Ask Sam letter

Hi there,

Everyone who works at Childline is here because they want to help and support young people. Sometimes it's tempting to think about problems in terms of how "bad" or how "big" they are, but that isn't always useful to do. We all deal with things in different ways and so a small problem for one person is big for someone else. Childline counsellors understand this. What's important is how your problems are affecting you specifically.

When you talk to a Childline counsellor - whether that's through 1-2-1 chat, email or on the phone -they're there to listen and try to understand what's going on with you. Part of that understanding is talking about how that problem fits in with the rest of your life. There’s more to you than your problems, so counsellors want to understand you as a whole person. No person is small or unimportant, so every time someone talks to us it's important.

We’re a safe place for you to talk. Counsellors won’t judge or blame you. They write some notes about what you tell them to help understand what you’re going through and to help give you the right support if you contact them again. But these notes stay safe at Childline. Childline can keep most things confidential and our confidentiality promise says what we will keep between you and us.

I hope that's helped you to understand why it's okay to talk to Childline about anything at all. No matter what is going on for you, we are here to support you.

Thanks for writing to me, take care.

Sam