WESTFIELD, N.J. - s4story -- In 2025, Caring Contact answered more than 25,700 calls—the highest call volume in the organization's 50‑year history. That demand continues to grow. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, Caring Contact answered 5,202 calls, a 91% increase compared to the same period last year (Q1 2025: 2,484 calls).

What's notable: many of these calls weren't emergencies. They were people reaching out earlier—before things escalated.

"As a crisis 988 hotline and listening community, we hear every day from people who are carrying more than they can easily put into words," said Mary Claire Givelber, Executive Director of Caring Contact. "Many callers aren't in immediate danger. Something just feels heavy, tangled, or unsettled."

For many people, expressing emotions was never modeled as normal—at home, in school, or at work. So they push feelings down, stay productive, stay polite, and try to handle it alone. Long before something becomes a crisis, people have been holding unspoken feelings—and that isolation takes a toll.

Feelings don't stay quiet because they're ignored. They tend to show up as chronic stress, burnout, physical symptoms, short tempers, or a persistent sense that something is "off," even if it's hard to explain why.

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That's where Caring Contact comes in. Trained Listeners answer calls through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and through Caring Contact's own crisis line—now in its fifth decade—so people can talk things through before they hit a breaking point. Callers may be lonely, grieving, overwhelmed, burned out, or simply wondering why everything feels harder than it used to.

Listening That Changes the Brain

Good listening isn't passive. One of the simplest tools Caring Contact Listeners use is helping people name what they're feeling—and reflecting it back clearly and kindly.

Research on affect labeling, led by neuroscientist Matthew Lieberman, shows that putting emotions into words—such as "anxious," "overwhelmed," or "sad"—can quiet the brain's alarm system and engage the areas that help with regulation and meaning‑making. Often, the first relief is simply being able to say: this is what's happening inside me.

"You can hear the difference," Givelber said. "When someone's feelings are reflected accurately, their voice slows, their breathing steadies. Being heard helps the body settle."

Reflective Listening in Practice

Caring Contact Listeners use reflective listening by feeding back what they hear, like
"I'm hearing a mix of sadness and resentment."

"It's not advice or diagnosis," said Michelle Habayeb, Director of Training at Caring Contact. "It's a mirror. When someone hears their feelings named accurately, their voice changes. They slow down. They breathe. They're not carrying it alone anymore."

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This approach is a core skill across the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline system because feeling understood supports regulation, trust, and follow‑through—protective factors that can keep a hard moment from becoming a crisis.

"People say, 'I didn't realize that's what I was feeling until you said it back.' That clarity can be grounding. It helps people regain a sense of agency," explains Caring Contact Listener and board member Mayukh Mukherjee.

Listening as Prevention

Mental Health Awareness Month is an opportunity to talk not only about crisis response, but about what helps before crisis arrives.

Bring Reflective Listening Skills to Your Organization

Caring Contact now offers flexible, real‑world training for workplaces and community groups—ranging from the new half‑day volunteer experiences to short sessions at team meetings. Participants learn practical tools for their own emotional wellbeing and how to confidently support coworkers, friends, neighbors, and family members.

Learn more at https://www.caringcontact.org.