Recognizing and Responding to Behavioral Addictions
Join us for a Live Webinar on July 28, 2022 from 1-2:30 pm EDT
1.5 CE hours available for behavioral health clinicians
Behavioral addictions such as gaming, gambling, sex, pornography, social media, and food affect a substantial number of clients, yet many counselors have not received formal training on how to treat behavioral addictions. In this presentation, attendees will learn how to recognize and respond to behavioral addictions in clinical practice. Specifically, the presenter will describe how to conceptualize behavioral addictions, the neuroscience of behavioral addictions, criteria of behavioral addictions, and several treatment considerations. Given that behavioral addictions affect individuals across the lifespan, this course is ideal for mental health professionals in all settings including schools, colleges, community agencies, hospitals, and private practice.
Behavioral addictions are rewarding behaviors that become compulsive, out of control, continue despite negative consequences, and induce cravings or mental preoccupation. Like drugs of abuse, potentially addictive behaviors activate reward circuitry in the brain and are both positively and negatively reinforcing. Recent changes to diagnostic and disease classification manuals, in addition to growing concerns regarding the addictive nature of online activities, necessitate that all clinicians are able to recognize behavioral addictions in their clinical work. In addition, all mental health professionals must be equipped to respond ethically and effectively to behavioral addictions with a clear conceptualization guided by the most recent neuroscience. Attendees of this course can expect a robust overview of the criteria of behavioral addiction, the application of a public health model for conceptualizing addictive behaviors, individual risk factors for the development of behavioral addictions, and appropriate treatment approaches.
1.5 CE hours for the Live Webinar
Counselors: Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No, 6693. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0048. Approval renewal date: 1/31/2026
Marriage and Family Therapists: Many MFT licensing boards accept our courses or one of the approvals which we have from professional associations. You can check with your board to determine if this course would be accepted by your licensing board.
Social Workers: Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC, #1609, is approved as a provider for social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) www.aswb.org, through the Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC maintains responsibility for the program. ASWB Approval Period: 05/02/2021 – 05/02/2024. Social workers should contact their regulatory board to determine course approval for continuing education credits. Socials workers will receive 1.5 clinical continuing education clock hours.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0435. Approval renewal date: 2/28/2026
Psychologists: Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Telehealth Certification Institute LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0128. Effective 8/31/2021 – 8/31/2024
Art Therapists: Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed creative arts therapists #CAT-0093. 7/21/2021 – 7/31/2024
Other Professionals: This course qualifies for 90 minutes of instructional content as required by many national, state and local licensing boards and professional organizations. Retain your certificate of completion and contact your board or organization for specific filing requirements.
Register for the webinar by midnight before the event. So that we can provide you these CEs, you are required to:
- login and access the direct link to the webinar through your account
- participate fully during the event
- complete a post-test and course evaluation at the conclusion of the event
- collect your certificate of completion on your account after steps 1-3 are completed
Enroll in a course by adding it to the cart and proceeding through the check out process. Create an account (or login to yours) during the checkout process.
Prepare: Download Zoom software. Participants must use a device that is connected to adequate internet speed with a camera, microphone and speakers (or headset).
Attend: At least 15 minutes before teh start time the day of the event, login to your account on the website. Go to "My Courses", click on the title/date of the webinar. The link to join the meeting/webinar will be listed in the course content.
Attendance is automatically recorded when you use the link to join.
Any recording made of a live event is NOT included with live webinar registration.
When possible, webinars are recorded and converted into online self-study courses, available for separate purchase/enrollment for those who did not attend the live event.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the evolving definition of addiction and conceptualize behavioral addictions using a public health model.
- Explain the criteria for behavioral addictions and how to differentiate between high involvement in a behavior and a behavioral addiction.
- Synthesize current research and relevant neuroscience related to the prevalence and nature of behavioral addictions.
Amanda L. Giordano
PhD, LPC
Amanda L. Giordano, PhD, LPC is an associate professor at the University of Georgia who specializes in addictions counseling. She is the sole author of a clinical reference book titled, A Clinical Guide to Treating Behavioral Addictions, co-author of a textbook titled, Addiction Counseling: A Practical Approach, and developer of an online course, Working with Behavioral Addictions, with Mental Health Academy. Dr. Giordano works to advance the counseling field with rigorous research and has published over 55 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and has conducted over 120 presentations. In 2018, Dr. Giordano received the Addictions/Offender Educator of Excellence Award from the International Association of Addictions and Offender Counselors (IAAOC) and in 2022 she was awarded the Russell H. Yeany Jr., Research Award from her college. Dr. Giordano collaborates with domestic and international organizations to provide trainings to increase awareness related to behavioral addictions. She maintains a blog called Understanding Addiction for Psychology Today and has been a guest on several podcasts.
