Tips and clues, based on Yin-Yang, to

Work with Asian Gambling Clients

Donghwan (Gus) LIMAsian Family Services

Problem Gambling FoundationMNZAC, MANZASW

Main Contents

• Asian Gambling in New Zealand• Yin-Yang Perspective• Tips and clues for those who practice with Asian

clients• Q & A

Asian Family Services > Cultural Hub

Cultural Competency

• Necessities– Multi-cultural society (2013 Census)

• More than 1 million New Zealanders were born overseas• Nearly 30% of the people in Auckland can speak more than

one language• Growing Asian population from 9.2% in 2006 to 11.8% in 2013

– Shame and stigma are associated with gambling– Therapeutic engagement is crucial

• Cultural biases affect detection, assessment and therapy

Asian Gambling in NZ• Asian adults are less likely to participate in gambling than

Pacific, European/Other and Māori adults (the 2012 NGS) – Asian 61% -Pacific 75%, - European/ other 82% - Maori 85%

• Patterns of gambling participation among Asian populations appear to be bi-modal: – Asian adults are less likely to participate in gambling, but those

that do tend to gamble relatively heavily.

• Asian males (like Māori and Pacific males) were more likely to be moderate-risk gamblers or problem gamblers than European/Other males (MOH, 2015)

Dollars lost in 4 weeks prior to first assessment by ethnicity - MOH, 2008.

Self-exclusion

Over 60% of people who either exclude themselves or accept the family as a third party seeking exclusion from the Auckland casino are Asian.

Asian Gambling• Asians made up 7.9% of problem gambling

service clients in 2014/15.• One in four (24.5%) of moderate-risk/problem

gamblers are Asian.• Nearly 78% of Asian clients cite casino based

machines and tables as their primary mode of gambling. (2007 service user statistics, MOH)

Casino and Casino Table Gambling for Asian Gamblers

• Often the casino is seen as– a refuge from the hardship in their post-migration adjustment– an attractive environment– a social place to meet friends– An escape from problem such as isolation, loneliness and

boredom

• Cultural beliefs– To test their luck at the begin of year or other cultural events– Numbers symbolize power (Papineau, 2005)– Yin-Yang

Yin-Yang: Chinese Philosophy since 14th BC

5 Elements•Tree•Fire•Earth•Metal•Water

Yin ‘Female’ energy such as

the moon, night, weakness, darkness, softness, femininity

Yang‘Male’ energy such as the

sun, day, strength, brightness, hardness,

masculinity

White dot in in the black

Connotes coexistence and unity of the opposite

to form the whole

Curvy line There are NO absolute separations b/w opposites

Concepts in Yin-Yang

• Fang. T (2011)– Paradoxical Value Orientation

• Enabling to embrace opposite traits– Three Tenets

• Holistic Duality• Dynamic Duality• Dialectic Duality

• Chen (2002)– Duality – Paradox– Unity of Diversity– Change and Harmony

Tips and Clues, based on Yin-Yang, to work with Asian Gambling Clients

• Macro level: Paradoxical – Be mindful of connectedness

between clinical work and public health work

– Be willing to work with “opposite party” to work for clients professionally

– To maintain ‘appropriate and flexible boundary with clients and other related parties

Tips and Clues (Cont.)• Micro level: Relationship

– One of the keys for successful outcome with Asian clients is relationship

– Prefer the concept “being one” instead of two separate parties between client and counsellors

– We are “both/and” instead of “either/or”

– Prefer word ‘We’ to ‘I’ in counselling setting

Tips and Clues (Cont.)• Micro level: holistic/harmony

– To extend counselling topics to cover non-gambling issue as well as gambling topics - a holistic approach

– To check about migration adjustment difficulties, not only for client but also for whole family

– To invite to have family session

Tips and Clues (Cont.)

• Micro level: dialectical – To expect that the number of

session would go beyond certain number of sessions

– To expect that client and their family will see you as expert

– To encourage and support clients to review culture beliefs that affect their gambling behaviour

References• Chan, S. & Leong, C. (1994). Chinese Families in Transition: Cultural Conflicts and Adjustment

Problems, Journal of Social Distress and the Homeless, Vol., 3 No 3. 1994• Fang, T. (2011) Yin Yang: A New Perspective on Culture, Management and Organisation Review

8(1) pp. 25-50• Federman, J. E., Drebing, E. C. & Krebs, C. (2000), Don't leave it to chance; A Guide for

Familiies of Problem Gamblers, Oakland, CA. New Harbinger. • J. McMillen, D. Marshall, L. Murphy, S. Lorenzen, B. Waugh (2004) HELP-SEEKING BY

PROBLEM GAMBLERS, FRIENDS AND FAMILIES:A FOCUS ON GENDER AND CULTURAL GROUPS, retrived on Dec 2007 at http://www.gamblingandracing.act.gov.au/Documents/Help-seeking-FINAL-revised.pdf

• Jung, M. (1984), Structural Family Therapy. Family Process, 23, 365-374• Papineau, E (2005). Pathological Gambling in Montreal's Chinese Community: An

Anthropological Perspective. Journal of Gambling Studies, 21 (2), 157-178.• Scull, S & Woolcock, G. (2005) Problem gambling in Non-English Speaking Background

Communities in Queenland, Australia: A qualitative Exploration, International Gambling Studies, 5(1) 29-44

• Statistics New Zealand (2014). 2013 Census QuickStats about culture and identity.• Tse, S., Kim, H. & Wong, J. (2004), Problem Gambling Treatment For Asian Immigrants. In Tan,

R & Wurtzburg, S. (Eds) Problem Gambling, New Zealand perspective on treatment, (p, 196-206), Wellington, Steele Roberts.

Q & A or Comments

• Limitations• Further study is required• Further contact

– Asian Family Services– 0800862342 (Free and Confidential)– gus.lim@pgfnz.org.nz– 64 + 272409577– 09-2126817 (DDI)