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Meet Ethel
The Bridge Crisis Conversation Toolkit™
A package of resources for compassionate conversations and wellbeing support.
This toolkit is designed to help corporate leaders, healthcare professionals, educators, managers, wellbeing leaders, and faith leaders and community members respond with presence, empathy, and hope. Inside you’ll find:
  • The STAY Method™ a simple, suicide prevention practical framework: Stay present, Talk gently, Acknowledge pain, Yield judgement.
  • The Chance to Listen™ Campaign pledge cards, posters, and a movement to build a culture of listening.
  • Support for Supporters guidance on burnout recovery and looking after your own wellbeing while caring for others.
This toolkit grew from a lived experience moment on a motorway bridge, where the simple words “Please, can you give me a chance to listen to what got you here” opened the door to safety and hope for someone who was about to jump off the bridge to end their life.
About the Creator
This toolkit was created by Ethel Changa, following that lived experience moment. She developed the toolkit to share a simple truth: listening can save lives. You can reach Ethel at ethel@listenwellalliance.com
The Bridge Crisis Conversation Toolkit™
Launch of the Chance to Listen™ Campaign
World Suicide Prevention Day – 10 September 2025
"Please can you give me a chance to listen to what got you here."
Born from Lived Experience
The Bridge Crisis Conversation Toolkit™ emerged from a profound moment of human connection. A single sentence spoken on a bridge a plea to listen became the doorway that led someone from despair to safety and hope.
Today, this transformative experience has evolved into a collective resource designed to support healthcare providers, corporate managers, community leaders, wellbeing leaders and organisational staff engaged in suicide prevention.
The approach is firmly rooted in compassion whilst being meticulously designed for practical action. Every element of this toolkit reflects both the urgency of crisis intervention and the profound power of human connection.
Illustrative image only — not depicting actual event
About the Campaign
A Movement for Compassion
The Chance to Listen™ campaign represents more than a training resource, it's a movement to foster deeper human connection in moments of crisis, built on the understanding that listening saves lives.
The Listening Pledge
At the heart of our campaign is a simple yet powerful commitment: "I will give someone a chance to be listened to." This pledge acknowledges that creating space for someone's story can change the trajectory of their life.
Building a Culture of Listening
Our mission extends across healthcare settings, educational institutions, and community organisations, weaving a fabric of attentive listening into the everyday interactions that can intercept crisis moments.
The STAY Method™: A Framework for Crisis Support
When faced with someone in crisis, this straightforward framework provides a compassionate pathway for meaningful intervention. Each element builds upon the next, creating a supportive environment where healing conversations can begin.
Stay Present
Ground yourself and remain fully present in the moment.
Talk Gently
Use compassionate, open communication.
Acknowledge Pain
Validate their feelings without minimising.
Yield Judgement
Listen without criticism or rushing to solutions.
Stay Present
The foundation of any supportive intervention begins with your ability to be fully present. In crisis moments, your calm, grounded presence creates a secure space for difficult conversations.
Key Elements:
  • Regulate your own emotional response first
  • Maintain appropriate eye contact when possible
  • Use calm, measured breathing to anchor yourself
  • Position yourself at the same level as the person
  • Minimise distractions in your environment
"I'm here with you. I'm not going anywhere."

Practical Technique: Grounding
Before engaging, take three deep breaths. Feel your feet on the ground. Notice five things you can see around you. This quick practice helps you become present before attempting to support someone else.
TTalk Gently
How we communicate during crisis moments can either open or close the door to deeper connection. Gentle communication invites trust and creates space for authentic sharing.
Communication Approaches:
  • Use a soft, unhurried tone of voice
  • Ask open-ended questions that invite sharing
  • Allow for and respect periods of silence
  • Avoid clinical or technical language
  • Match your pace to theirs, never rush
"Can you tell me what's been happening for you? I'm here to listen."

Remember
Silence is not a void to be filled. It often represents processing time and can be when the most important internal shifts occur.
Acknowledge Pain
"That sounds incredibly painful. I can hear how much you've been carrying on your own."
"It makes sense that you would feel overwhelmed by all of this. Anyone would struggle with these circumstances."
"Thank you for sharing something so difficult. I'm truly sorry you've been going through this."
Acknowledging someone's pain is perhaps the most powerful element of support. It validates their experience and helps them feel truly seen often for the first time.
Key Approaches:
  • Reflect back what you're hearing to show understanding
  • Name emotions without fear or minimisation
  • Normalise their feelings as understandable responses
  • Avoid comparing their pain to others' experiences
  • Recognise the courage it takes to share their struggle
Yield Judgement
Creating a truly safe space requires us to set aside our natural tendency to evaluate, fix, or redirect. When we yield judgement, we allow someone's full truth to emerge.
How to Practice:
  • Listen without interrupting or redirecting
  • Avoid phrases that begin with "at least" or "you should"
  • Resist the urge to problem-solve prematurely
  • Accept their feelings as valid, even if uncomfortable
  • Recognise your own judgements when they arise
"Thank you for trusting me with this. I'm not here to judge, I'm here to understand."

