You can talk to Childline about anything you want, big or small.

Counsellors can’t always talk for as long when it’s late at night. It can help to think about one thing you’d most like to get from your chat tonight, remember that you can come back tomorrow or during the day to talk more any time.

When there’s a lot on your mind, it can help to think about what you’d like to say first or what’s most important.

It might help to try writing down anything you want the counsellor to know, or questions you want to ask.

It’s always okay to tell us if you don’t know what to say or where to start.

If you have any additional needs or a disability that makes it harder to talk to us, it can help to share that as well.

Remember, you can ask the counsellor about anything you’re not sure about.

Childline is a safe space for you. The counsellors won’t be shocked or judge you for what you tell us. You can say how you really feel here.

Childline is confidential as well, you can find out more about our confidentiality promise here.

Turn off any videos you’re watching and try to avoid talking to other people while you’re on the chat to us unless it helps you to cope.

Focusing on just the chat can help you to get the most out of your time with us.

The counsellors are all real people, so sometimes a counsellor might take a few minutes to reply while they think about what you’ve said.

It can also take time for things to feel differently or to think about what’s best for you. If you’re feeling frustrated or you’re struggling to cope while you’re talking, it can help to let the counsellor know.

You can talk to Childline as many times as you need to, but we recommend that it’s best to wait a day before having another 1-2-1 chat unless it’s an emergency.

This is to help give you time to think about what you’ve said or to try anything you’ve agreed with the counsellor.

You’ll probably talk to a different counsellor from last time, but they’ll be able to see any notes the last counsellors have made.

It might help to think about what you’ve spoken to us about before, what’s changed since then and what you’d most like to get from this 1-2-1 chat.

Cut off last time?

We’re sorry if you were cut off during your last 1-2-1 chat. You probably won’t be able to get through to the same person as before, but we’ll still do our best to support you.

If you had nearly finished with your last counsellor, you might be asked how you’re feeling now, and be asked to take some time away to think about what you’ve said before instead of having to start over.