s issues or
guarantying specific results from counseling.
 Don’t get emotionally involved: Maintaining a professional distance to avoid
becoming emotionally entangled with the caller’s situation.
 Don’t interrupt the caller: Allow them to finish their thoughts before responding.
 Don’t engage in debates: Avoid arguing or engaging in debates over sensitive
topics with the caller.
 Don’t ignore signs of distress: If the caller expresses intentions of self-harm or harm
to others, take their concerns seriously and follow appropriate protocols to ensure
their safety and the safety of those around them.

SEXUALITY
Sexuality refers to a person’s sexual orientation, attractions, and preferences. It is a complex
aspect of human identity that encompasses a range of experiences and feelings related to
sexual and romantic desires. Here are some key points to consider:
 Sexual Orientation: Sexual orientation refers to an individual’s enduring pattern of
emotional, romantic, and sexual attractions to men, women, both genders and
neither gender.
 Fluidity: Sexual orientation can be fluid and may evolve or change over time for
some individuals.
 Diversity: Human sexuality is diverse, and there is a broad spectrum of sexual
orientations and preferences. It is important to recognize and respect the wide
range of expressions and experiences within the realm of sexuality.
 Coming Out: process through which individuals disclose their sexual orientations to
others. This can be a significant and personal journey for each person and may involve
varying levels of acceptance and support from family, friends, and society.

GENDER IDENTITY
Gender identity refers to a person’s deeply held sense of their own gender, whether it aligns
with the sex they were assigned at birth or not. Gender identity is an internal experience and
may not necessarily be visible or conform to traditional societal expectations of gender roles.
Here are some key points to understand about gender identity:

1. Gender identity vs Biological Sex: Biological sex is based on physical characteristics

such as reproductive organs and chromosomes, and it is usually categorized by male
or female. In contrast, gender identity is a psychological and emotional concept that
can be diverse and compass a range of identities.
 2. Gender Identity Development: Gender identity typically begins to form in early
childhood and most people have gender identity that aligns with their assigned sex
at birth.
3. Transgender Identity: Transgender individuals identify as a gender different from the
one they were assigned at birth.
For example, a person assigned male at birth may identify as male or female and live
as a woman. It is crucial to respect and acknowledge a person’s self-identified gender
as it is an essential aspect of their identity.
4. Non-Binary and Genderqueer Identities: Some individuals identify as non-binary or
genderqueer, which means they don’t exclusively identify as male or female.
Instead, they may see their gender as a combination of both, as neither or as
something entirely outside the binary concept.
5. Gender Expression: Gender identity and gender expression are related but distinct
concept. Gender expression refers to the way individuals present themselves to
the world through behavior, clothing, hairstyles, and other external factors.
6. Pronouns: It is essential to respect peoples gender identities and use the appropriate
pronouns they prefer (e.g., he/him, she/her, they/the

THE LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY

The acronym LGBTQIA stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (or
sometimes Questioning), Intersex, and Asexual. This acronym is used to represent a diverse
and inclusive group of sexual orientations and gender identities. Each letter in the acronym
represents a distinct group within the LGBTQIA community:

1. L - Lesbian: Refers to women who are emotionally, romantically, or sexually attracted

to other women.
2. G - Gay: Originally used to refer to men who are emotionally, romantically, or sexually
attracted to other men, but it can be inclusive of all individuals with same-sex
attractions.
3. B - Bisexual: Describes individuals who are emotionally, romantically, or sexually
attracted to both men and women or to more than one gender.
4. T - Transgender: Represents individuals whose gender identity differs from the sex
they were assigned at birth. Transgender people may identify as male, female, non-
binary, or another gender.
5. Q - Queer (or Questioning): "Queer" is an umbrella term that encompasses various
sexual orientations and gender identities outside of heteronormativity. It can include
individuals who don't identify with traditional gender and sexual categories.
"Questioning" refers to individuals who are exploring their sexual orientation or
gender identity.
6. I - Intersex: Intersex people are born with sex characteristics (such as chromosomes,
hormones, or reproductive organs) that don't fit typical definitions of male or female.
Intersex is a biological variation and is not the same as sexual orientation or gender
identity.
7. A - Asexual: Refers to individuals who experience little or no sexual attraction to
others. Asexuality is a valid sexual orientation, and asexual individuals may still have
romantic or emotional attractions.
STDs:
 STDs are infections that can be transmitted through sexual contact, especially vaginal,
anal, and oral sex. Some STDs can be transmitted through non-sexual contacts as well
such as by using unsterilized drug needles, it can be hereditary- passed down by
mother, it can be contacted through breastfeeding and blood transfusion.
 STDs can be quite fatal for children. Doctors suggest mothers to get tested even
in the absence of symptoms.
 STDs can cause infertility in all the sexes.
 STDs have a high chance of being passed on to the other person because they initially
do not cause any symptoms.
 They are caused by viruses, bacteria, and protozoa or yeast.

MOST COMMON STDs:

 Chlamydia - Curable
 Gonorrhea – Curable
 Syphilis – Curable
 Chancroid – Curable
 Urea plasma Infection – Curable

PARASITIC STDs:
 Pubic lice or crabs - Curable
 Trichomoniasis – Curable
 Scabies – Curable

VIRAL STDs
 Human Papilloma Virus or HPV - Incurable
 Genital herpes - Incurable
 HIV/AIDS - Incurable
 Hepatitis – Incurable (Hepatitis B)
 Molluscumcontagiosum – Curable

COMMON SYMPTOMS OF STDs:

 Painful or discomfort during sex
 Unusual and odd smelling vaginal discharge
 Fever
 Lower abdominal pain
 Penile discharge
 Sores, bumps, or rashes on or around the penis or testicles, thighs, vagina, anus, or
mouth
 Painful testicles
 Itchiness in or around the vagina
MEDICATION:
 STDs cannot be treated based solely on symptoms, if a doctor thinks that you
might have contracted an STI, they will ask you to get a blood test, or a urine test
done.
 The treatment for STDs depends upon what kind of STDs you have contracted.
 Bacterial STDs are easier to treat than viral STDs. Viral STDs can be managed and
controlled from becoming worse, but they cannot be cured.
 Antibiotics can cure bacterial and parasitic STDs.
 Antivirals can be used to keep infections in check and to reduce the chances of
transmission.

STDs PREVENTION:
 By abstaining from sexual acts, which for sure no one will do.
 Vaccinations.
 By not making hasty decisions under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.
 By using protection while having an intercourse. If you are giving or receiving oral
sex, you should wear a condom to prevent the transmission of any kind of
infection.
 However, it is important to note that wearing condoms does not mean 100%
safety. The best preventive method is limiting your sexual contact with one
single person.