After over a decade in the fast-paced world of corporate tech, a single, rawconversation with a colleague about their personal struggles changed the trajectory of Bindu Fernandes’ life. That moment of shared vulnerability revealed her purpose and burden, leading her to become a trained crisis counselor specializing in sexual, family, and technology-facilitated violence. That journey eventually brought her from sunny California to the heart of Zürich, where she now leads Partnerships and Training for Heart2Heart, the English-speaking helpline for Die Dargebotene Hand. Moving across the globe reinforced a universal truth for her: no matter our cultural background or the various identities we carry, a safe, non-judgmental space is a human fundamental need.
What is Heart2Heart?
Heart2Heart is the dedicated English-speaking National helpline for Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
Key Contact Details
- Phone Number: 0800 143 000
- Hours: Daily from 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM (365 days a year)
- Cost: Free of charge
Trained volunteers provide support for anyone experiencing loneliness, relationship issues, mental health struggles, or suicidal thoughts. It is a safe space to talk without giving unsolicited advice. While primarily for adults, the service is open to everyone regardless of origin, religion, or sexual orientation.
If you speak a national language (German, French, or Italian) and need support outside of Heart2Heart’s evening hours, the standard 143 line is available 24/7.
What challenges have you witnessed in the community you support?
The common theme across the expat and migrant communities we support is a lack of community which manifests as social isolation and a sense of not fully belonging. These are further heightened with language barriers and the strain that comes with navigating complex systems of healthcare, education, relationships, culture and career.
How have these challenges helped shape Heart2Heart’s purpose and mission?
Heart2Heart was created with the recognition that Switzerland’s cultural and language landscape is changing and that mental health and emotional well-being resources must adapt to reflect this diversity and contribute to the accessibility and dignity for its residents.
Heart2Heart’s mission and vision are shaped by a clear commitment to inclusion, accessibility, empathy, and support for a diverse population — directly reflecting the lived experiences and challenges of English-speaking migrants in Switzerland.
Can you share a meaningful experience, initiative, or project that created real change?
One of Heart2Heart’s most meaningful initiatives involved building a direct bridge between the Heart2Heart Helpline and the English-speaking therapeutic community. By partnering with psychologists and therapists, we integrated the helpline referral as a seamless extension of their practice – a vital safety net for patients navigating long wait times or the difficult spaces between therapy sessions.
The feedback from these professionals has been deeply moving; many expressed a profound sense of relief, noting how much it eases their personal mental load to know their clients have a compassionate place to land. This collaboration does more than just support the individual in a moment of crisis; it sustains the healers themselves, allowing therapists to rest and recharge knowing their patients are never truly alone.
In what ways has your volunteer journey with Heart2Heart shaped your view of impact and service?
My time with Heart2Heart has softened and widened my understanding of what it means to serve. I’ve learned that care isn’t something we offer only in moments of collapse – it is something we try to weave gently into the everyday, long before a crisis arrives. This journey has shown me that none of us are meant to walk through life alone, and that asking for help, though so many of us have been conditioned to see it as weakness, is in truth one of the bravest acts a person can make. Seeing firsthand how difficult it is for people to reach out has made me more tender with myself, and more attentive to the quiet, unspoken ways our loved ones signal their need for support. Heart2Heart has taught me that true impact lives in these small acts of noticing – in reaching out and in standing with one another because we need each other.
What message of hope or encouragement would you like to leave with the community and supporters?
In a world where so many of us feel acutely alone and the weight of loneliness can seem heavier than ever, it is important to remember that we do not have to carry our burden alone. It is so easy to stay silent, but this is the condition of being human, and there is no shame in reaching out for help and support. We are all essentially walking each other home, and sometimes that means leaning on someone else’s strength until we find our own again.
I encourage us to be kind to ourselves, to look out for one another with an open heart, and to ask for help. Each of us are a vital part of the fabric of humanity, and each of our stories matters.
Visit Website: www.143.ch