Telehealth Certification Institute

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. Participants 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.

This course was recorded July 28, 2023.

Upon completion of this training, professionals will be able to do the following:

• 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

Credit Hours: 

This course provides 1.5 credit hours

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 to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Telehealth Certification Institute LLC maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 05/02/2021 – 05/02/2024. Social workers completing this course receive 1.5 clinical continuing education credits.

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.

This is a non-interactive, self-study course.

To receive your certificate of completion you must complete the course in its entirety.

Online courses are completed by registering, logging in, navigating to your course using the menu (My Courses – the Course Title), completing all of the modules, completing and passing the post-test, and completing the course evaluation. Participants have 6 months from registration to access and complete online self-study courses.

Live Webinar courses are completed by registering, logging in to this website, navigating to your course using the menu (My Courses – the Course Title), attending the full course via webinar, submitting your attendance, and completing the post-test and course evaluation online.

Psychologists and other professionals seeking CE credit through our approval with the American Psychological Association are asked, but not required, to complete the course evaluation before obtaining their certificate of completion, however passing a post-test for online self-study courses and live webinars, and submitting one's attendance for live on-site and live webinars is required.

You can receive your certificate of completion by logging onto this website, navigating to the course using the menu (My Courses – the Course Title), scroll to the bottom of your course, and click on your certificate to either download it or print it.

Directions for completing a course can be found by clicking here.

Accommodations for Individuals with Disabilities

Click here to view our Accommodations for Individuals with Disabilities.

Cancellation Policy

Refunds are offered within the first 30 days for courses which have not been completed.  There is a 10% service fee for refunds.

Grievance Policy

Click here to view our Grievance Policy.

This course is intended for clinicians who provide behavioral health services.

Teaching methods for this course include recorded lectures, videos, a post-test, and a course evaluation.

This program was recorded July 28, 2023

You have six months to access online courses from the time of purchase.