Peer Counselling Community

Example: Phone Buddies

URL = http://www.phone-buddies.com/

"Phone Buddies is a peer-to-peer emotional support community. It is a gift economy in which women exchange their loving attention and guidance with one another for mutual benefit. Phone Buddies isn't therapy and it isn't crisis line support either. It's women just like you who are looking for confidential support from others, who enjoy offering help as well, and who want something more than what a message board or chat room environment can provide.

Phone Buddies are there for each other in a way that sometimes friends can't be. Each Phone Buddy trades focused, time-limited support sessions with her Buddies. Each Buddy knows she will always find an open heart and mind at the other end of the phone and that the person she is talking to wants to talk to her exclusively about what is going on in her life. After all, she's someone who also reaches out when she needs guidance or support.

Buddies trade half hour sessions using any of 6 different peer counseling techniques, guidelines for which are taught within the community. These are: Compassionate Listening, Spiritual/Psychic Guidance, Goal Achievement Coaching, Emotional Clearing, Cognitive Inquiry, and Everyday Girl-talk.

Session trading isn't back-and-forth, but more circular. For example, person A gives a session to person B, then person B gives a session to person C, who gives one to person A. This further increases the level of confidentiality within the system. " (http://www.phone-buddies.com/moreinfo.html)