Gambling counselling.

Gambling is a habit - often expensive and destructive; not only financially. Nobody was born a gambler; so gambling is a learned habit - which can be changed. Our gambling counselling works towards developing a lifestyle without gambling, or thoughts of gambling.

During the gambling counselling we work towards:

• a life with consistency of living and working for a prosperous, happy outcome.
• people trusting you and your reliability.
• regaining trust in relationships.
• avoiding the necessity to lie to others, either by outright lies or evading truth.

Working away from the reoccurring problems that gambling brings, e.g.:

• acceptance that the thrill and excitement of gambling is detrimental and dangerous.
  
• reality that gambling is a negative behaviour.

The reality is that the gambling industry always wins, the gambler always loses - on average. There will be intermittent wins, overall losses will continue.  Accepting that reality is a principal counselling objective.

A learned habit can be changed. It requires effort to change. Gambling counselling can provide the tools to bring those changes and encourage the efforts.

Gambling is guessing 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 areas 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 minimise gambling tendencies.
3. Developing acceptance of the past, with what has been learned from it - bringing reality.
4. Informative interventions of techniques used by the gambling industry to maximise their profits.
5. Informative interventions of guessing as a survival tool by animals and humans.
6. Working towards developing an new identity of being a 'non-gambler', with those implications.
7. Acceptance of the new personality of being a 'non-gambler', with the adaptions and changes necessary.
8. Understanding that efforts to be a non-gambler are worthwhile, with benefits of relationships and finances.

Our gambling counselling assumes actions start with thoughts, which then might be followed by actions.

Gambling thoughts do NOT have to be followed by  gambling actions. When a gambler understands and accepts that concept there can be a drastic change.

After a time of not using the 'action' of gambling, the frequency of the 'thoughts' of gambling decrease - maybe to nothing.

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.

I also provide gambling counselling to partners or relatives who are affected by another person's gambling.

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

For an appointment, email, call or text: 07757 233386 UK. Email: info@counsellingworld.co.uk Or use contact page.