I still reply to anonymous letters, people's real stuff, heavy and light. I read every single one. And now I offer real listening sessions too.
Somewhere along the way, responding to those letters became the thing I couldn't stop doing, people writing in with what was actually on their mind, the things they'd never say out loud to anyone else. I'd sit with each one properly, not skim it, not rush a reply.
Eventually I realized I had more to give than a written reply, so now I offer one-on-one listening sessions too. I'm not a therapist, I don't diagnose, and I don't hand out five-step plans. I just listen, fully, the way I wish someone had for me.