Telephone counselling and support service, Connect, is to extend its hours during Christmas to open every evening from tomorrow until Sunday, January 3.
Connect is a free, confidential and professional telephone-based counselling and support service for adults who were abused in childhood and will open from 6-10pm each evening.
People can call Connect for free at 1800 477 477. Callers will get to speak with a trained counsellor who can listen and provide professional counselling and support.
“Christmas is a particularly sensitive period in terms of public need for the service. We want to ensure that we are there for people if they need our support,” Service Director Marie Percival, said.
Connect’s normal opening hours, returning in January, are 6-10pm Wednesday to Sunday.
Connect was established in 2006 following demands from groups representing survivors of institutional abuse that an independent and professional out of hours telephone-based service be established. It is funded by the HSE.
More information is available at www.connectcounselling.ie