Lifeline Shanghai's counseling supervisor Trine Pless-Rasmussen is from Germany and is in Shanghai getting her Master's degree in counseling. We chat with her about lending an ear to expats in need.

What is Lifeline? It’s an international nonprofit hotline that exists in 22 countries and has been here for six years. The focus is to offer free, anonymous and confidential support. In Shanghai, we’re open every day from 10am to 10pm and are here for immediate contact when someone needs to talk (i.e. loneliness) and in emergency situations (i.e. suicide) and to offer information on hospitals, lawyers, etc.

How long have you been working with them? I started as a volunteer at LLS in September 2008, four weeks after I arrived in Shanghai, and I’ve been the counseling supervisor for the last year. What are some of the challenges expats face here? Alienation: Shanghai is so different from the home countries people come from. Stress: most working expats struggle to find an ideal life-work-balance. Loneliness: loved ones have been left behind in the home country, and it can take some time to find people to connect with.

Who can help? LLS volunteers come from multiple cultural and professional backgrounds and go through intensive training. We have information on topics like substance abuse, lists of psychologists and so forth, and we organize monthly seminars on different topics (crisis intervention, TCM, etc.). What’s the most fulfilling part of your work? At the LLS office I talk people through immediate critical situations and suggest treatment, whether it’s just having a chat with another human being, or any other topic. That one call can make such a difference to a person makes every hour in the LLS office worth it.

Need someone to talk to? You can reach LLS at 6279-8990 or volunteer@lifelineshanghai.com.