Recently, I completed training to become a volunteer with the Safe & Sound Talkline, a peer support line for parents and caregivers in the Bay Area.

I wanted to do this for a very personal reason. Raising children has brought me many wonderful moments, but also plenty of challenging ones. There have been times when I felt worried, frustrated, uncertain, or simply didn’t know what to do next. Looking back, I know how valuable it can be to have someone who understands and is willing to listen.

That is what drew me to peer support.

There is something powerful about one parent supporting another. There is no need to have all the answers. There is no pressure to prove anything or immediately fix the problem. Sometimes there is simply one person on the other end of the conversation saying, in a very genuine way, I’m here. Tell me what’s going on.

The training helped me understand what that kind of support really looks like. Listening is much more than staying quiet while someone talks. It means trying to understand what they are experiencing, validating their feelings, showing genuine empathy, and meeting them where they are.

I also realized how much my coaching practice has prepared me for this role. Coaching has taught me to listen without rushing toward an answer, stay curious instead of making assumptions, and explore possibilities together rather than telling someone what they should do. In peer support, that sense of mutuality feels especially meaningful. We may have different stories, but we can still meet each other as two people who understand that parenting can be hard.

Sometimes people need resources or want to think through possible next steps. Sometimes they simply need room to talk. Either way, being truly heard can make a difficult moment feel a little less lonely.

I’m excited to begin volunteering on the TALK Line. I hope that some of what I have learned through my own parenting journey, my coaching practice, and this training can now help me be there for another parent when they need someone to listen.