# Any sites for free psychological counseling? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 2, 2013, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-sites-for-free-psychological-counseling/645866 "2013-01-02T19:31:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![emoticorpse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/22d042/32.png) [@emoticorpse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emoticorpse)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-sites-for-free-psychological-counseling/645866/1 "2013-01-02T19:31:03Z")
If someone were having mental issues and were seriously contemplating something like suicide or killing someone would they have any place to turn if they really simply wanted someone to talk to? ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-sites-for-free-psychological-counseling/645866/2 "2013-01-02T20:11:40Z")
I’d caution anyone already “on edge” about soliciting help from the troll-infested internets. There’s [suicide hotlines](http://suicidehotlines.com/national.html) that are readily found that you can either use with a phone or online chat. Dunno about “murder hotlines” though. In any event, the level of help you’ll get will likely be proportional to what you pay for it. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-sites-for-free-psychological-counseling/645866/3 "2013-01-02T23:01:08Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > I’d caution anyone already “on edge” about soliciting help from the troll-infested internets. > > There’s [suicide hotlines](http://suicidehotlines.com/national.html) that are readily found that you can either use with a phone or online chat. Dunno about “murder hotlines” though. In any event, the level of help you’ll get will likely be proportional to what you pay for it. I know people who have worked at suicide hotlines and I have a pretty high opinion of their capabilities overall. They have stories about staying with people for hours until the immediate crisis was resolved, and stories about repeat callers. However, a hotline is not the place for deep or ongoing therapy; suggestions about local mental health resources are part of the standard advice. (We might compare the hotline to an ER - you’re getting competent treatment, but the focus is different than a scheduled appointment with a doctor.) ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-sites-for-free-psychological-counseling/645866/4 "2013-01-02T23:06:26Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > I know people who have worked at suicide hotlines and I have a pretty high opinion of their capabilities overall. Thanks for the clarification. I was clumsy about making the distinction between bandaiding the immediate concern v. longer term solutions. ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-sites-for-free-psychological-counseling/645866/5 "2013-01-02T23:30:02Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > There’s [suicide hotlines](http://suicidehotlines.com/national.html) that are readily found that you can either use with a phone or online chat. Dunno about “murder hotlines” though. In any event, the level of help you’ll get will likely be proportional to what you pay for it. Just ring a suicide hotline, that’s what I did when I was getting unhealthily obsessed with blowing up my university(I had a bad reaction to my prescribed meds, that’s why I am 100% drug free now). They won’t hang up on someone who needs help. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-sites-for-free-psychological-counseling/645866/6 "2013-01-03T00:19:30Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > I’d caution anyone already “on edge” about soliciting help from the troll-infested internets. > > There’s [suicide hotlines](http://suicidehotlines.com/national.html) that are readily found that you can either use with a phone or online chat. Dunno about “murder hotlines” though. In any event, the level of help you’ll get will likely be proportional to what you pay for it. Thanks for the perfect site recommendation. And I didn’t kill _anybody_ in your immediate family.