Counselling Hub Page

I worked as a problem gambling counsellor for ten years and want to share one way of working with counselling clients. I worked with problem gambling clients, but this could help a wide range of clients.

How these ideas emerged and references

This feedback cycle drove this client's problem gambling — Diagram: This feedback cycle drove Client Zed’s problem gambling (ZC01N3)

The example counselling session with Client Zed and the vicious cycle driving his problem gambling.

Diagram: This feedback cycle amplifies (1) a dread, (2) a defence against the dread, & (3) the damage caused by the defence (ZCM01N3)

A psychodynamic defence seen as a vicious cycle.

Diagram: This feedback cycle escalates (1) taking an activity and (2) its motivations (ZCW01N2)

Compulsive habits seen as a vicious cycle.

Cognitive behavioural therapy: My intervention with client Zed as a cognitive intervention.

Narrative therapy: My intervention with client Zed has similarities to the externalisation in Narrative Therapy.

Rogerian client-centred therapy: My intervention with client Zed was consistent with the principles of Rogerian counselling.

Diagram: A complementary relationship in which one person gains cooking skills, and the other loses these skills. (ZS50N2S1)

Symmetrical & complementary relationships are amplifying feedback cycles.

Diagram: This feedback cycle amplifies (1) gambling, (2) gambling shocks, and (3) the denial of these shocks. (ZC45N3S3)

Close examination of key feedback cycles organising human behaviour

Diagram: The cyclic logic of the paradox “This statement is false”. (ZS54N4S1)

Paradox and Client Zed’s situation

Planned Link to the systems theory hub page

I briefly touch on complementary branches of systems theory:

Chaos theory, which shows how feedback can produce complexity, unpredictability, and instability, and
Self-organisation theory, which shows how feedback can produce order.

Loaded 9 September 2026.