Questions about how an empathetic listening service actually works in the Swiss context, the difference from therapy and Tel. 143, and whether this is right for you. If your question isn't here, just message me on WhatsApp — I answer personally.
A listening service is a paid, non-clinical offer where a trained listener gives you their full attention for a set amount of time. Unlike therapy, it doesn't diagnose or treat. Unlike coaching, it doesn't push goals or plans. Unlike crisis helplines such as Tel. 143, it is plannable in advance, always the same person, and designed for everyday conversation — not emergencies. listeningservice.ch offers 30-minute English-language sessions for CHF 20 via WhatsApp, phone or video.
Tel. 143 (La Main Tendue / Telefono Amico) is free, 24/7, anonymous, run by trained volunteers, and focused on crisis and low-threshold conversation. It's an incredible resource — please use it in a crisis. listeningservice.ch is different in four concrete ways: (1) you book a specific time in advance instead of waiting in a queue, (2) you always talk to the same person (me, Jabu), (3) English is the primary language, not a possibility, and (4) it's designed for everyday expat conversation rather than acute crisis. The two services complement each other — if the moment is urgent, call 143; if you want a planned, continuing conversation, message me.
No. I am not a psychologist, psychiatrist or psychotherapist, and I'm not registered with the FSP or the Swiss Psychologenberufsregister. I don't diagnose, treat or prescribe. If you need therapy, I'll genuinely encourage you to find a licensed therapist — I can even help you think through how to start that search in Switzerland. listeningservice.ch is for the many moments that don't need therapy but do need a kind, attentive ear.
CHF 20 for a 30-minute session. Flat, one price. No subscriptions, no packages, no 'first session free' funnels. Payment is via Twint after the call.
Yes — Twint is the default. I send a Twint request to your Swiss mobile number after the session and you confirm it in your banking app. If you don't have a Swiss Twint account (some new expats don't yet), we can agree on an alternative such as bank transfer.
No. Sessions happen via WhatsApp, phone or video — so it doesn't matter whether you're in Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Bern, Lausanne, Zug, Lucerne, Lugano, Winterthur, St. Gallen, or a village in between. I understand the specific expat context of each major Swiss city and can adapt.
Anything. Swiss expat life stuff (permits, Wohnungssuche, work culture, finding friends, the Sunday silence, language fatigue), personal things (relationship strain, parenting abroad, grief, homesickness, identity shifts), work (burnout, isolation, being a trailing spouse), or nothing specific — just a real conversation in English. No agenda, no taboo topics.
Absolutely. Conversations stay between us — I don't keep notes on corporate servers, I don't sell data, I don't post anecdotes anywhere. WhatsApp calls are end-to-end encrypted by default. The only situation in which I'd reach outside our conversation is if you were in imminent danger to yourself or someone else — and in that case I'd encourage you, with you, to call 143 or 144.
Because I believe feelings live in your mother tongue. Many expats in Switzerland can function in German or French but still find emotional conversations much lighter when they don't have to translate themselves. If your English is more comfortable than your German, this is for you. I work exclusively in English for that reason.
I live in Zürich and I know the country well, but I grew up elsewhere (my name Jabulile is Zulu — it means 'happiness'). That's actually part of why I do this work: I understand both sides of the expat experience, including the Swiss quiet that can feel intimidating at first.
Please don't message me — message 143 instead. Die Dargebotene Hand (La Main Tendue / Telefono Amico) is free, 24/7, multilingual, and staffed specifically for crisis situations. For under-25s, Pro Juventute at 147. For medical emergencies, 144. I can be excellent company for a regular hard week, but a crisis needs the right resource immediately.
You can gift a session, yes. Message me on WhatsApp, pay in advance via Twint, and I'll coordinate directly with the person you'd like me to listen to. They keep full privacy — I don't report back to you about what we talked about.
Die Dargebotene Hand / La Main Tendue / Telefono Amico — 143
Pro Juventute (under 25) — 147
Medical emergency — 144
If you're a fellow resource trying to reach your English-speaking expat audience, I'm happy to cross-refer. Email jabu@listeningservice.ch.