“They’re not pro-choice and they’re not pro-life. They’re pro-voice.” Anderson explains. “It’s not like you have to sacrifice your political [or] personal beliefs about abortion, [but] you need to come to a place where you can let go of your prejudices. You must understand that there’s this huge need out there for women to speak about a difficult and emotional experience.”

A big part of the job is developing a rapport with the callers. Since many women don’t tell anyone else about their experience, a significant bond is formed through the retelling of the experience.

“There are certainly times when I’m on call where [once] I’ve finished a session, I feel really drained and exhausted,” Anderson says. “[But it’s also] the most gratifying and important part of my week in a lot of ways. I feel more useful to society. It structures my time and how I take care of myself. All of the people in my life know that I do this. This is a higher priority than anything else.”

Interested in volunteer opportunities with Exhale? If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, email volunteer@4exhale.org. Anyone wanting to become a counselor must be available for 3 5-hour shifts per month, for at least 10 months.