Watch For
Our facial expressions and body language can communicate judgement even when our words don't. Be mindful of subtle reactions that might shut down sharing.
Caring for Yourself
Supporting others through crisis requires emotional resilience. These self-care practices help prevent burnout and maintain your capacity to be present for others. Burnout doesn’t happen overnight , it builds gradually. Knowing the signs helps you act early.
  • Feeling detached, numb, or hopeless
  • Irritability or increased frustration
  • Loss of motivation or sense of purpose
  • Ongoing fatigue despite rest
  • Headaches, muscle tension, or stomach upset
  • Sleep disruption
  • Withdrawing from colleagues, friends, or family
  • Reduced performance or concentration
  • Increased reliance on unhealthy coping strategies (e.g. overeating, alcohol, overworking)
Burnout Recovery
  • Recognise early warning signs
  • Schedule regular reflection time
  • Establish clear boundaries
  • Connect with peer support
  • Consider professional supervision
Grounding Practices
  • Post-conversation breathing ritual
  • Physical movement to release tension
  • Nature connection for perspective
  • Sensory grounding techniques
  • Transition rituals between roles
Reflective Journaling
What went well in this interaction?
  • What feelings did this bring up for me?
  • Where might I need additional support?
  • What did I learn from this encounter?
  • How has this changed my perspective?
Support Directory
Resources for Immediate Crisis Support
Samaritans
24/7 listening support for anyone in emotional distress
Call: 116 123
Email: jo@samaritans.org
SHOUT Crisis Text Line
24/7 text support for anyone struggling to cope
Text: SHOUT to 85258
NHS Urgent Mental Health
Immediate mental health support through NHS services
Call: 111 then select mental health option
Papyrus HOPELINEUK
Support for young people thinking about suicide
Call: 0800 068 4141
Text: 07860 039967
Staff Wellbeing Resources
Connect with local resources to support your own wellbeing:
  • NHS Staff Wellbeing Hubs - Confidential support for all NHS staff
  • Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) - 24/7 counselling and advice
  • Local Staff Support Groups - Peer support within your organisation
Join the Movement
"I will give someone a chance to be listened to."
When you take the Chance to Listen™ pledge, you're joining a community of healthcare providers, leaders, and staff committed to creating spaces where life-saving conversations can happen.
Your pledge acknowledges that sometimes, the most powerful intervention is simply being fully present and listening without judgement. This simple act can be the bridge that connects someone from despair to hope.
Join the community of Practice and take the pledge to make your commitment official and receive additional resources to support your practice of compassionate listening.
#ChanceToListen
Closing Reflection
"Please can you give me a chance to listen to what got you here."
This simple sentence spoken on a bridge at a moment of crisis became the foundation of The Bridge Crisis Conversation Toolkit™. But this resource isn't about one story or one moment. It's about all of us.
It's about the healthcare provider who notices a change in their patient's demeanor. The teacher who senses something isn't right with a colleague. The community worker who creates space for someone to share their struggle. The father who notices a change in their child's behaviour.
Thank you for being part of this movement. By committing to listen with compassion and without judgement, you become part of the bridge that carries people from despair to hope, from isolation to connection, from crisis to possibility.
Work with ListenWell Alliance CIC
ListenWell Alliance CIC exists to support healthcare, education, and community organisations in embedding listening, compassion, and wellbeing into everyday practice.
Our services include:
  • Burnout Recovery & Coaching, supporting staff to recognise signs of burnout and rebuild resilience.
  • Training & Workshops, Introducing the STAY Method™, suicide prevention skills, and leadership for compassionate cultures.
  • Wellbeing Strategy Development. Partnering with organisations to strengthen staff engagement and mental health support.
  • Speaking & Advisory. Providing insights, talks, and consultancy for events and wellbeing programmes.
Contact us: ethel@listenwellalliance.com
Join the Community of Practice:
Support our work: If you would like to support our work and help us keep these resources free for all, please contact us at contact@listenwellalliance.com to discuss making a donation.
Together, we are building spaces where listening becomes a life-saving practice.
© 2025 ListenWell Alliance CIC. Bridge Crisis Conversation Toolkit™ and STAY Method™ are trademarks of ListenWell Alliance CIC. This resource is provided free for educational and community use. Please credit appropriately when sharing.