Heed Listener Guidelines

Welcome to Heed! We’re thrilled to have you join our community as a compassionate and supportive listener. Heed connects individuals seeking support (Clients) with caring listeners like you. By following these detailed guidelines, you’ll ensure a positive and safe experience for both yourself and our clients, while adhering to legal and ethical standards.

Your Role as a Listener:

Active Listening:

Focus: Give your undivided attention to the client. Avoid distractions like multitasking, checking your phone, or interrupting.

Example: When a client begins sharing, put your phone away and maintain eye contact (if using video chat).

Body Language: Maintain eye contact (if using video chat) and open body language to convey attentiveness and interest.

Example: Avoid crossing your arms or fidgeting, and lean in slightly to show you’re engaged.

Mirroring and Summarizing: Briefly rephrase and reflect back what you hear from the client to ensure understanding. This shows you’re listening and encourages them to elaborate.

Example: Client: “I feel so overwhelmed and stressed.” Listener: “It sounds like you’re dealing with a lot of stress right now. Can you tell me more about what’s causing you to feel overwhelmed?”

Open-Ended Questions: Ask open-ended questions that encourage the client to share their experiences and feelings in detail. Avoid leading questions that suggest answers.

Example: Instead of asking “Do you think you might be feeling anxious?”, ask “What emotions are you experiencing right now?”

Empathy and Support:

Validate: Acknowledge and validate the client’s feelings without judgment. Use phrases like “I understand that this must be difficult for you” or “It’s okay to feel this way.”

Example: Client: “I feel like such a failure.” Listener: “I understand that you’re feeling discouraged right now. It’s okay to feel this way, and I’m here to listen.”

Empathize: Show your understanding and connection with their emotions without sharing your own personal experiences.

Example: “It sounds like you’re feeling frustrated and hurt by this situation.” (Avoid saying “I know exactly how you feel.”)

Positive Reinforcement: Acknowledge and highlight the client’s strengths and coping mechanisms while they navigate their challenges.

Example: “I admire your courage for talking about this, and it’s great that you’re trying mindfulness exercises to manage your stress.”

Boundaries:

Stay Present: Focus on being fully present in the moment during your interactions with clients. Avoid providing personal advice, opinions, or beliefs beyond offering emotional support.

Example: If a client asks for advice on their personal relationship, acknowledge their request while explaining that you cannot offer advice but are there to listen and offer support.

Don’t Offer Solutions: You are not there to solve the client’s problems. Focus on listening and providing space for them to explore their own solutions.

Example: Avoid saying things like “If I were in your shoes, I would…”

Self-Awareness: Be mindful of your own emotional state and limitations. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed or unable to provide effective support, excuse yourself and politely refer the client to Heed’s support team for additional resources.

Example: “I appreciate you sharing this with me, but I feel it might be helpful to connect you with someone who can provide more specialized support. Would you be comfortable if I connect you with the Heed support team?”

Confidentiality:

Strict Secrecy: All information shared by clients, including usernames, personal details, and chat transcripts, is strictly confidential. Never share any client information outside of Heed, even with family, friends, or on social media.

Example: If a friend asks you about a client you’ve interacted with, politely decline to share any information and explain that client confidentiality is paramount.

Professionalism:

Respectful Communication: Use respectful and professional language throughout your interactions with clients and the Heed community. Avoid slang, jargon, or discriminatory language.

Example: Address clients by their preferred name (if provided) and use respectful language throughout the conversation.

Professional Appearance: If using video chat, dress professionally and maintain a clean and organized background to create a positive first impression.

Example: Avoid wearing casual clothing with logos or slogans, and ensure your background is free from clutter or distractions.

Timeliness and Availability:

Mark Yourself Online: Only mark yourself as online on the Heed platform when you can dedicate your full attention and support to clients. This means having sufficient time, a clear and calm environment, good internet connection and the emotional capacity to effectively listen and engage.

Offline Mode: If you know you will be unavailable for an extended period due to personal commitments, meetings, or feeling overwhelmed, switch your status to offline to avoid client frustration and ensure efficient resource allocation within the Heed community.

Additional Tips:

Regular Breaks: Schedule regular breaks throughout your day to maintain your focus and emotional well-being.
Self-Care: Prioritize self-care practices like getting enough sleep, engaging in activities you enjoy, and seeking support for yourself when needed.
Continuous Learning: Continuously seek opportunities to learn and improve your listening skills, knowledge of mental health awareness, and understanding of ethical boundaries.

By adhering to these additional guidelines, you can ensure your presence on the Heed platform translates to meaningful support for clients while maintaining a healthy and balanced approach to your involvement.

Respectful Endings:

If you need to end a session early due to an unexpected personal emergency or important commitment, prioritize informing the client in a respectful and sensitive manner.

“I truly appreciate you sharing your experience with me today. It’s been valuable to hear your perspective. Unfortunately, a personal emergency has come up that requires my immediate attention. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Do you mind if we end our session today and pick up where we left off in our next scheduled session?”

Here are some additional tips for ending the session respectfully:

Acknowledge the client’s feelings: Show them that you understand and value the time they spent sharing with you.
Offer alternative options: If possible, suggest a time to continue the conversation in the near future.
Provide resources: If the client needs additional support before your next session, offer to connect them with Heed’s support team or provide resources they can access independently.
End on a positive note: Thank the client for their openness and trust, and reiterate your commitment to supporting them.

By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your sessions with clients end in a professional and respectful manner, even if you need to conclude them early due to unforeseen circumstances.

DETAILED EXAMPLE ON PROVIDING EMOTIONAL SUPPORT:

Imagine Sarah, a client, connects with you on Heed. She shares feeling overwhelmed and discouraged due to a recent setback at work. Here’s an example of how you can offer clear emotional support without providing advice or solutions:

Active Listening:

You: “Thank you for sharing that with me, Sarah. It sounds like you’re going through a tough time right now.” (Acknowledge the situation)

You: “Can you tell me more about what happened at work that’s making you feel overwhelmed?” (Encourage elaboration without leading questions)

Empathy and Validation:

You: “It’s understandable to feel discouraged after facing a setback. These situations can be frustrating and demotivating.” (Validate her feelings)

You: “I’m here to listen and support you as you explore your thoughts and feelings about this.” (Offer emotional support)

Open-Ended Questions and Statements:

You: “What emotions are you experiencing most strongly right now?” (Encourage sharing feelings)

You: “Is there anything specific about the situation that feels particularly challenging?” (Help her identify specific concerns)

Avoidance of Advice or Solutions:

Instead of: “Don’t worry, things will work out in the end.” (Unrealistic and dismissive of her feelings)
Instead of: “You should definitely try talking to your manager about this.” (Provides unsolicited advice)
Instead of: “Here’s what I would do in this situation…” (Focuses on your experience, not hers)

Ending the Interaction:

You: “Thank you for sharing all of this with me today, Sarah. It seems like you’ve made significant progress in exploring your thoughts and feelings. Would you like to continue exploring this further in our next session, or would you prefer to end here for now?”

Remember:

Your primary role is to listen actively, empathize, and validate Sarah’s feelings without judgment.
By creating a safe and supportive space, you empower her to explore her own thoughts, feelings, and potential solutions.
Your supportive presence can be incredibly valuable, even without providing direct advice or solutions.