Tough day at the office? Frustrating commute home? The kids were acting up all day? Feeling lonely? Life’s frustrations have a way of piling up. Sometimes it helps to just talk with someone. But who will listen? One solution that was born during the Covid pandemic was the organization “Mein Ohr für dich—einfach mal reden!” (My ear for you—just talk!) This service has been successfully providing a “listening ear” in the German-speaking parts of Switzerland for several years now, and their services have now been extended to English.

The service was developed by Philippe Goetschel, psychologist and psychotherapist FSP and emergency psychologist SBAP. It offers an anonymous, confidential chat line, completely free of charge, that is managed by trained volunteers. So if you feel the need for a sympathetic listener, you can call their phone line at 0800 500 400 (from age 16). Their service (in German) is available Monday to Friday from 14:00-21:00 and Saturday/Sunday from 17:00-19:00. They now also offer dedicated chat times in English on Mondays and Thursdays from 20:00-21:00.

For more information, see their website at https://www.meinohrfuerdich.ch.

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