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Counselling Services
If you need urgent help please call 0800-664 262.
If you would like to email for help please email
help@pgfnz.org.nz
The Problem Gambling Foundation offers free and confidential face-to-face counselling for individuals, families, couples and concerned others throughout New Zealand. Click here for a list of clinics in New Zealand.
We also offer group counselling for both the person with the gambling problem and anyone else who is concerned about the gambling, whether family, friend or workmate.
We provide referrals to budgeting or other services, to suit the needs of our clients.
We have an Asian Clinical Services team that provides free counselling, information and education to the Asian community in Korean, Cantonese and Mandarin.
We also offer clients the option of working with a Maori or Pacific counsellor or to be referred to a Maori or Pacific service if desired.
All counselling services offered by the Problem Gambling Foundation are free of charge and confidential.
The PGF refers to and works with other health and skilled professionals where appropriate, such as general practitioners, budget advisors, family counsellors, mental health agencies, alcohol and drug agencies and many others. We also provide referrals to Maori and Pacific service providers.
The PGF also supports Gamblers Anonymous and GamAnon. For details of meetings contact the Gambling Helpline on 0800 654 655.
What to expect at a counselling session
The first few appointments
If you’ve never been to counselling before, it’s not unusual to feel anxious before the first meeting. For many people the most helpful thing about counselling is to have an impartial person to talk with about things that concern them.
The first appointment is usually between 1 to 1 ½ hours. The main goal of this appointment is to find out how you and your counsellor can best work together. The counsellor will ask you to give some background information on what has brought you in and will ask questions for clarification.
Based on your needs and this information, you and your counsellor will develop a plan for how you can best work together.
At this appointment you will also be asked to fill out some questionnaires, which give the counsellor an idea of how things are going with you. The information from the questionnaires is confidential.
Meetings are generally once per week or fortnightly for 50 minutes, depending on your needs.
How long will it take?
Clients often ask how long they will need to come to counselling. The answer is that varies from person to person. For some clients one, two or three meetings are enough, while others may choose to spend more time on the concern. Whether you attend one or six times, the choice is yours.
Leaving counselling
How will you know when to stop coming to counselling? A simple answer to that is, when you feel more confident about handling the concerns that brought you in.Contact us for more information.
