The Primary Care Gambling Service Registration Form

How to prepare for therapy following registration

If you’ve completed your initial assessment and received your treatment plan, you may be about to start a therapy intervention with us at PCGS. Whether this is the first time you’ve taken part in therapy or not, it’s natural to feel some anxiety or have questions about what it’s going to be like or how to make the most of it. In this article, we’ll go over some practical advice to help you prepare for your first therapy session with us to help you feel confident going into it.

Before starting therapy, it’s useful to understand what type of therapy you’re taking part in and what your goals are for the sessions. If you’re unsure about the kind of therapy you’re getting, ask your therapist how they think it could help you and what you should expect from it. If they use terms you don’t understand, ask them to explain more so you know what to expect. 

Once you know more about the therapy you’re getting, make sure to think about what you want to achieve and try to set realistic expectations of what the sessions will provide. Everyone has different motivations for seeking support with gambling harm so try and think about some small goals that you can achieve along the way in your recovery. This could be related to your wellbeing, your relationships, or focusing on stopping or reducing your gambling. It can be helpful to think about therapy as a process to help you achieve these goals. If you’ve already started your therapy, it can be useful to discuss with your therapist what you think is and isn’t working for you in achieving these. 

Now that you know more about the therapy you’re getting and what you want to get out of it, it’s important that you’re ready and comfortable for the sessions. Make a plan with your therapist about what the best way to have the conversation is. For example, if you’re doing your sessions over video call but you’re unsure about technology, speak to your therapist or someone you trust about it, so you feel confident joining on the day. Also think about your surroundings for the therapy sessions, making sure it’s somewhere you feel comfortable discussing sensitive topics. 

Try and relax as much as you can for your therapy sessions. The NHS has breathing exercises for stress that could help you to prepare. Have a think about what can help put you at ease. This could be holding something to ground yourself like a pillow or making yourself a cup of tea. It’s also useful to have a think about what you’ll do after the session, it might be beneficial to move to a different room afterwards or do something you enjoy like listening to music or going for a walk to help you wind down.

Finally, give yourself time to adjust to the sessions - it can take some time to build a rapport and trust with a therapist. If there’s something that isn’t working for you or you require adjustments, speak to your therapist about how they can help. For example, if English isn’t your first language, you can request an interpreter to help you express yourself.

We know that seeking support for gambling harm can be tough, which is why we use an empathetic and non-judgemental approach to our care. If you’d like to know more about the support offers we have at PCGS, visit our website

We’re here to help.