Several years ago the Native American Tribes sought to increase the number of slot machines and types of gambling they could offer, as a part of the contracted agreement with the State of California they agreed to pay a percent of their revenue to offset problems and costs associated with the increase. This money is in a special “Indian Gaming Distribution Fund”  if you are interested in more information on the govemental aspect of this fund, see this link for more information:   http://www.cgcc.ca.gov/?pageID=sdf 

After many years the money is finally being spent where it belongs, helping out people with gambling problems. As a result I can now see anyone with a gambling addiction issue free of charge. All that is required is that you or the person have ONE of the symptom as listed on the welcome page or under assessment DSM-IV.

So, if you have just one one of the 10 symptoms you qualify for help with me at no cost to you for at least 8 sessions (although one is for paperwork and processing) and for most patients up to 16 sessions and a in few cases 24 can be offered depending on need and financal resources.

This is wonderful because I get so many calls for help from people who have not been able to afford it in the past... 

If you live out of the Los Angeles Area and would still like to participate in the free state program with a different provider please contact me for information on how to do this via the email link. If you dont hear back from me within 24 hours please also call me at 310-446-3887.

For the family, "significant other" or affected individual:

This program is also available for the person who is affected, meaning the parent, spouse, child, or boyfriend/girlfriend. This treatment is called care for the "affected individual." It is a very important part of the program, we believe that as the person with the gambling problem is healing so to should his or her family members or significant persons in their life that have been impacted. Often, a person with a gambling problem will have a negative impact on 8-10 persons on average, sometimes a lot of emotional damage has been done, if unintentionally. Please see the family and friends section for more information on this. 

Telephone/Skype

I can offer telephone and skype sessions for some patients after a free pre-screen. If you are interested to learn more about this please call me at 310-446-3887 and leave a message with your contact information. I can't offer telephone sessions in all cases so please do understand this before calling. Please note the free State of California/UCLA program (per their requirements) must be done in person and not on the phone or skype. Accepted forms of payment for telephone skype sessions include Paypal, Square pay, and checks (must be received prior to session). Cost is on a sliding scale and can be discussed with me on the phone.  

Here is a bit more info on treatment:

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT MY OUTPATIENT TREATMENT FOR GAMBLING PROBLEMS:

Psychological treatment depends on what the therapist brings to the treatment, what the patient brings, and the interaction between the patient and therapist.  The following are some aspects of the initial phase of treatment.

Assessment of the problem.

A detailed life history of the person and their gambling behavior.  

Basic education about the nature of the disorder.

Relapse Prevention discussions.

Motivation issues.

Brief supportive phone contact as needed between sessions.

The following are some perspectives I use to understand the person's gambling:

1. Behavioral:  Breaking down the habitual behavioral pattern and building road blocks when possible. 
2. Psychological: An attempt to answer the "why do I keep doing this over and over again" question; understanding the deeper meaning of the gambling behavior.  Some common examples are: inability to cope with boredom, difficulty with delay of gratification, hyper-focus on money as an indication of self worth, excessive need for escape, poorly developed coping skills with difficult emotional states, maladaptive self-reward, exaggerated fantasies of wealth, struggles with accepting status in life, difficulty accepting loss or failure, meaninglessness in life, lack of interests in non-gambling activities, relationship problems.
3. Cognitive: (thinking about gambling):  Gamblers often exhibit thinking patterns that maintain the behavior, here are some common examples: I need to pay debt caused by gambling (true) and can I win the money by gambling more (usually false); I will only bet __ dollars or stay for __ hours and then leave (illusion of control combined with what I call a permissive lie); I will make a quick win and leave; I will pay the money back (if borrowed) after I win; I am not hurting anyone but myself; I deserve to gamble; it is so fun, I love it; (this is disconnected from the consequences, like the emotional crash when leaving the casino, and the problems that the gambling creates), and I can afford it...
4. Social:  Some aspects of the gambling may seem to fill a social need, some people feel like they are at home at the card club or race track.  Some gamblers are very introverted and do not allow for intimacy with themselves or others.  Even married gamblers are often very introverted and avoid real intimacy.  Gambling establishments provide an illusion of being with people and friendships but the experience is really empty.  Many male gamblers have huge intimacy issues with their wives and families. Others, more often women, have been badly hurt in relationships and find the limited interactions of the casino crowds decrease the loneliness they feel.  For sports betters, talking about sports is a way to connect with others but with limited intimacy.  On the other side are the majority of gamblers that prefer to gamble alone, gambling becomes a way to avoid having to interact with people.  According to Dr. Tim Fong, gambling alone rather than with friends is often a sign of a deepening addictive process. 
5. The Self: Many, but not all gamblers have a damaged "self."  Either the problem is one of very poor self-esteem, or what I often find with the "action" gamblers is what psychologists call narcissism.  The word narcissism has a clinical meaning that is somewhat different from  that found in popular literature, but it basically is reflected in characteristics like grandiosity, omnipotence, and excessive self-focus.  Treatment often is able to address these issues if they are present.
6. Biological:  Recent research has shown that the neurological make-up of pathological gamblers is substantially different then that of "normal" gamblers.  Briefly stated here, there are clear difference in the utilization of dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter (brain chemical) that is associated with pleasure and serotonin which is involved with impulse control.  There also appears to be differences in the frontal lobe activity of gamblers.
7. Financial: Because money is the drug for gamblers, money issues have to be addressed fully. This is very different than traditional therapy where money would rarely be discussed. This involves tracking debt and discussing repayment, as well as overall financial issues in the person's life. I have found that most of my patients earn a good and sometimes great wage but have nothing to show for all their work other than a pile of debt.
   

Treatment sessions are held once or twice a week depending on degree of addiction.  Session frequency can be reduced once the person is not gambling and emotionally stable (typically 3-6 months, but sometimes longer). Therapy sessions are scheduled at a consistent time each week.  Less frequent sessions may be available, but this is determined on a case by case basis.

In some situations telephone sessions are available, but this depends on the patient's stability and ability to sustain abstinence.  Phone sessions for active gamblers are usually not appropriate.  

Family members are encouraged to be involved whenever possible.

Attendance at Gambler's Anonymous meetings is strongly encouraged and some of the concepts are used in my treatment program.

Supplemental reading material and video materials are available. 

If a patient continues to struggle to maintain abstinence from gambling, a brief daily phone call is often required for a limited period of time.

If medications are needed, a referral to a psychiatrist is made.

Long term follow-up after treatment is available.

If you are interested in learning more specific information about my office location please click here Office information

For a brief biographical sketch of my background and training click here: biography

"If I have to change something, I change it.  if you're on a path and there's a fork, and you know which way you have to go and you know that something's stopping you... that means making some changes when it's not really very easy to do, but ultimately that keeps you alive." Neil Young

  

TELEPHONE AND SKYPE SESSIONS: