Gambling counselling.

Gambling is a habit. Nobody was born as a gambler, therefore gambling is a learned habit.

Our counselling for stopping gambling works towards bringing reality. The reality is that the gambling industry always wins, which means the gambler always loses - on average. Accepting that reality is a principal counselling objective.

A learned habit can be changed, towards a different way of life. That involves effort to change. Counselling can provide the tools to bring those changes.

Gambling is trying to guess a random event of the future. Gambling can be fun and a way of adding excitement and enjoyment to a period of relaxation. It excites the reward centre of the brain in similar ways as some illegal drugs.

Our gambling counselling will commonly be in phases. Each phase will advance on previous sessions, with appropriate reinforcement of prior work.

The phases may not be sequential, they may be repeated and emphasised.

1. Developing the therapeutic relationship, whilst understanding the reality of the client's situation.
2. Informative interventions of some tools which have been demonstrated to minimise gambling tendencies.
3. Developing true acceptance of the past, with what has been learned from it - thus bringing reality.
4. Informative interventions of techniques used by the gambling industry to maximise their profits.
5. Informative interventions of gambling being considered a survival tool by animals and humans.
6. Working towards developing an new identity of being a 'non-gambler', with its implications.
7. Acceptance with the new personality of being a 'non-gambler', with the adaptions and changes necessary.

Our counselling works on the assumption that all actions start with thoughts, which then may or not be followed by actions. There is a time with the thought that the actions does NOT have to follow. So a gambling thought does not have to be followed by the action of gambling.

Gambling is a time consuming occupation. If a person stops gambling, there will be a void in their lives. A void requires something to fill it. The easiest thing to fill the void is what came out of it - gambling.  So it is preferable to start, or increase, a different activity- a sport, hobby, educational course, relationship, family, etc.

During therapy there may be relapses. We can work with those relapses; they would not be disasters, they would be hiccups or bumps in the road to being a 'non-gambler'.

I have extensive experience of working with problem gamblers, who often are then able to change their emotional ability to stop their gambling problems. I also provide counselling to partners/relatives who are affected by another person's gambling.

I practise online as a counsellor to assist clients to develop reality, positivity and their improved well-being. I work with various issues, using counselling with clients in locations worldwide. One issue which is common in many locations is excessive gambling problems, which may also be called compulsive gambling.

If you consider that you might be a problem gambler - or a person affected by a gambling person, or have tendencies towards that behaviour, please contact me by email or my contact page.

For a prompt  appointment: email, call or text: 07757 233386 (UK). I may be with a client, or otherwise occupied, in which case please leave a message with your contact number. I will respond promptly. Or email: info@counsellingworld.co.uk Or use the contact page to send me a message.