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The Counselling Hub

For any counsellor who has a client suffering from an addiction or compulsion.

Here is an effective, practical, and tested way to work with your client to identify and use (1) vicious cycles that could be driving their difficulties and (2) virtuous cycles that could support their recovery.

Drawing on a decade of specialised work as a problem gambling counsellor, I developed a practical, systems-based framework to identify and disrupt the vicious cycles driving client distress. While this approach evolved in addiction counselling, it integrates with established therapies and could assist a wide range of clients.

The full content is here. It is free to use; just reference the creator.

Introduction: How this approach emerged.

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

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

Virtuous Recovery Cycles

Diagram: This feedback cycle amplifies client Zed’s (1) giving assistance, (2) gaining respect, and (3) his motivation to assist. — Diagram: This feedback cycle amplifies Client Zed’s (1) giving assistance, (2) gaining respect, and (3) his motivation to assist.(ZC17N3S)

Integration with Traditional Therapies

Psychodynamic defences as vicious cycles. (Malan, 1979)

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

Denial as a vicious cycle.

A three node vicious cycle linking (1) gambling, (2) gambling shocks, and (3) Denial of the shocks. — This feedback cycle amplifies (1) gambling, (2) gambling shocks, and (3) the denial of these shocks. (ZC45N3S)

Compulsive habits as vicious cycles. (Weinberg, 1995)

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

Cognitive behavioural therapy: The intervention with client Zed is a cognitive intervention.

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

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

Symmetrical & complementary relationships are amplifying feedback cycles. (Bateson, 1972)

Diagram: A complementary relationship in which one person gains cooking skills, and the other loses these skills. — A complementary relationship in which one person gains cooking skills, and the other loses those skills. (ZS50N2S)

Rewards, Tolerance, and Punishment

Diagram: This feedback cycle increases (1) doing an activity, (2) tolerance of the activity, and decreased excitement. — Diagram: This feedback cycle increases (1) performance of an activity, (2) tolerance to the activity, and (3) decreased excitement. (ZC119N3S)

Paradox and Client Zed’s situation (Watzlawick et al., 1987)

Diagram: The cyclic logic of the paradox “This statement is false”. — The cyclic logic of the paradox “This statement is false”. (ZS54N4S)

Integration with Complexity Theory

Chaos Theory: Understanding human behaviour through feedback loops connects psychology to chaos theory and the study of complexity: a realistic lens for human behaviour.

Self-organisation of human behaviour: How feedback cycles can organise (1) thoughts, feelings, ideas, (2) habits, and (3) character.

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Loaded 9 September 2026. Modified 23 September 2026.

Featured Image: ZCM01N3. TABOK