The Life Line 03-5774-0992
The Life Line responds to more than 6,000 calls a year. People of all ages and backgrounds call the line, and our trained counselors are ready to listen—whatever the problem.
Without an English Child Line in Japan, we’ve been training our counselors to respond to young people too, and we go out to the International Schools and Japanese schools with a lot of returnees to let students know that the Life Line is a safe and anonymous place they can call.
Questions.....
What can you call about
Welcome to TELL-TEENSPACE , we are Japan's only English speaking free, private and confidential, telephone service for young people. Need to talk? TELL Life Line counselors are available 7 days a week between 9am – 11pm. Nothing is too big or too small to call us about, and we will always listen and try to understand.
If you need to talk to someone now, the fastest way is to call the Life Line phone number 03 5774 0992 and speak with a counselor.
You can talk about anything when you call the Life Line.
Maybe something has happened at home or school and you're not quite sure what to do about it. You might be feeling sad, angry, scared or lonely, or just need to talk to someone who understands. Or you might have a question that you'd like answered.
Read some real-life stories about young people who have called TELL Life Line.
Our counselors are trained to help with anything. Young people often call about:
- Friends
- Boyfriends or girlfriends
- Problems with parents or siblings
- School (bullying, homework, teachers, exams)
- Sex
- Anything!
If you need to talk to someone now, call us on 03 5774 0992 between 9am – 11 pm, 7 days a week.
What will happen if you call
Deciding to talk to someone about your life is a big step! Sometimes young people feel a bit nervous when they call the Life Line for the first time. When you call our Life Line, you will talk directly with one of our counselors who are all trained to work with young people and any issues they may be facing.
We can support you by:
- Listening to and understanding things from your point of view
- Talking with you about what has been happening and how you think or feel about it
- Helping you to figure out some ideas of how you might be able to handle things
- Providing you with information and support to find other services that can help
The below info might be useful when you make that first call.
What will happen if you call
What to expect
You'll talk directly with a counselor when you call the Life Line. Each time you call:
- the counselor will ask you what you would like to talk about and ask you some questions to help understand what's going on for you
- You don't have to say your name and what you talk about is just between you and your counselor.
- You can talk to us for as long as you like. Some calls only last a few minutes and others can last up to an hour.
If you need to talk to someone now, call us on, 03 5774 0992 between 9am – 11 pm, 7 days a week.
Helping a Friend
When a friend is in trouble, we want to help. Often we don't need to be a counselor or a specialist to provide support to those around us. We can lend an ear, show concern, and let them know we care. Just giving some time to those in trouble, without being judgmental, can make a huge difference.
Here's a good tip on providing support to friends. We often have our own opinion about a lot of things, and when talking to friends, we love to jump in and share our thoughts. When someone has a real problem though, something they have been worrying about for a long time, instead of jumping in with our opinions or advice, just hand back for a second. Giving someone a chance to be heard, to get it all out, to be really listened to, is a great first step to providing real support.
In many cases, just being there for a friend is enough. But what if the problem is bigger, something you feel really out of your depth to help with? It's tempting to just look the other way, but help is out there--support is available, and getting a friend in need in contact with organizations that can help, is another great way to help a friend. Read on....
Who else can help?
There are lots of services around that can help you if you're going through a tough time, or need some information or advice. TELL's Life Line is a good place to start. You can talk to a counselor right away, and we have great resources to put you in contact with people that can help--whatever the problem: Call: 03-5774-0992
Not in Japan? Look for lifeline's in your country here.
If you don't feel comfortable calling the line yet, browse through our online directory, Wiki-TELL, to see what kinds of English-speaking support groups and services are out there. Just click here.
Remember - you're not alone and help is always out there.
What if?.......I want to call the Life Line, but...
You can talk to the counselors about anything that's on your mind. It might be helpful to think about the main things that are concerning you. Then, you can talk to the counselor about the issue that feels most important to you.
What if I don't want to tell the counselor my name?
That's OK - you don't have to tell them. After talking to the counselor for a while, you may feel more comfortable and wish to let them know your name then. It is your choice whether you share your name or not.
Remember, the Life Line is a confidential service. This means that even if we know your name, we still won't tell anyone else that you called, or what you spoke about.
What if I don't want my parents or anyone else to know I have called?
Nobody has to know that you called - it is your choice to tell them. We won't tell anyone you called because the Life Line is a confidential service.
What if I need help now and can't get through to a counselor?
If you are in any danger, or are having a medical emergency, call 119. If you can call from a fixed line not your mobile and stay on the line, they can trace the call and come to you, even if you cannot speak Japanese. If it's not an emergency, then please be patient. We receive a lot of calls so it may take some time before we are able to answer your call. If you wait on the line, your call will definitely be answered. If the wait is taking too long and you need help immediately, you may need to think about who else can help you, perhaps you have a friend, your parents, neighbor, teacher or another adult?
I'm worried that the counselor won't understand my problem
Counselors are there to try and understand your problem, from your perspective. This is why we ask questions around what has been happening, your thoughts and feelings. We also realize that it can be difficult to talk and it may take a long time for you to explain everything that has been going on. There is no rush; it is all up to you and what you feel comfortable talking about. Counseling is about working together in a way that suits you.