Listening Service

A dull but dry day.

I spent this morning seeing clients for the Listening Service in a GP Surgery. This has been set up by the Chaplaincy Service within the NHS in Dundee. We deal with people's inner worries and fears. We give them 55 minutes of time to talk about whatever they want to talk about.

Usually they very openly talk about things they have never spoken to anyone else about. Often people feel depressed but cannot understand why. By the time they have told their story my main response is 'it would be a surprise if you weren't depressed '. We call this 'normalising their feelings'.

It is not a counselling service as such but we do offer insights into how to cope with their feelings. We also seek to help them see the inherent strengths they have, which often is a revelation to hurting people.

The beauty of the Service is that we can see people within a week as opposed to the months it might take to access other services. Presently I provide this Service on one morning and one afternoon in different Surgeries. It is a stretch for me, but for those who know me well, I am slowly having the strength to cope.