Group to offer gambling help

A NEW group-led initiative aimed at giving people impacted by gambling a network of support has been established for the region.

Delivered via the Gamblers Help team at the region’s key family services organisation Cafs, the free discussion group will meet monthly, following the first session held earlier this month.

Gamblers Help therapeutic counsellor Shania Manoel said the initiative is about showing those impacted by gambling that they aren’t alone.

“There’s a lot of need for a group like this,” she said. “Obviously gambling is a really big issue in Ballarat and it can be quite an isolating issue.

“A lot of people feel quite alone in what they’re going through so it’s important for people to realise there are others out there struggling with similar things and there’s no shame in it.

“This came about because one of my clients asked if Cafs run Gamblers’ Help groups because she’d attended Gamblers Anonymous in the past and liked the group aspect of it and wanted something run by qualified professionals.”

The group meets for one-and-a-half hour sessions on the second Friday of each month.

Participants are able to link in with Gamblers Help counsellors and other community members similarly affected by gambling.

The sessions will be capped at a maximum of 12 participants, with two to three counsellors facilitating.

Ms Manoel said the group’s sessions will be participant-led and informal.

“The first session was everyone getting to know each other and giving everyone an opportunity to share their story if they felt comfortable,” she said.

“They’ve put forward quite a few good ideas for what to focus on or learn for later sessions like responsible management of money or the logic behind gambling which we’ll focus on next.”

Ms Manoel said she hopes the group will reach more people.

“If there’s interest beyond 12 people, we can look at getting a second group together,” she said.

“We’ve had a couple more interested in joining which is positive, and hopefully we can get some more people who aren’t already engaged in counselling while focusing on what participants want.”

To register for the discussion group, call Cafs on 1800 692 237.