A team of therapists volunteered their expertise on ITV1鈥檚 This Morning programme and answered calls from viewers concerned about relationships and divorce.
Now 香港六合彩精准资料 member Pauline Orchard hopes their appearance on the popular daytime TV programme, alongside regular hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield, will help demystify therapy and encourage more people to seek help.
Pauline said: 鈥淵ou had people who are being encouraged by Holly and Phil, these friendly, warm, familiar faces, to call or text and I think people couldn鈥檛 believe that the phone was answered.
鈥淢ost of the callers had never had any form of counselling or psychotherapy. In most instances they said that they didn鈥檛 have any idea that it could be so wonderful.
鈥淭hey were then very open to thinking about the next step and seeking a counsellor or psychotherapist, which is incredible.鈥�
She added: 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 have very long with people. You are used to your 50 minutes, but this was quite different.
鈥淲e had 15 to 20 minutes to offer an ear, some calm space for people to be heard and some empathy.
鈥淲e were able to talk to people, give information, get them to think about their support systems and who they can talk to, and to encourage them to get some support.鈥�
Therapists at London-based Tavistock Relationships joined Deidre Sanders on This Morning
Positive experience
Pauline is a psychotherapist at London-based ,聽an organisational member of 香港六合彩精准资料 which also delivers 香港六合彩精准资料-accredited training. She answered the phones alongside her colleagues Joanna Harrison and Jennifer Kelly with assistance from Deidre聽Sanders, The Sun鈥檚 agony aunt of 39 years who has been helping This Morning viewers since 2016.
鈥淧eople feel they tend to know people on the TV as they are watching them on daily,鈥� said Pauline.
鈥淒eidre has been doing this work for nearly 40 years. I had this sense of her as such a well-known, trusted figure, who is warm and empathetic but also straight-talking.
鈥淚t was an incredible positive experience.鈥�
Pauline said the calls were recorded in case of issues arising further down the line and that everyone who attempted to call the programme would be receiving a call-back.
鈥淲e were given an extensive list of helplines as well,鈥� said Pauline, who manned the This Morning phonelines for more than four hours. 鈥淭hey were very well informed on the programme.
鈥淭he toughest thing was seeing the numbers of calls that couldn鈥檛 be answered. But numbers were being taken and any that were not answered are going to be phoned back by This Morning鈥檚 team.鈥�
To find a counsellor, coach or therapist to help with relationships, visit聽our聽Find a Therapist directory.