Disturbed and alarmed by the rising incidents of suicides and attempted suicides across the country, the Aart of Life Foundation, Nigeria’s pioneer Grief and Trauma Counselling Services since 2004, is pleased to announce a programme to provide counselling to Nigerians needing help.

The Foundation is providing toll free counselling hotlines that people can call and unburden themselves in times of distress.

In a statement signed by Chief Taiwo Taiwo, chairman of Aart of Life Foundation, the NGO noted that “we are developing a comprehensive programme to address this specific problem and in collaboration with our Partners, Psychiatrists and Clinical Psychologists at the Department of Behavioural Sciences of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), will soon be making available to the public our Aart of Life Counselling Hotlines.”

Using the hotlines, Aart of Life Foundation will provide counselling and support for those who are suicidal or anyone who has ever entertained suicidal thoughts; provide trauma counselling for those who have experienced or witnessed a violent, and/or life changing traumatic event; offer,  after the telephone counselling, one-on-one counselling by the highly skilled and trained Counsellors at the Aart of Life Foundation offices, 12th Floor, Elephant House, 214, Broad Street, Lagos.

Aart of Life’s target is to reach bereaved and traumatized persons nationwide through telephone counselling while creating effective awareness through planned media campaigns to promote and publicize the counselling services.

The foundation will, thereafter, monitor and evaluate the impact of its telephone counselling programme and submit final reports highlighting accomplishments, impact, success stories, lessons learnt and challenges faced.