Breakeven

Breakeven are a multi-service provider based in the South East of England and specialising in Gambling Harms Treatment and Recovery.

They are a leading provider of free-to-access counselling and are regional lead partners for the National Gambling Service Network.

Their stated aim is to provide an opportunity to those seeking support around harmful gambling to be supported in working towards increasing their well-being and becoming free of gambling related harm.

Services

Gambling Counselling

Breakeven’s website explains their approach to counselling and support around gambling as follows:

“When a client comes to us with gambling related harm, the first and most important step is to help them cut down or stop gambling altogether, depending on their individual goals and needs.

To this end, we examine practical ways of dealing with triggers to gamble, develop strategies for avoiding temptation. You may also want to look at options for managing your money to minimise opportunities to gamble. We will explain the purpose and benefit of using Blocking software and how to access these tools.

Our counsellors adopt a two-tier approach by working with you to explore the origins of the problem and the underlying reasons why you gamble. Gaining insight and understanding helps you come to terms with the problem and overcome it.

The most obvious goal is working towards a reduction or complete abstinence of gambling. As you gain insight, you learn to deal with your urges and triggers, which results in making better choices and change your previous pattern of behaviour.”

Family & Friends

Like most good providers Breakeven understand that for every person who gambles, there are between 6- 10 people also affected. For this reason they offer services directly for families, partners and loved ones living with someone who has gambled harmfully.

“At Breakeven we understand how difficult it is for the partner, family member or friend of the person who gambles. It can cause considerable strain on a relationship and can impact the whole household and extended family if someone’s gambling is out of control.

If Friends and Family are asking ’how can I help?’ or experiencing impacts because of the behaviour of someone who gambles, it is important for them to know that we are here for them, too; they can also have counselling support from us.

Even if the person with a gambling dependency is not ready to engage with us, we will work with the family member or friend, helping them understand and learn to cope with the impacts of their experience.”

Support for Women

Understanding how difficult it can be to reach out for support as a woman when experiencing gambling related harm, and how alone that can make one feel, has led to Breakeven also offering women focused support.

As well as direct counselling led by women they also run a support group called WINGS (Women in Need of Gambling Support). Wings is an online platform, facilitated by a counsellor, where you can talk with other women in a similar situation. A safe place to feel understood, share experiences, and gain support, while gaining insights from listening to others.

Breakeven Treatment Journey

The Treatment journey for anyone applying to Breakeven for support is as follows:

• Referral process can be completed via phone , email or contact form.
• The client will be contacted within 48 hours of referral
• Assessments are carried out the following week
• Treatment plan agreed/commenced one week later
• Treatment face-to-face or online at convenient time
• 8 to 12-week programme, aftercare, follow ups at 2 weeks, 3, 6 & 12 months

Additional Services

As well as the above services Breakeven also offer:

Aftercare groups (Green Shoot Recovery),

Peer support delivered by qualified counsellors who themselves have Lived Experience of recovering from harmful gambling,

Training and Workshop services aimed at increasing awareness of gambling harms, how to flag up support options available, and how to help reduce stigmas attached to those gambling and affected others.

GLEN’s View

Breakeven are another non-profit organisation founded and run by individuals as a direct response to their own Lived Experiences around gambling harms and recovery. Founded by Ian Semel and his wife Alex, both of whom still hold leading roles with the charity, they offer a wide range of services for people looking for support from gambling harms. Lived Experience plays a major role in helping Breakeven deliver their support, meaning that those reaching out can expect empathy as well as sympathy, coming as it does from trained counsellors such as Daniel (featured in the video below) who draw upon their own experience of having been addicted to gambling or having been impacted by a loved one’s gambling in order to better understand what that means and feels like to those seeking help.

Support is available for those directly or indirectly affected and includes support for family and friends. They offer support to couples after treatment has been completed, have a comprehensive women’s support programme and offer group sessions. Support is quick to access, usually available straight away, and is totally free. All of which makes them a great place to go to if you feel you, or someone you care about, needs support around their gambling or the impacts of someone else’s gambling.

Don’t just take our word for it. Please take time to watch Daniel talking to GLEN as part of our “In Conversation…” video series, and hopefully the following testimonies of previous clients may provide further reassurance that they are an organisation which can be trusted to have your best interests at the heart of what they do.

“I wish I had taken this step years ago. This was the turning point in my life for me and I’m eternally grateful to you for the help and support you have given me.“

“I can’t thank Alex and Breakeven enough, a truly fantastic service that I hope I will never need to use again, but its comforting to know if I struggle that I am able to reach out again. Alex has been simply amazing and has helped me readjust my thought processes and help put me on a path that will allow a more positive life for me and my children. Thank you again. Outstanding service.“

“The support from my wife has been more than any man deserves, and I just don’t know how to express what she means to me. The work I did with a counsellor/therapist was life changing and I hope I can one day repay a tiny part of what I feel I owe her and breakeven as an organisation by sharing my ‘lived experience’ at a seminar in the future’.“

In Conversation… Video Series

At GLEN we truly believe that reading about a service can only ever go so far in answering your questions about whether they are the right people to help you. Looking beyond written words we try to bring you face-to-face with the real people who work behind the front door, and who you may yourself be meeting if you choose to go there. We see the chance to expose the Human Face of services as being a powerful tool in helping remove barriers to accessing support.

Watch – GLEN “In Conversation…” with Daniel from Breakeven.

Contact Details

By phone: 01273 833722

By email: info@breakeven.org.uk

By Website: https://breakeven.org.uk