GAMBLING ADDICTION COUNSELLING

Course Description:

The purpose of this course is to give students familiarity with theoretical and practice techniques within the field of pathological gambling treatments. Emphasis will be placed on understanding theories relating to etiology, treatment modalities and concurrent intervention techniques. Outcome research with various treatment modalities will be discussed along with ethical considerations related to the application of treatment strategies. Counsellors must also be able to develop contextually appropriate treatment interventions and be able to liaise with relevant community resources.

Class participants will become aware of the continuum of care in treating clients with gambling problems. This includes discussion of various points of entry into treatment, different contexts of treatment, and ongoing support options following the completion of formal treatment.

Training in counsellor skills is unique compared to many other types of career skill training. It focuses on simultaneous development of you as a person, you as a professional, and your acquisition, at a high level, of the most transferable set of career skills - counselling skills - which will benefit you in all interpersonal settings. VCCT programs do this through indepth instruction while emphasizing skill practice and offering almost twice the hours in any similar courses offered in a university setting.

Counsellor training offers you the opportunity to build on your own self-knowledge, growth and abilities in order to counsel in ways that are intentional and effective. VCCT courses are just the beginning of the lifelong development and use of these skills.