Psychotherapeutic Support for Concerned Significant Others Impacted by Gambling Disorder

Abstract

Gambling disorder (GD) poses hidden yet significant challenges for families and partners, often leaving concerned significant others (CSOs) in states of confusion, distress, and uncertainty. This article details the case of Mary, whose discovery of her partner’s concealed sports betting triggered acute emotional turmoil and relational disruption. The case illustrates how factors inherent to problem gambling such as secrecy, financial instability, and cultural normalization complicate coping and help-seeking among CSOs. Intervention emphasized comprehensive and ongoing assessment, integrative psychotherapy techniques, psychoeducation, and skills-based strategies to increase emotional processing and foster relational repair. Clinical reflections highlight the ethical dilemmas of disclosure, the balance of empathy with accountability, and the corrective impact of the therapeutic alliance as tailored to the unique relational experiences of CSOs.

Continuing Education Information

1 CE Credit, Instructional Level: Intermediate

1 Contact Hour (New York Board of Psychology)

Disclosures: Authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose. Generative AI was not used for the development or content of this presentation.

Learning Objectives:

1. List symptoms of problem gambling.
2. Decribe the difference between gambling disorders  (GDs) and substance use disorders (SUDs).
3. Analyze the impact of GD on concerned significant others.

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