“…Since 1960, telephone counselling services (also known as hotlines) have developed in many parts of the world (Coman, Burrows & Evans, 2001; Gould & Kramer, 2001; Slaikey, Tulkin, & Speer, 1975; Stein & Lambert, 1984). Today, telephone hotlines are considered an important resource for people in crisis despite the fact that counselling is often provided by lay counsellors with little, if any, training in crisis intervention (Daigle & Mishara, 1995).…”