Support Forum FAQ
What is the 7 Cups Support Forum?
The 7 Cups community forum is a place for members and guests to gather and discuss specific items that are on their mind, that they need support with or questions they would like to ask the community to help answer.
Who can post in the support forum?
Listeners & members. Anyone with a registered account with 7 Cups of Tea can post in the support forum.
Who sees my posts?
An account with 7 Cups of Tea is not required to view posts. It is required to post in the forum. There are many guests who come to our site and chat with listeners without ever having to create an account. These guests are able to view the forum.
Additionally, registered users with accounts can view the support forum posts. This is members and guests.
Where can I give feedback about 7 Cups of Tea?
Please use this 7 Cups Member suggestion box to give feedback.
Can I post anonymously?
Your post will be affiliated with the member user name you have created. If you created a username that is the same as your listener account or is too similar to your name, you can request to have it changed using this link:
If anonymity is important to you, it is important to have a unique member name.
How do I let others know that I have posted?
By posting a "tag" into your post, you can let specific members or listeners receive a notification of your post. To tag, add in a @ sign with the member/listener's username in the body of your post. For example, @LauraS. You can tag in as many member/listener's as your want in your post.
Can I delete threads?
Once you have posted, your thread cannot be deleted. In cases where you feel a post needs immediate deletion or you would like your post to be brought down, we are happy to do that for you. Please email community@7cups.com with a URL link to the forum post you would like removed. We will remove it for your as soon as possible.
Can I edit my own posts?
Once you have posted in the forum, you will have no ability to edit your posts. Again, if you would like to have your post removed, please email community@7cups.com with a URL link to the forum post you would like removed. We will remove it for your as soon as possible.
Remember, the content of the post is the most important thing. Do not fret over grammar or misspellings. The most important thing is for you to get support here. Quality of the content or question posed is the most important thing.
What kinds of interactions can I expect in the support forum?
You will encounter 2 kinds of interactions here in the support forum:
1) Member/listener - you will be able to interact with a wide variety of listeners in the support forum. They come from a diverse set of backgrounds and will offer a variety of thoughts and comments in response to your posts.
2) Member/Member - Connect with other members. Members are people who come to 7 Cups in need of support. They are just like you, you are here for the same reasons. You can discern that someone is a member by their profile picture. A members profile picture will be the first letter of their member username in a color box.
We challenge you to use the support forum to connect with other members. This is a place for you to connect with others who have similar experiences to you. Its a place to grow and learn together.
Why should I post here?
Connecting with your listener should be your first method of seeking out help. But the 7 Cups support forum offers you the unique ability to connect with other members. Other people who are struggling and in need of support. You can be there for eachother through your interactions in the forum!
Can I give support to another member in need?
Yes, this is highly encouraged! We do not want you to think that you have to be a listener to give support. All of us are part of the 7 Cups community and can offer support and help!
How can I give support in the forum on topics that are important to me?
If you have a shared experience with something a listener or member has written, you can share that with them. This helps them feel supported and like there is someone else who has had a similar experience.
What if there isnt a forum/thread for issues important to me?
Go ahead and find the correct category and add your thread. We want you to feel empowered to post on topics that are important to you.
OTHER 7 CUPS FAQ INFORMATION:
What happens when I leave a review for a listener?
Every review left is used for quality purposes. We use them to give feedback to listeners so they can continue to track their progress as a listener and get better.
When can I leave a review or rating for a listener?
In the chat conversation box. After 30 messages are exchanged between you and the listener, you will have the ability to give a star and written review for your listener.
Why Should I Post In The Support Forum?
The support forum is an additional way of seeking support from the listeners and also from the member community. You can post here to invite others to share their stories, experiences, and to hear from those who dealt or are dealing with similar problems as yours.
The forum is also a great place to become a part of the community. Share your joyous moments, the small victories, and also encourage others to move ahead with courage.
Who can see my posts?
Your posts will be visible to any visitor on the forum page. However, your identity will remain anonymous.
Are all posts anonymous?
Yes, at 7 Cups of Tea, we respect your privacy. When you post as a member, only your member name will be visible on the forum. There will be no other information shared with any user on the site.
Will someone be able to see my profile and message me?
No, there will be no access to any of your information. Your name is a clickable link on the forum.
What is the difference between individual support and support on the forum?
When you connect with a listener one-on-one, you can avail exclusive time when you can share your story in great detail and seek support for yourself without any fear of judgment or stigma. The support forum is like a support group where you share your stories, questions, and feedback with the 7 Cups of Tea community. Through the forum, you can not only seek support from listeners, but can also seek support from fellow members.
What kind of questions can I ask on the forum?
The forum is a safe and supportive space for the 7 Cups of Tea community. All kinds of posts that are not offensive to anyone or any community are most welcome. You can share your joys and sorrows and can also give support to those in distress.
What should I do to edit or remove my post?
At present, individual members do not have the ability to edit or delete posts. If you want to edit or delete any post, please email us on info@7cups.com with your request and we will work on it as early as possible.
What if someone gets offensive towards me on the forum?
At 7 Cups of Tea, we have a zero tolerance policy towards abuse and we take inappropriate and offensive conduct very seriously. Please report the user to info@7cups.com and we will immediately remove the offensive post. We will also investigate the issue and take actions against the offender. Serious offenses are dealt with a complete ban on the user account.
What if a listener is offensive towards me in a chat?
Use the block and ban buttons in the chat box to report that listener immediately.
How can I contribute more towards making the world a better place?
7 Cups of Tea is a community where anyone can give and receive support freely. Many of our members become listeners to provide support which makes them feel better. However, if you do not wish to become a listener, you can provide support to other members through this support forum. Here you can respond compassionately and supportively to those in distress and give a healing touch to hundreds in need.
