Listeners
Sometimes you don’t need answers. You need someone to listen.
Listeners are trained volunteers who offer a compassionate, non-judgmental space to talk. They don’t provide therapy or advice, but they will listen and, where appropriate, help you find other forms of support.
Good to know
- Free
- No appointment needed
- Available during Community Centre hours
- At the Community Centre
What to expect
A conversation, on your terms.
Talking to a Listener is simple: drop by the Community Centre during opening hours and ask. You lead — talk about whatever is on your mind, for as long or as little as you like. There’s nothing to prepare and nothing to prove.
Listeners are not therapists and won’t give advice or a diagnosis. If it would help, they can gently point you towards Peer Support, the Therapy Clinic, or other resources.
A Listener will:
- Listen with care and attention
- Hear you think out loud
- Support you in navigating Agatsu’s resource sheet
- Share info about what’s available at Agatsu
Listeners will not:
- Give advice or offer solutions
- Make formal referrals
- Keep records of what you share
Become a Listener
Listeners are volunteers from the community who complete our training and are supported with ongoing supervision. If offering others a space to be heard sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you.
FAQs
What to know before you train.
- Learning what listening is (and isn’t)
- Boundaries, consent, and confidentiality
- Recognizing distress & knowing when to pause/escalate
- Clear internal protocols for safety situations
- Minimum 6-month commitment
- At least 2 hours per week of volunteering
- Mandatory weekly offloading (support for you)
- At the end of the commitment, volunteers receive a certificate