Torey Saisanid joins Albury-Wodonga Lifeline as volunteer crisis supporter

It was a Lifeline banner strung over Dean Street that first caught the eye of the 34-year-old Thurgoona mother of two.

She had often contemplated how she could "give back to help the next person" after suffering post-natal depression with the birth of her first child, Ari.

And while her background is in banking, Torey says she has a "genuine interest in human behaviour" and "how the mind works".

"I've had personal experience of needing to rely on vital services like Lifeline," she explains.

But that day in Dean Street, "something called to me".

Torey felt compelled to attend a Lifeline Albury-Wodonga information session for volunteer telephone crisis supporters ... and she hasn't looked back.

She embarked on the training program in February 2021, which involved a commitment of four hours a week for three months.

At first, Torey admits, she thought that could be a big ask between the demands of juggling a full-time job, two young children and a loving husband.

Still, she says, something kept calling her to do the training.

"I thought, 'Even if I do this and never get on the phones, I will be a better person'," she reveals.

But once she was cocooned in the supportive arms of the Albury-Wodonga team, Torey knew she was absolutely doing the right thing.

"I could feel the support oozing out of the people involved; I instantly felt supported by people really invested in this training and helping people in crisis," she says.

The training was certainly eye-opening and for Torey it was a journey of self-awareness.

"A lot of training is about self-care; it's not just about getting on the phones," she explains.

"I instantly felt supported; you're never alone and there is always back-up.

"All I felt during those three months (of training) was that I was surrounded by simply incredible humans."

For Torey the training modules clarified triggers she had faced herself and gave her the ability to tackle not only her own thoughts but how to help others through theirs.

"All crisis supporters are human; they have their own life experiences," she says.

"You learn to actively listen - I've found that with help-seekers you can help them identify when those thoughts trickle in ... and you are at the point of what do I do with it," she says.

"The training helped me look in yourself to find the right space and place to actively listen to other people."

Now Torey mans the phones to help others in crisis four hours a week.

"I just know those hours are allocated to Lifeline," she says.

"I make it work around my family and because I work full-time, often those hours are a weekend or late at night."

She's adamant you can learn the skills of active listening to help others in crisis.

"If you have an ear, you can listen and if you can learn to actively listen to someone then you should really consider joining the Lifeline crew," Torey says.

"And at the end of the day, home is a steadier place because of the training delivered by Lifeline."

Lifeline Albury-Wodonga is holding a new round of Volunteer Telephone Crisis Supporter training starting in March 2022.

An information session is being held this Saturday, from 10am until 11.30am to provide prospective volunteers with information about the training involved.

Attendance at the session is a pre-requisite for the next intake of the Lifeline Crisis Supporter Training.