Helplink Mental Health operates a free, national gambling addiction counselling service, 7 days a week and out-of-hours: online or by phone. Furthermore, they provide weekly aftercare groups for clients who have completed their one-to-one counselling sessions. This service is provided by experienced and qualified addiction counsellors for young people (aged 16 to 18 yrs) and adults alike.
Please go to Helplink’s website by clicking here, for more information on this and their other counselling services (or call 0818 998880 or email [email protected]).
Aftercare Service:
Gambling addiction clients, that have completed their one-to-one counselling sessions with Helplink Counsellors are then offered a place on our weekly aftercare groups for 12 months. Aftercare groups (also known as peer support groups) are facilitated each week by an addiction counsellor and they help clients to get the support they need to achieve long-term recovery from addiction.
The group meetings are a core part of the addiction treatment programme and are not an 'add-on' once the one-to-one counselling sessions end. The group meetings are vital to give clients the best means possible to avoid relapse by allowing them to talk through issues both positive and negative. Clients benefit from a process of sharing experiences with each other as they progress through recovery. Group members who may be struggling with a particular issue not suitable for discussion within the group or any member who experiences relapse, will immediately be offered a number of one-to-one counselling sessions to help them move forward and return to the group as soon as is appropriate.