Gambling and the Brain
Free · On-demand · 2 CE hours · Learn at your own pace
On-Demand Course
at your pace and convenience.
This course is approved for 2 continuing education (CE) hours. To earn CE hours, you will need to complete 1) all required course activities and 2) the course evaluation survey. A certificate of attendance will be made available on the Student Dashboard upon course completion.
What You'll Learn
By the end of this course, you will be better prepared to explain to clients:
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the role of dopamine as a neurotransmitter that contributes to gambling pathways in the brain;
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the connection between gambling urges, thoughts, and actions; and
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how gambling changes the brain and what that means for recovery.
Who This Course Is For
Behavioral health providers across the globe, including:
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family therapists, art therapists, mental health counselors, social workers, psychologists, and other mental health clinicians,
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problem gambling treatment providers,
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Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors (CADCs),
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Certified Gamling Addiction Counselors (CGACs),
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problem gambling treatment supervisors, and
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prevention specialists.
What Is Included
Discover what happens in the brain when we gamble and why gambling can become so compelling. In this training, you’ll explore the neuroscience of gambling, including the role of dopamine and the brain’s reward system. You’ll also consider how this knowledge can inform problem gambling treatment and learn practical ways to explain brain-based concepts to clients.
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The course is organized into three modules, each featuring a combination of immersive case studies, engaging presentations, and supplemental readings designed to deepen your learning and support practical application.
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This course includes videos of experienced mental health clinicians demonstrating clinical skills in scenarios adapted from real sessions. Clients are portrayed by actors, which provides authenticity while protecting client privacy.
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We suggest you take your time, view content as many times as you like, and access suggested readings and resources when possible. It is not necessary to complete the course in a single sitting. You are free to open and close the course as many times as you like.
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Once you have reviewed and mastered the content of a module, you will be required to pass a short quiz before proceeding to a new module. You must pass all of the quizzes before you are eligible for verification that you have successfully completed the course.
Who Developed This Course
Senior Instructor Teresa McDowell
Teresa McDowell, EdD, LMFT is professor emerita at Lewis & Clark, where she served as department chair and co-founded the college’s Problem Gambling Services. With over 40 years of experience as a clinician, educator, administrator, and consultant, Teresa focuses on workforce development, equity-based clinical practice, integrated treatment for problem gambling, and clinical supervision. She is a social researcher, program evaluator, and consultant with Partners in Social Research and Senior Instructor for ACORN. Dr. McDowell has authored more than 50 scholarly publications and is lead author of Socioculturally Attuned Family Therapy: Applying Third Order Thinking to Theory and Practice (3rd Ed., 2026).
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What Others Are Saying
Very Informative
Pyerre Barnes
This course came with a lot of good and useful information!
This course came with a lot of good and useful information!
Read LessGambling and the Brain Review
Danielle Case
This was a very informative process and I liked the handouts.
This was a very informative process and I liked the handouts.
Read LessVery educational
Joshua Boyd
gambling and the brain
LESLIE ROBINSON
excellent
Donna Lepley
great information
great information
Read Less5 Stars
Angela Bekederemo
A very interesting course for a beginner
A very interesting course for a beginner
Read LessVery Satisfied
Zoe Pavlou
Thank you for the transcripts! Very helpful course!!
Thank you for the transcripts! Very helpful course!!
Read Lessgood stuff
Windy Clevenger
thank you
thank you
Read LessGambling and the Brain lets you know there is a connectio...
Charlene Rogers
The mix of narrative and pictorial presentations was very helpful.
The mix of narrative and pictorial presentations was very helpful.
Read LessGREAT
Bilal Simms
nice
nice
Read LessVery informative course
Alina Jundo
Course has a lot of useful information and practical tools.
Course has a lot of useful information and practical tools.
Read Lessfantastic
ROSEMARY TEMPLE
What About CE Hours
Certificate of completion will be made available on the Student Dashboard after you complete all required course activities and the course evaluation survey.
ACORN is approved by the Mental Health & Addiction Certification Board of Oregon (MHACBO), Provider ID: 26-0044, to provide continuing education courses. Additionally, ACORN is approved by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7274. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. ACORN is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
Start Learning Today
Free of charge, courtesy of Oregon Health Authority Problem Gambling Services.
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Enroll
Free
2 CE Hours
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