18 September 2020

CNWL’s National Centre for Gaming Disorders has held its first workshop for parents of young people with the disorder.

The two-hour session was designed to teach parents about the addiction, how it affects the brain and the emotional states of gamers.

It also explored how parents can help support gamers to understand and regulate their emotions and also to start to implement boundaries, limit setting, and problem solving around gaming time and suggested healthy communication skills.

The workshop was delivered by Clinical Psychologists Dr Rebecca Lockwood and Dr Sophia Seltzer-Eade. It ended with a Q&A session with Clinic Director Dr Henrietta Bowden-Jones.

It was attended by the parents of children in treatment, as well as by parents whose children are too young or who haven't agreed to attend. 

More workshops are planned for the future, including one for professionals.

Dr Lockwood said: “It’s important for parents to look after themselves to ensure they can support their children. Creating a support network is really valuable.

“We stressed the importance of persistence with the techniques we advise and in not giving up if things don’t change straight away, change is a slow process.

“Ensuring the process is not ‘problem focused’ is also essential so ruptured relationships between child and parent can start to be improved again.”

Dr Bowden-Jones said: “We held this workshop because we know it’s important for a national clinic, such as ours, to be led by families as well as by patients. We need to listen as well as act.” 

Service manager and Systemic Psychotherapist Becky Harris said: “Parents found it insightful and supportive and it led to requests for more workshops and training around the area.”

Anyone interested in attending a future workshop or wanting advice or information, or who wants to make a referral, should contact the clinic (020 7381 7722 or ncba.cnwl@nhs.net).