Become a Counselor

“Being a peer counselor with Exhale is such a privilege. It’s rewarding and inspiring to support folks, and witness their strength and resilience, as they create their own meaning out of their abortion experience.” 

Erin (she/they), Exhale Pro-Voice Textline Counselor

Exhale Pro-Voice trains two Textline Counselor cohorts each year – one in the Spring and one in the Fall. All applications submitted between cohorts are reviewed and considered for the next training. You are welcome to apply at any time through the form above.

Please be patient, as Exhale Pro-Voice is an entirely volunteer- and donor-run organization. We will reach out to you by email if you have been selected to interview for our next Textline Counselor cohort.

What to Expect

As an Exhale Pro-Voice Textline Counselor, you will be equipped with nearly 30 hours of training and roleplay experience using our Pro-Voice approach.

You will learn how to support texters by:

  • Valuing their emotional wellbeing and welcoming their full range of emotions;
  • Approaching texters as whole people, recognizing that many facets of their lives are part of their abortion experiences;
  • Respecting and working within texters’ belief systems (religious, social, and political) to support their needs;
  • Working with texters to support them in discovering new strategies to support their own emotional wellbeing.
  • Reflect back each individual’s strengths so that they can be a resource to face
    challenges, learn, and grow.

Textline training includes opportunities for self- and group reflection, didactic information about the best scientific evidence on abortions and mental health, discussions about common texter concerns, basic counseling skills training, suicide prevention training, and lots and lots of roleplay experience to apply your new knowledge and skills.

Your Time Commitment

  • All Textline Counselors receive nearly 30 hours of training before they begin covering shifts on the textline. For the upcoming fall 2023 cohort, those mandatory training dates are: October 7-8, October 14-15, October 21-22, and October 28-29 from 10 am – 2 pm PT. You must attend all training sessions!
  • All Textline Counselors serve a minimum of one year on the textline, although many stay well beyond that!
  • All Textline Counselors sign up for a minimum of four, 2-hour textline shifts per month during the textline’s open hours. 
  • All Textline Counselors attend monthly volunteer meetings to build community, further develop their skills as peer counselors, and learn about what else is going on at Exhale Pro-Voice.
  • At Exhale Pro-Voice, we want our newest Textline Counselors to be trained by the best — our current Textline Counselors! All Textline Counselors support the next rounds of Textline Counselor training, usually by facilitating roleplays and providing feedback.   

“…as a peer counselor, I watch people lean into their voice and discover that their strength and vulnerability are not disparate things, they are what connects us and helps us grow.”

-Janelli (she/her/ella), Exhale Pro-Voice Textline Counselor

Please note that we are no longer accepting applications for our fall 2023 cohort. If you would like to be considered for future cohorts, you can apply using the form below.