When the next bet always feels like the answer.
Counselling for sports betting, online casinos and gambling that has started to cost more than money.
Written by Elza Berk, Founder & registered counsellor · ASCHP WCW/271 · 20+ years’ clinical experience · Updated 28 September 2026
With betting apps on every phone, gambling has become one of the fastest-growing addictions in South Africa. It can start as fun and quickly become a way to escape stress, chase losses, or feel hope when life feels stuck.
Gambling often comes with secrecy, debt and deep shame, which makes it harder to ask for help. You won’t be judged here.
Harm reduction for gambling includes practical steps — limits, blocking apps, handing over financial control — alongside understanding the emotions that drive the urge.
You might notice
- Chasing losses
- Betting more to get the same thrill
- Hiding gambling or debts
- Borrowing money to gamble
- Irritability when you can’t bet
- Conflict at home about money
You don’t need a diagnosis to reach out.
Free craving tool →How we work with you.
Practical limits
Blocking, limits and financial safeguards.
Understanding urges
What gambling gives you, and other ways to get it.
Repairing trust
Support for honest conversations with loved ones.
Choose who feels right.
Janika Cumpsty
Head of Supervision
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Registered Counsellor
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Risimati Chauke
Social Worker
“I create a safe, non-judgemental space where clients can process their experiences and find practical pathways toward healing and resilience.”
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Registered Wellness Counsellor
“I take a compassionate, client-centred approach — creating a safe space to explore emotions, heal from the past, and build healthier ways of coping going forward.”
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Jamie-Leigh Brickles
Registered Specialist Wellness Counsellor
“Counselling is collaborative, and at its core it’s about your heart. I believe we all have the answers deeply rooted within us; sometimes we just need the courage to reach for them.”
- Anxiety
- Grief & loss
- Trauma
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Elza Berk
Founder & CEO · Registered Counsellor
“I built MyTruth because I needed it then and it didn’t exist. Every counsellor here has been chosen for their capacity to sit with what is real.”
- Addiction (harm reduction)
- Trauma
- Eating disorders
English · Afrikaans
Common questions
Is gambling really an addiction?
Yes. It affects the brain’s reward system in similar ways to substances.
Can my partner join a session?
Yes. Gambling affects the whole family, and joint sessions can help.
I’m in debt. Can you help with that?
We focus on the emotional side and can help you plan next steps; for debt advice, a registered debt counsellor can help alongside us.
Your truth deserves to be heard.
Choose a counsellor who speaks your language and understands your world. Sessions are online, private and booked in minutes.