Help
What help is available for my gambling problem?
If you think you might have a gambling problem, we are here to help. The Center for Problem Gambling provides a full range of services, including individual counseling, couples and family counseling, gambling recovery groups, and support groups.
Evaluation and treatment may be low cost or free, depending on your ability to pay.
Individual Counseling
Individual counseling is an effective way of helping people overcome their gambling problem. This type of treatment usually involves weekly one-on-one meetings with a therapist. The therapist helps clients achieve a better understanding of their gambling habit and assists them in developing specific skills to monitor and reduce their urge to gamble. Other goals include improving the client’s well-being, increasing self-confidence, building self-esteem, and resolving personal issues that may have occurred as a result of problem gambling.
Couples & Family Counseling
Problem gambling impacts more than just the gambler. So it is sometimes helpful to involve partners, spouses, or family members in treatment to address the problem gambling of a loved one. This may occur as part of individual counseling or it may be the central focus of treatment. Couples and family counseling addresses a wide range of issues in the relationships a gambler has with significant others. An important focus of such treatment is to enlist loved ones to provide support in the gambler’s efforts to stop problem gambling.
Gambling Recovery Groups
Gambling recovery groups provide people with the opportunity to learn from other clients, as they are guided by one or more therapists. Clients meet in a group to share experiences, challenges, and successes, and to learn skills for the prevention of future problem gambling. In such groups, individuals are educated about problem gambling participate in group discussions on various topics about their gambling and benefit from the feedback of fellow group members while under the support and guidance of trained professionals.
Support Groups
Gamblers Anonymous (GA) and other support groups provide fellowship for those with a gambling problem. There are no fees or membership requirements. Meetings are usually held at facilities in the community such as churches and public meeting halls. The Center for Problem Gambling hosts several GA meetings per week. At meetings, people are invited to speak about their experiences in overcoming problem gambling. In addition, they are encouraged to work through a series of “12 steps” towards recovery with a fellow member called a sponsor. GA provides members with a caring, supportive, and facilitative network of people who are working to overcome problem gambling.
Your Next Step
If you are interested in finding out which treatment is best for you, please contact the Center for Problem Gambling to set up an appointment. Click here for more information.
Are you seeking help for gambling?
Considering treatment?
Watch one woman's story of overcoming her addiction by clicking here.
Learn More
Do you sometimes gamble more than you would like to? If so, we may be able to help you. Click on the links below for answers to frequently asked questions about gambling:
