Problem Gambling Overview
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
After completing this course, you will be better prepared to:
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differentiate problem gambling from non-problem gambling, including using DSM-5 criteria for diagnosing gambling problems;
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understand gambling technology and its effect on those who gamble;
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identify common characteristics of those who gamble in problematic ways; and
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consider problem gambling pathways and the consequent implications for treatment.
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
Understanding how and why gambling becomes problematic is essential to providing effective treatment. This training gives you foundational knowledge about gambling—from its history to the rapidly evolving technologies that shape how people gamble today. You’ll learn to look beyond the gambling behavior itself and consider how a client’s pathway into problem gambling may inform assessment, engagement, and treatment. By the end of the training, you’ll have a framework for recognizing gambling-related concerns and making thoughtful, informed clinical decisions.
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The course is organized into four 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. This 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 each module, you will be required to pass a short quiz before proceeding to the next 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 Rick Berman
Rick Berman, MA, LPC, CADC III, CGAC II specializes in integrated treatment of co-occurring mental health and addictive disorders. He trained and supervised addictions and mental health counselors for more than 20 years. In recent years his work focused more specifically on problem gambling. He has presented at national problem gambling conferences in Canada and the United States. He is the past coordinator of Lewis & Clark’s Problem Gambling Services and instructed Gambling Counselor Pre-Certification Courses for many years.
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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
Great training
Fawn Sybrant
I found this training to be very useful and appreciated how the material was very thoughtfully put together.
I found this training to be very useful and appreciated how the material was very thoughtfully put together.
Read LessReally good content
Mike Martini
helpful thorough text
helpful thorough text
Read LessGREAT
Bilal Simms
THANKS
THANKS
Read LessExcelente
Jose Miguel Torres Velasquez
Sin comentarios, Me encanto!
Sin comentarios, Me encanto!
Read LessGreat job.
Dr. Robert Perkinson
Great info
Windy Clevenger
helpful
helpful
Read LessAwesome!
Melanie Emming
Awesome!
Awesome!
Read LessVery educational and insightful.
Brian Lee
Very educational and insightful.
Very educational and insightful.
Read LessGood start to learn about problem gambling.
Diane Anderson
I do not have the text but plan on ordering it.
I do not have the text but plan on ordering it.
Read Lessvery attractive content for education
Georgia Giasoumi
excellent title and presentation
Elizabeth Cash
Extremely informative and I was able to follow along presentation.
Extremely informative and I was able to follow along presentation.
Read LessGood
Danean riley
Great
Great
Read LessWhat 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.
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Problem Gambling Assessment and Treatment Planning
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