Hey! I’m not a counselor.

Many people are reluctant to get involved in offering help, even though their instinct is to help. Why? Mostly because when they see the word “helping,” they think of professional or para-professional helping.

They say it themselves, “Hey, I’m not a helper.” But “helper” is a role while “helping” is an activity. The Helping Conversation takes a good look at the common doubts people have about being helpers. For instance, someone might say, “I’m not the type who could write an advice column. I don’t have a drawerful of instant wisdom to offer.” Actually, that’s good. Helping is not advice giving. It’s about encouraging the person you’re helping to reach their own wise decisions. It’s not about giving ready-made advice or coming up with the “right” answer.

People come up with many excuses as to why they can’t help others (or even themselves). The Helping Conversation identifies the faulty reasons behind these excuses.