Thanks for this @LauraS ! It's gonna be really helpful for so many people!
Hello, this is Justin. First of all, I would like to thank 7 Cups of Tea for creating an avenue for the troubled to seek help easily. I recall my own life being saved because I got to meet someone nice and trained, just like some of you I've spoken to.
I think 7 Cups of Tea needs to go much bigger. There needs to be an app for people to connect to listeners more easily and there needs to be publicity campaigns (why not something like the ice bucket challenge?) One of the things 7 Cups of Tea has that save lives is the convenience it brings to those troubled to connect to a listener.
Back then when I was struggling with depression, I was initially afraid to approach a counsellor as my very own classmates viewed getting help for depression as a sign of weakness. The status quo is that the social stigma against seeking help has caused many to remain silent about their suffering.
7 Cups of Tea enables those who are shy or hesitant to approach a counsellor face to face to seek some help online. I believe 7 Cups of Tea can go even further to break the social stigma that is a tremendous barrier towards treating depression. I hope my suggestions for creating an app and having publicity campaigns will be taken into consideration. Thank you :)
From,
Justin
An app for iPhone is on the way, and an Android app will follow soon after. In the meantime, the site is designed to work well on mobile devices, if not quite as well as an app.
Thanks laura for this detailed thread! Hugs :-)
Hi ! Iam kind of new to this but i sing up to be a listener i notice that we needed to take a class and back ground check so i was wondering where do i go for that and do i do thay i don't see anything about how to sing up for this
A verification code is sent to your email Id to confirm your identity. You need not submit any other detail initially.
Hello everyone,
I'm new here so still getting used to things. So please feel free to delete this post if it's not appropriate for this thread. I'm just wondering how can you view the chat log between you and a person. Sometimes I just want to go back and see what we have talked about thus trying to go with the flow of the conversation and not making other person feels hurt because I don't remember what he/she told me. Can anyone help me with this?
Thank you so much :)
To honor confidentiality of those who come here seeking our help and support, only the last ten messages of a conversation are logged, and even those are deleted after (I think) two weeks. Either person can also erase the chat log at any time using the eraser button below Send.
@CelineB07All the conversations here are deleted, so all you can see is the last ten messages. A notes feature has been discussed, but I'm not sure if anything is being done about that. Meanwhile, taking a couple notes about the chats might be helpful, if you feel overwhelmed by all the chats you're getting :)
Thank you for your help. It just sometimes I can't remember what we have talked about and I have horrible memory (can't even remember my birthday), so it's quite difficult for me to keep going with a conversation not knowing what am I talking about. I had a member today who reminded me that we have talked about a particular problem before and it seemed like i didn't care. Taking a note is definately a great idea though, because it would help my terrible memory.
Yes, I have the same problem :) I use an excel spreadsheetto put down a couple notes to jog my memory and it's been working well for me so far.
Hi this site isreally helpful.
We get a feeling, that we are not alone, emotional support is made available.
Forum may be more useful, I have to yet to see.
I would like to associate with this site & forum for helping other users. I will be listener too.
I appreciate the team behind and the forums. Let us make a difference.
Hello. I was wondering about a way to report bad listeners, anonymously perhaps? I know there's the reviews, but, some people seem to be reporting really bad experiences, it seems very much like there might be trolls, and, I just had a listener turn around out of nowhere and be really horrible and block me. I mean there's an element of subjectivity, but, I don't think telling someone with a disability you don't believe they're in that much pain, they're just lazy, is it. I don't think listeners like that are really suitable, and am concerned they may make people feel worse about their situations, if allowed to continue.
Hi @Mugicha!! I am really sorry to hear about your experience.At times some listeners can be rude and they are not able to empathize well and end up causing more pain and discomfort. Some measure are being taken to tackle the misuse of the block button.
Meanwhile you can send your feedback to community@7cups.com. Hope you are able to find comfort and solace through another listener.
Hi, I have been a member for quite some time and honestly, I find that this site is a go to site, especially when I have one of those days that I just want to cry my eyeballs out. I am one of those kinds of people who really don't like to go to therapy, because I can't really make the time. Between making the time, the drive to go, the cost of the appointment, and then sitting face to face with a complete stranger and spilling my most inner thoughts and fears, I really can not do that. However, I have found that when I come to 7 cups of tea, I can talk to a listener and really get everything off of my chest that I need to get off and I feel like someone cares about my problems. I have had personally one horrible session with a listener who acted like they didn't care and that it was my fault that I am having issues in the first place, however, I have had many wonderful sessions where the listeners make me smile and they act like they are really here for me. Thank you for having this site for people like me to come to. Also, I would like to suggest having an application for Android phones. I run an Android and I would really like to have the app. It would make it easier then going through the browser. Thank you again. I love what you are doing here.
Hey, @brokentru! :) I'm really glad to hear the negative experience you've had here hasn't turned you off the site. I hope the positives will continue to outweigh the negatives :) Also, an app for android is in development. I think it should take another 2-3 weeks probably. Take care! :)
Hi there, I hope this is the right place for this question:
A requirement for the internship is to track your hours on the calender, but I often consider popping on and listening for an hour or two at a whim's notice. Is there any way to go back and retroactively log hours?
Thanks so much!
I have a feeling that @Kane might know the answer to this :)
Hahaha, thanks@Barush!
@MirandaD, there isn't a way to go back. But as long as you take note of it for your own records, it should befine if you don't record it on the calendar since those last minute decisions do pop up frequently. :)
Awesome. Thanks for responding! I'm writing them down in my commonplace book anyway. :)