Observing management trained in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) has been illuminating. The original manual was created in Australia by Betty Kitchener and Anthony Jorm (2000), enabling ordinary people to use concepts and techniques that can then be utilised to assist anyone experiencing a mental health crisis. This essential training has been used in real-life situations, especially in sensitive issues such as pathological gambling, one of the most common issues Castle Bingo faces. Irvin Yalom (2002) explained that to 'strike while the iron is cold' resulted in a calmer and beneficial result for both the counsellor and the client, finding a solution together without judgement or any outrage. One of the core beliefs and values of Castle Bingo regarding MHFA was how they want their staff to see how vital it is to have empathy and compassion, not just with customers and staff but with themselves too. I have never seen this in a work environment where they train their staff to consider their mental health and how important it is to maintain, creating spaces to voice any concerns in safe and confidential areas. I had witnessed a situation where MHFA had resulted in a positive outcome. Mr S had been under discreet observation as the amount and frequency of money being spent had abruptly increased by a substantial amount. The amount expended would typically range from £20.00 a night on the Amusement With Prizes (AWP) machines to £100.00. The staff member in the AWP department noticed this, who then followed the procedure and informed the manager on shift. These situations are one of the main reasons all staff are trained in looking for signs of pathological gambling and are encouraged to build a rapport with customers. With rapport building, you can discover and observe their patterns, ranging from their moods and spending habits and encourage the staff to be more aware of the welfare of customers and protect them if they become vulnerable. 
Obtaining the skills of the three core conditions and applying them in everyday situations has benefitted me and strengthened my emotional intelligence. Moreover, using both these skills simultaneously has resulted in aiding customers and colleagues by building a solid rapport with them. This rapport has created trust, making them feel they can talk to me about issues they deem need to be addressed. An example of this is with Miss T, who felt that her spending was beginning to become an issue and has felt withdrawal symptoms when unable to come to bingo. Understanding how important it was to take time and speak to her, I informed my manager and used my Gamcare training to give her the help she needed. Upon reflection, it became unmistakable how having counselling skills could be utilised to prevent gambling addiction, which is why MHFA is implemented in every Castle Bingo club. 
Upon reflection, there were points where working at Castle Bingo had made me feel helpless regarding some customers in denial. But, unfortunately, one of the lessons I have learned is that I can't help anyone unless they accept that they need help and ask for it. However, in these situations, the management keeps these customers under observation. When able, they have discreet conversations with a said customer to ensure they are okay and explain the help they can provide if needed. Again, safeguarding customers and ensuring they understand it is in their best interest and not being judgmental or antagonising. 
Understanding that people have different spending allowances for spending needs to be considered. For example, someone could spend £100.00 a night which would be the norm for them as they have the funds to do this, whereas if someone else lost that amount, they could find themselves in debt which could lead to a spiral and result in pathological gambling disorder.
My interpersonal skills have furthered my counselling skills as it has made it easier for customers and staff to find me more approachable with the help of building rapport. Castle Bingo takes pride in teaching staff the CSTARS and Diamond Service to ensure safety is at the utmost paramount of the services they provide. Understanding that the counselling skills I practice and the training I have been given with the company have aided my success. Learning new skills has given me a different perspective on how I can help staff or customers with issues I have not yet encountered before. Pro-activeness has also been an aid when trying to help customers prevent getting into financial trouble before it's too late. 
In conclusion, I have found this experience enlightening as it has shown how the skills I have learned can be applied in real-life situations. Furthermore, using my interpersonal skills in this job has strengthened my relationships with customers and staff, gaining a higher emotional intelligence.
Working at Castle Bingo has shown how it is used as almost a social club for older customers. Many of these customers have no family or friends to visit them and have made bingo their way of socialising, which can become an issue as they come in more frequently, resulting in higher spending than average. 
After watching the Gamcare presentation, I decided to research further into pathological gambling to better understand this sensitive issue. Studies have revealed how a small proportion of studies indicated that genetic factors primarily impact gambling. For example, Beaver et al. (2010) discovered that genetic factors explained approximately 70% of the variance in gambling. Other studies indicated a moderate genetic influence on gambling. For example, Eisen et al. (1998) concluded that inherited factors demonstrated between 35 and 53% of reported pathological gambling. Slutske et al. (2011) also found that genetic factors presented 49.2% of disordered gambling as seen in the DSM-IV.
One of the main reasons gambling has become addictive is goal-oriented emotion regulation that results in a hedonic reward. Artificial stimuli flood the brain with dopamine, creating feelings of intense satisfaction once endorphins are released. The hippocampus registered the resulting 'high' as long-term memory, leading to an urge to repeat the experience. Once this desire overrides normal behaviour and the ability to function, it is classed as an addiction. Again this solidifies how important it is to utilise the skills acquired to prevent this from happening.