Youthline
  • Get Help
    • Counselling >
      • Phone Counselling
      • Text Counselling
      • Web Chat Counselling
      • Email Counselling
      • Video Counselling
      • Face to Face Counselling
    • Mentoring >
      • Face to Face Mentoring
      • Young Parent Payment
      • Youth Payment
      • N.E.E.T
      • Online, Text & Phone Mentoring
    • Employment
    • Parents and Whānau
    • Community Organisations
    • Schools
    • NZ Family Service Directory
  • Learn & Grow
    • Volunteer >
      • Volunteer Auckland
      • Volunteer Palmerston North
      • Volunteer Wellington
      • Volunteer Christchurch
      • Volunteer Dunedin
      • Volunteer Southland
      • Volunteer Nelson Tasman
      • Volunteer Malborough
    • Good2Great
    • Programmes
    • Training
    • Info and Resources >
      • Best Practice
      • Info for Media and Students
      • Research & Policy Development
    • Action Education
  • Contribute
    • Donate
    • Volunteer
    • Fundraise
    • Events
    • Partnerships
    • Youthline Store
  • Advice Hub
    • Stories
    • Body >
      • Body Image
      • Sex
      • Abuse
      • Growth & Puberty
      • Drugs
      • Alcohol
    • Social >
      • Conflict
      • Relationships
      • Friendships
      • Peer Pressure
      • Bullying
      • Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity
    • Mind >
      • Self-Confidence
      • Suicide
      • Grief & Loss
      • Identity
      • Anger
      • Depression
      • Anxiety & Panicking
      • Self-Harm
      • Stress
    • Beyond School >
      • Goal Setting & Decision Making
      • Employment
      • Student Life
      • Independence
      • Managing Money
      • Our Society
      • Legal Help
  • About Us
    • Our Centres
    • Work With Us
    • ASB Partnership
Free call 0800 376 633 | Free text 234 | Webchat
Need Help?

Stories

Linda Vernon

6/19/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Youthline volunteer Linda Vernon knows how it feels to be unhappy.
“In my late teens and early 20s I had a really difficult time with my mental health, and struggled with depression and anxiety. Through my recovery I had this idea of giving service to my community - that it would be beneficial for me and my wellbeing. And I liked the idea of counselling and helping people.”

​But although Linda knew Youthline was there, she had never used the helpline herself.


“I think because of the kind of space I was in, I felt like no one would understand me. I was scared to reach out, like a lot of young people - because they don’t know what to expect or they think they’re going to be told what to do or told that they’re crazy. 

​I wish that I had known how client centred Youthline is. We don’t tell people who contact us what to do or how to live their lives or how they should feel, we’re actually there for them.”


​Linda has been a volunteer since 2011 as a Helpline Counsellor, Governance Board Member, Personal Development Facilitator and for the last two years has been Clinical Liaison for Youthline Wellington.

She says its important, especially for young people, that their mental health is normalised.

“It’s ok to not be ok. It doesn’t mean you’re crazy or there’s anything wrong with you. This is what I always aim to get across. When young people call in and want things to be fixed, sometimes it’s more about getting them to accept how they’re feeling. If you’re not in a good space and fretting about it, it’s going to make it worse.”

Outside Youthline, Linda facilitates rehabilitation programmes. She is also studying part-time for a post-graduate psychology degree. She says Youthline has helped shape her career.

​“It’s helped me so, so much. One of the biggest things I’ve learned is how to be reflective, also the giving and receiving of feedback. In my professional life, those things are so important and I’m so thankful to have had such a solid grounding.”

​​If you'd like to volunteer with us, click here to get started!

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    May 2020
    October 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    October 2017

    Categories

    All
    Anxiety
    Bullying
    Data
    Girl Power
    IBM
    OECD
    Outcomes
    Pressure
    School
    Self Acceptance
    Self-acceptance
    Social Enterprise
    Stephen Bell
    Stress
    Students
    Studying
    Youth Health
    Youthline Wellington

    RSS Feed

About Youthline

About us
​​Our centres
Career opportunities
​Media enquiries
Partnerships
​Privacy Policy
Picture

Contact us

Free call 0800 376 633
Free text 234
talk@youthline.co.nz
Webchat

Complaints Procedure

Subscribe to our newsletter

* indicates required
© COPYRIGHT 2017. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Get Help
    • Counselling >
      • Phone Counselling
      • Text Counselling
      • Web Chat Counselling
      • Email Counselling
      • Video Counselling
      • Face to Face Counselling
    • Mentoring >
      • Face to Face Mentoring
      • Young Parent Payment
      • Youth Payment
      • N.E.E.T
      • Online, Text & Phone Mentoring
    • Employment
    • Parents and Whānau
    • Community Organisations
    • Schools
    • NZ Family Service Directory
  • Learn & Grow
    • Volunteer >
      • Volunteer Auckland
      • Volunteer Palmerston North
      • Volunteer Wellington
      • Volunteer Christchurch
      • Volunteer Dunedin
      • Volunteer Southland
      • Volunteer Nelson Tasman
      • Volunteer Malborough
    • Good2Great
    • Programmes
    • Training
    • Info and Resources >
      • Best Practice
      • Info for Media and Students
      • Research & Policy Development
    • Action Education
  • Contribute
    • Donate
    • Volunteer
    • Fundraise
    • Events
    • Partnerships
    • Youthline Store
  • Advice Hub
    • Stories
    • Body >
      • Body Image
      • Sex
      • Abuse
      • Growth & Puberty
      • Drugs
      • Alcohol
    • Social >
      • Conflict
      • Relationships
      • Friendships
      • Peer Pressure
      • Bullying
      • Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity
    • Mind >
      • Self-Confidence
      • Suicide
      • Grief & Loss
      • Identity
      • Anger
      • Depression
      • Anxiety & Panicking
      • Self-Harm
      • Stress
    • Beyond School >
      • Goal Setting & Decision Making
      • Employment
      • Student Life
      • Independence
      • Managing Money
      • Our Society
      • Legal Help
  • About Us
    • Our Centres
    • Work With Us
    • ASB Partnership