Why a practice for this alone
Gambling harm is treated, in most of the country, as a subheading under addiction. It behaves differently. There is no substance to withdraw from, no physical sign for a partner to notice, and no natural ceiling — a person can lose a year’s income in an evening without leaving the sofa. The result is a condition that stays hidden far longer than most, and arrives at treatment with the financial damage already done.
UK Gambling Therapy exists because that specificity deserves a specific service. Everything we run — the intake call, the twelve-week structure, the same-week appointment after a lapse, the fact that money work happens in week one rather than week ten — is shaped by how this particular problem actually behaves.
What independence means here
A great deal of gambling support in Britain is funded, directly or indirectly, by the industry that creates the harm. We have taken a different position: UK Gambling Therapy accepts no money from any gambling operator, trade body or industry-funded foundation, in any form. No sponsorship, no research grants, no advertising, no affiliate revenue, no referral fees. Our only income is therapy fees paid by clients.
That is also why our reviews of free UK support can say plainly when a free service is a better answer than paying us. Read the full position on our Disclosure page.
Who does the work
Our clinicians are qualified psychotherapists and counsellors registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies or UK Council for Psychotherapy, working within their professional codes of ethics and under regular clinical supervision. Every clinician holds enhanced DBS clearance and professional indemnity insurance. We can tell you which register your therapist appears on, and their registration number, before you book — please ask, and check it yourself.
What we will not do
- We will not treat conditions outside our competence — we refer into NHS specialist care instead.
- We will not take a client whose payment for therapy would deepen their financial harm.
- We will not publish client testimonials, names or words; our recovery stories are labelled composites.
- We will not host comments, forums or user submissions of any kind.
- We will not sell, share or trade a single piece of information about you.
How this website is kept honest
Every clinical and signposting page carries a review date. The organisations we review, and their contact details, are re-checked at least twice a year and after any change we become aware of. Where we cite an instrument or a piece of research, we name it. If you find something on this website that is out of date or wrong, tell us at hello@ukgamblingtherapy.co.uk and we will correct it.