I am a listener who was banned for not giving advice! Short version of the story ... I'd been with cups for 5 years and done all the training there and got lots of nice reviews. Chatting there has changed, however, with our clientele being more disturbed and more in need of psychiatric support than just a chat with untrained listener. Cups is always telling us how helpful it is to listeners who want to learn more, so I contacted a mentor to discuss the different members with more difficult issues. I was not given any guidance, but instead ended (naively) up in a mock chat to see how I was doing with empathy. The chat was about bullying by a boss at work. The mentor seemed to think that I, as a listener, should be suggesting the pretend member should talk to someone, and also suggesting / advising who this might be! In my country (the UK) that would be giving employment advice without training, and the only people you should talk to are HR (if it wouldn't make the situation worse) or a Union rep if it was that serious. I said this to the mentor, but they didn't hear me, and told me to then carry on treating it as a bullying at work situation. That is still needing proper employment advice and support, and I pointed that out as well. A couple of days later I found I was banned for thee months -- something to do with not interacting with a mentor, and my side of the story was not listened to when I sent in a request to be heard. Considering 7 Cups is a worldwide listening service, this worryingly all feels like promoting bad practice. There are lovely listeners who work very hard as volunteers, but if you have a serious issue (beyond a bit of self-esteem awareness or breaking up with your bf) you should try a service nearer to home where there is proper, professional training given. ChatGPT might work as well; it is very empathetic, and can give you ideas of places to look for help too.
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7 Cups offers a free and anonymous way to connect with trained listeners anytime, anywhere. Feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or just need someone to talk to? 7 Cups provides a safe, confidential, and easily accessible space to share what's on your mind. It's a great resource for everyday struggles and a helpful first step for anyone exploring mental wellness. The 24/7 availability and mobile-friendly platform make it easy to get support when you need it most.See more
