"There has to be something between therapy and a helpline."

Isioma

Thank you. Okay, so it was based on my experience working on helplines. I saw how people would reach out and want to talk with someone who they felt safe with - something like a safe haven.

But then, in talking with them, I realised that there was something unfair about the fact that they would call back and not get the same person.

And a few times, I was able to speak with the same person. Let's say I spoke with them on Wednesday and then spoke with them again on Friday. I realised that there was this feeling of connection, this continuity, that made them feel a little safer. And, you know, it just felt like building a rapport.

When it comes to anything pertaining to mental health, there has to be the same thing, where you are building a rapport with the people you are supporting.

And, you know, when you call - and this is not to put helplines down - when you're speaking with helplines, there's something impersonal about it. Like, "Okay, just get off the call," you know?

Isioma

Exactly, thank you.

And based on that, I realised, "You know what? There has to be something between speaking with a therapist, getting institutional help, and reaching out to helplines, community centres, family and friends, and all that."

And Callin. Here we are.

Isioma

Hmm. Thank you for that question.

Because at first, I didn't know how to articulate non-clinical mental-health support. It felt weird in my head. It was really strange in my own head.

And then I realised that, no, this is something that is a bonus. It's a blessing, because I can see that there is a structural gap in society and I'm filling it, you know?

So it's more or less like seeing myself as a trendsetter, you know - blazing the trail.

Isioma

Yeah, blazing the trail. Trailing the blaze. (Laughs) Realising that someone has to do this.

And there is this thing about me. Let's say I desire something and it doesn't exist - I have to create it. I just have to create it.

And that's the way I navigate, you know, even the art that I make. So, if the song doesn't exist, then I'm going to write it. If the story doesn't exist, I'm going to write it.

And that was the fuel, the push, that brought about Callin.

Human beings just categorise things into binaries, but the universe doesn't really work with binaries.

And, you know, back in sociology, we talked about the third space. This has been something that has existed even before the age of social media and all that.

And after COVID, it became really glaring that there needs to be a space like this - the way COVID changed the world. So the world is more digital and global and all that.

So, yeah, it makes sense that Callin should exist. Services like Callin should exist.

And in explaining it, you know, sometimes it gets weird in my head. But, yeah - the show must go on.

Isioma

Non-clinical mental-health support.

We're here to provide emotional support to people who do not desire therapy but feel that they need a space to talk about what is going on in their head.

Isioma

When you think about it clearly, they're all connected because every facet of our lives is connected.

So - and I do say - anyone with emotions, anyone with feelings, can call in to Callin.

If you have feelings - every emotion that you need to talk about - instead of keeping them to yourself, come and talk with someone who knows how to listen. Do you have feelings? Yes? Okay, we're here. Come and experience the relief of offloading all that stress you've been carrying all by yourself. Callin exists for you. The same way a tree stands to give shade and fruits. It stands for other creatures, not just for itself.

Isioma

Thank you for pointing that out. Callin is more than just, "Oh, I have a passion for talking with people, healing and all that." You also have to understand the business side of it.

Anything I'm interested in, I find myself understanding the business of it. And it's not because I am greedy and rapacious. It's more or less like there's this form of structure that comes along with it, you know? That is what makes it different from being a hobby. Understanding the business side of mental health support is the reason I'm extra intentional about compliance, recruitment, and all the un-fun paper work. While supporting are valued clients, we also make sure that they are well cared for. Mental health support is a big deal. Callin is serious.

And, inasmuch as the business model is, "Let's make getting emotional support affordable. Let's make it accessible," at the end of the day, I think it's just something that everyone needs.

If you can maintain your car, you can maintain your body by going to gyms. What do you do with your mental health? You don't have to wait until a crisis before you get support.

So, you could be having a hard day. You could want to punch a hole through the wall, and you call in. Instead of going to box - or instead of working out - you just call in, you know, and talk to us.

And you'll be surprised by the things that you have been holding on to.

And sometimes - even when I was working on helplines, sometimes a person would be speaking with me and then they would break down. And one of the reasons I feel that they break down is - you know when you find yourself in that space where you can crumble?

Isioma

There's something therapeutic about it. And so, crying is a form of release. It's a form of relief.

Yeah. So the person is not crying because - well, most of the time, they are not crying because, "Oh, they are feeling sad." Crying is that release, you know? That's the physical equivalent of the mental thing that they are doing: releasing.

Isioma

The key differentiator is the fact that we genuinely care about our clients. That's number one.

And because we are client-centred, it affects all the other decisions that we make in terms of affordability, accessibility, the level of support, and making support personalised for whoever is reaching out to us.

And it's purpose-driven, too. I mean, this is not just a hustle. It's purpose-driven.

And the fact that I've been on the side of someone who needed someone to speak with - and when I saw the cost of therapy, I almost got into therapy.

So, what makes Callin stand out is the fact that, genuinely, we do care.

I've happened to be hands-on with the recruitment, and I am very intentional. And I'm a very intuitive person. So I'm very intentional about who is on the other side - who our listener is.

Listening is not just something you're doing because, "Oh, I need money." You're doing it because you genuinely love it.

And, well, the pay is good because, I mean, it's a lot. You know, it's mentally draining. It's mentally tasking.

The care that we give is the reason we have the policies we have pertaining to safeguarding, signposting, active listening - which is very important - psychological first aid, and emotional support.

And personally, because I love quality, what I did at first was go further and come up with courses. Actual courses to train people who come on to listen.

You should be able by now to tell that this is not just a joke to me. This is not a hobby to me. It's something like, "Okay, this is what I came to do in this lifetime."

So, the continuity - being able to return to the same listener every time. The fact that this person you're speaking with cares about you. That, and the affordability, the fact that it's accessible, and that it centres the client.

And, you know, we also align ourselves with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Because, at the end of the day, we are all working together to create a better world.

And most importantly, we understand that the client has different facets of their life. This is also relevant when we talk about the coaching aspect of Callin and the student-support aspect of Callin.

We move beyond coaching because we understand that if your love life is a mess, or your career - or what you're doing at school - you might not really be able to concentrate on what you're doing.