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To Sam

How to help my friend from America

Hi, I have a friend from America who have been having issues with their home life, is there any possibility she would be able to use the website to help her, could she even use the 1-2-1 counsellor, I've been trying my best to help her but I am not the greatest at this kind of thing, but I want to help out more, I have seen about childline like organisations in America but there have been things that she doesn't want to try again, I've showed her about Childline and she seems to think it is cool, she doesn't want to go to the measure of contacting people, but I want to make sure that if she does need it she doesn't have trouble trying to get it sorted, I want it to be ready for her or anything to be ready for her, Childline seems to be the best for this, and even if only something like 1-2-1 is the only thing she can use, it'll be something for her to use if needed, I want it to be ready. However if this isn't possible or there might be something better, is there anything I could do, something you could tell me that I can do that can help her, I want to be better to help her and give better advice as I can only really give the generic type of advice.

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Sam

Hi there,

To talk to a Childline counsellor you must live in the UK because different countries have different laws and cultures. There are organisations in other countries that are like Childline and can be found on Child Helpline International.

Knowing the right things to say when helping someone can be hard. Sometimes people just need someone to listen to them and know they care. Young people anywhere in the world deserve support. It’s about understanding them and their needs and taking it one step at a time.

Some people may not be ready to talk about what they’re going through to anyone else. Others may find help through talking to a trusted adult like a teacher or trying a support organisation.

These are all options that can be shared with your friend when they feel ready to reach out. Everyone is different so you could ask them what they find helpful. Sometimes just being a part of their life that isn’t difficult or worrying can really help.

In the meantime, it’s important you also take care of yourself and reach out for support when you need it. It can take a lot out of you when you’re worried and helping others. It's a good idea to make sure you also have someone you can talk to.

If you want to talk to Childline more about this, you can talk to a counsellor online or on the phone. You can also speak to other young people on the Childline message boards.

Take care,

Sam

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