Need someone to talk to? Youth in S’pore can turn to trained listeners in new initiative

SINGAPORE - Young people in Singapore who want a listening ear but are reluctant to step into a counsellor’s office can turn to a new initiative.

Called Chat Circles, the programme matches them with a trained volunteer to have an hour-long conversation about things weighing on their minds.

Social enterprise Empact, which launched the initiative on Aug 26, promises a space “free from clinical assessments, unsolicited advice, or expectations.”

Up to 20 youth can join each session, which will run monthly from August through to July 2027. Empact plans to work with tertiary institutions to hold sessions on campus, as well as other community partners such as charities serving underprivileged youth.

Chat Circles is part of a new series of mental wellbeing and resilience programmes aimed at supporting youth through life transitions, under the five-year SG Youth Plan launched by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and the National Youth Council.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth Goh Hanyan, who was guest of honour at the launch, said many young people question their choices during various life transitions.

Amid an uncertain world, the ministry hopes to build confidence and resilience among youth. The Chat Circles is one such initiative to help youth feel heard and supported, said Goh.

“It’s impossible to remove every challenge that our youth face. Neither do I think they want us to do that, but we can ensure that they’re not doing it by themselves,” she said.

Young people in Singapore may still find it challenging to seek structured support for mental health. Some fear the accompanying stigma, while others cannot afford the cost of private therapy, said Empact’s deputy chief executive Yap Keng Hwee.

Inspired by community events overseas where people share their life stories with strangers, Empact adapted the concept as a form of upstream mental health support for youth aged 15 to 28 years old.

Beyond helping them build emotional resilience during stressful transitions, such as starting at new schools or joining the workforce, the programme wants to draw youth back into the offline world in an era where they prefer online communication, said Yap.

“We are trying to create a safe space for them to come back to human interaction,” he said.

Yap said the point of Chat Circles is not to provide solutions, but to help youth see their strengths so they view themselves in a new light.

On Aug 26, 14 youth from polytechnics, universities - including those with disabilities - gathered at grovve, a youth wellness space at *Scape in Orchard, for the first session.

Among them was polytechnic student Jordan Reed Oliveiro, 19, who had signed up after seeing an Instagram advertisement about the event. He hoped to build deeper connections with others.

He feels disconnected from his friends, he told The Straits Times. During meet-ups, they typically talk for five minutes before going quiet and sending Instagram reels to each other.

Having experienced depressive episodes the past few years, Oliveiro plans to seek help from a therapist. But he also wanted to share his thoughts with someone.

“Maybe this event can be a very short stepping stone towards being more present with people,” he said.

The evening began with a mindfulness activity led by a deaf facilitator from social enterprise Hush TeaBar who taught the group breathing exercises and sign language for emotions.

Participants were then paired with volunteer listeners - adults aged 21 and above who had attended a three-hour training with The School of Positive Psychology, which provides training in psychology and psychotherapy.

This reporter spoke with Noor Aishah, 50, whose day job is an educator. She became a mental health advocate after supporting her two children, aged 25 and 21, through depression and anxiety.

Over muffins, we pondered questions from conversation cards, like: “Is there something you loved doing as a child or teenager that you’ve stopped doing?”

Aishah weaved the questions into our chat naturally, listening with an empathy that put this reporter at ease. It felt less like a structured session than an unhurried catch-up with an attentive friend.

Her own experience has taught her the importance of timely mental health support, she said, adding that she hopes to make an impact among young people and create a “ripple effect” within their community.

One of the volunteer listeners who attended the Aug 26 session was Workers’ Party MP He Ting Ru who told ST she was there in her personal capacity. She said events like these provide a non-judgmental space for youth.

“It’s something that I feel young people can get a lot out of, and we also have a lot to learn through our interactions with them,” said He.

The conversations are kept confidential. Participants and volunteers cannot exchange contact details. If volunteers notice the youth needs structured mental health support, they can refer them to a professional therapist who is present at each session.