Relationship Support

By Lindsey Flack

Seeking support when you are struggling with gambling harms takes courage, and doing so can make all the difference. That support might come from professionals, with practical suggestions to prevent further gambling and manage finances, or from a loved one who is directly impacted by the gambling behaviour, an affected other.

Professional support removes the emotional connection and can often reduce the fear of judgement or the feeling of disappointing a family member or partner. When stopping or changing gambling behaviour, both kinds of support give a person the chance to build accountability, challenge their thinking around gambling, and gain new perspective on the impact of that behaviour, not only on themselves but on the people around them.

For an affected other, whether a partner, family member or friend, supporting someone experiencing gambling harms can be challenging. They face their own conflicting emotions, perhaps wanting to be supportive and compassionate while also managing feelings of anger, loss of trust and fear of the future. Affected others can experience many of the same emotions as the person who has been gambling, including confusion, guilt and shame, and they may wonder what they could have done to help.

Ara offers individual one-to-one counselling to anyone experiencing gambling harms and anyone affected by someone else’s gambling, giving them the space to talk about their own experiences and find ways to move forward. These sessions often take place in moments of crisis, when emotions are very raw. They can be a place to feel heard, feel validated, and begin to find understanding.

What Relationship Support offers

Ara now offers Relationship Support sessions for clients who have completed their individual counselling and would like the opportunity to have joint sessions with a relationship counsellor. Coming together for continued support gives both people the chance to build on what they have learnt in their one-to-one sessions and to share their experiences with each other in a safe space.

Relationship Support can help with:

• Rebuilding trust
• Improving communication
• Setting boundaries
• Addressing financial concerns
• Gaining new perspectives

The sessions are designed to help both people openly discuss topics they may have previously avoided. They provide a non-judgemental and impartial space, encouraging a collaborative approach to relapse prevention.

Relationship Support sessions last 50 minutes and are held weekly online. Many clients find that even a couple of sessions together can help, whether that is addressing a specific concern or simply learning how to talk about gambling without the fear of conflict.

In their words

“I felt anxious about the sessions at the start but enjoy them now. I have realised how good it is to make time to talk to each other, and we have both noticed how much easier this has become, outside of sessions too.”

“We would only end up arguing if we tried to talk about the gambling. Now we don’t.”

If you feel Relationship Support could help you and your loved one, please contact us for more details.