The Gambling Disorder Treatment Handbook: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals
A clinical handbook to support all mental health professionals learning to treat or already working with people with a gambling disorder.
About The Gambling Disorder Treatment Handbook
This handbook provides mental health professionals with a thorough understanding of the biopsychosocial nature of disordered gambling and shares current evidence-based theories, interventions and strategies to use in clinical practice.
It provides guidance for working with individuals of any age and covers different gambling modes, activities and subtypes, including new forms of gambling through online and virtual platforms. Drawing on the authors’ substantial experience working with and researching gambling addiction, it considers how treatment can be specialized for particular client groups, including trauma survivors, military, older adults, adolescents and diverse communities. It provides detailed diagnostic and screening resources and includes important information on the financial and legal aspects.
A clinical handbook to support all mental health professionals learning to treat or already working with people with a gambling disorder.
About the authors
Jody Bechtold, LCSW, ICGC-II, BACC
Jody Bechtold, LCSW, ICGC-II, BACC, PC is a highly regarded gambling addiction expert working extensively across the globe with individuals, organizations, and associations. She is the CEO of The Better Institute, a group practice located in Pittsburgh. She is the co-author of The Gambling Disorder Treatment Handbook: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals and 2 chapters in the Social Work Desk Reference v 4 on Gambling and Gaming Disorders, published in 2021. She serves as the Vice President of the board for the International Gambling Counselor Certification Board (IGCCB). Jody holds a master’s degree in social work from the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Social Work and has certifications as a Board-Approved Clinical Consultant (BACC) and Internationally Certified Gambling Counselor Level II (ICGC-II) with the IGCCB. When Jody isn’t working, you can find her providing pet therapy with her dog, Hanna, and supporting her husband’s business, Pittsburgh Guitars.
Alyssa N. Wilson, Ph.D
Alyssa N. Wilson, PhD., BCBA-D, LBA is an Associate Professor and Department Chair of Applied Behavior Analysis Programs at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Southern California. She received her Ph.D in Rehabilitation with an emphasis in Behavior Analysis and Therapy from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. She is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral (BCBA-D) and is a Licensed Behavior Analyst in the state of Missouri. She is the co-author of The Gambling Disorder Treatment Handbook: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals and chapter in the Social Work Desk Reference v 4 on Gambling Disorders. She is also the co-author of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Gambling Disorders, a guide for clinicians. Dr. Wilson has delivered over fifty national and international presentations related to gambling assessment and treatment. She is currently an Associate Editor for the journal Behavior Analysis in Practice, and serves on the editorial boards for a range of journals including the Journal of Contextual Behavior Science and Perspectives of Behavior Science. When she isn’t working, you can find her traveling, painting, or cooking a vegetarian-friendly meal.
The Gambling Disorder Handbook by Jody Bechtold and Alyssa Wilson is the most comprehensive, current guide for the treatment of gambling disorder I have encountered. It provides a solid, evidence-informed rationale for a broad range of treatment approaches while also addressing “real-life” clinical applications. The authors, using their significant clinical experience, also address under-researched topics that are critical to the treatment of gambling disorder such as financial management, restitution, money protection planning and coping with legal issues. This book is a must have for any clinician working with clients and their families struggling with gambling disorder
A must read! “The Gambling Disorder Treatment Handbook” serves as a much needed, modern resource for those treating problem gambling. Addressing a wide range of relevant topics and offering up to date statistics, this book is a valuable asset to any treatment professional, educator or parent dealing with gambling related issues.
I appreciate the opportunity to review and recommend this informative and well laid out manuscript written by Jody Bechtold and Alyssa Wilson. I am sure the clinicians that will utilize this book will gain the knowledge necessary to provide excellent therapeutic skills to the problem/disordered gambler. I look forward to being able to share this book with our treatment providers. The case studies will help the clinician to understand the dynamics of the problem/disordered gambler. I would recommend this book to others in this field.
New to treating gambling disorders? Struggling to translate theory/research? Well, Bechtold and Wilson provide an updated, clear, concise, practical, and evidence-based treatment guide. Current trends, gambling subtypes, holistic emphasis, case illustrations, and models of intervention–application connect the dots! This is a must-read treatment roadmap for every addiction professional.
Not all addictions are the same, so treating them should address the unique features of the addiction, in this case gambling disorder. Bechtold and Wilson highlight aspects of gambling disorder that differ from other addictions and provide concrete ideas for therapists and other professional helpers to improve their practice, whether they treat the gambling or refer someone for treatment. The rich details are rooted in up-to-date evidence, and case examples illustrate how to tailor and use core therapeutic skills in treating persons with gambling disorder and their families. They explain how boundary setting, addressing suicidal thoughts and behaviors, addressing finances, and interacting with and documenting for the judicial system are critical and different for people facing gambling problems. It highlights key screening and assessment tools and provides resources that can supplement therapy and increase the likelihood of recovery. This book offers insights for both new and seasoned professionals.
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Providing mental health professionals with a thorough understanding of the biopsychosocial nature of disordered gambling and sharing current evidence-based theories, interventions and strategies to use in clinical practice.
