HelpMate
Get it off your chest.
Anonymous conversations with trained helpers. Free, encrypted, no sign-up. Around the clock.
What we are. And what we are not.
The most important thing first: we are not therapists and not doctors, and we cannot provide professional support. Our helpers are trained volunteers. They listen and they are there for you, but they do not treat anything, they do not diagnose and they are no substitute for therapy. For some situations other services are the right choice, and we will tell you so.
HelpMate is there for you with
- Stress, feeling overwhelmed and days when everything is too much
- Loneliness, heartbreak, conflicts with family or friends
- Worries about school, university, apprenticeship and the future
- Dark days when you simply need someone to talk to
HelpMate does not replace
- Psychotherapy: we do not diagnose and do not treat illnesses
- Medical advice: we must not recommend anything about medication or symptoms
- Emergency services: in acute danger, emergency numbers are faster and better
- Professional care in severe crises: there we help you find the right services
If you are thinking about hurting yourself, or someone is in immediate danger, do not wait for a chat. These numbers are free and staffed around the clock:
Emergency 112 Telefonseelsorge 0800 111 0 111 Medical on-call 116 117No forms. No waiting. No judgement.
HelpMate is deliberately simple: exactly two clicks stand between you and a conversation. You need no account, no app and no explanation for why you are here. Many people write to someone about how they really feel for the very first time, and that is exactly what this place is for.
Open the chat
No account, no name, no queue. You briefly pick a topic so a helper with matching experience gets notified, and you can start writing right away. If you like, you can leave an email address to find your chat again later.
Tell us what is going on
A trained helper reads carefully before replying. There is no wrong topic and no pace you have to keep. Whether it is school stress, trouble at home, loneliness or something you cannot even name yet: it matters, because it is on your mind.
Come back whenever you want
One single conversation or many. You decide when it ends, and you can always return. Nobody asks why you were gone, and nobody expects you to check in.
Behind every chat sits a human. No bot, no script.
No problem is "too small". If it is on your mind, it matters.
100 % anonymous
We do not know who you are, and we do not want to. No real name, no profile, no required fields: you share only what you want to share.
Encrypted
Your messages are stored encrypted and are not visible to others after the conversation. What you write here stays here.
Free
No costs, no subscription, no catch and no ads. HelpMate is carried by volunteers and partners so that help never fails because of money.
For the moments between conversations.
Frequently asked questions.
Is HelpMate really free?
Yes. Every conversation, every tool and every feature is free, with no subscription and no premium version. HelpMate is carried by volunteers and financed through partners.
Do I have to say who I am?
No. For a chat you need neither a name nor an account nor a phone number. The email address is optional and is only used to send you a link back to your chat if you close the window.
Who is on the other side?
Real people: volunteers who completed a training, follow clear guidelines and have a team behind them. When you start a chat, you pick a topic so that someone with matching experience takes over whenever possible.
Are you therapists?
No, and we say this very clearly: our helpers are not therapists or doctors. We listen and we are there, but we do not diagnose and we do not give medical advice.
If you need professional support, we help you find the right services. In acute crises, emergency number 112 and Telefonseelsorge 0800 111 0 111 are the right numbers.
What happens to my messages?
Your messages are stored encrypted and are not visible to others after the conversation. You can find the details in our privacy policy.
What if I close the chat window?
If you provided an email address when starting, you receive a link that takes you back into your conversation at any time. Without an email, the chat cannot be restored after closing. That is intentional: no traces remain.
Listening is a superpower.
Our helpers are volunteers with training, clear guidelines and a team behind them. If you are a good listener and want to give something back, we would love to hear from you.
Become a helper