Well, I'm sitting here wondering how to tell you ... [pause]
...I'm sorry, but I can't do online counselling with you.
I feel bad that you may have been hopeful about getting help this way. But, you know, the fact that you've come this far shows me you're on the right track -- There's obviously a part of you that wants something better.
Why I'm not able to offer you online counselling...
Mostly it's because it's so new... We're just not sure what age a young person should be before online counselling will be helpful. So I'm playing it safe: I certainly don't want to waste your time, emotional stress, and money. We need to wait for some research. Then we will be able to make better decisions about when to help young people using online counselling.
So now what?
Don't give up! There are other ways to get the help you need! Really!
Here are some ideas:
* If you are in England one of the best ideas is to call ChildLine which is available all day and night to help you with any problems. Phone 0800 1111
* If you're in Canada, one of the best ideas is to call the Kids' Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868.
* Talk to an adult you can trust. Ask him or her to help you find a counsellor. You might even want to print out a copy of our suggestions on how to find a good face-to-face counsellor.
* Make an appointment to talk to your school counsellor.
