Stop Chasing.
Start Taking Back Control.
A structured 12-week online group program for adults who want to break problem gambling patterns and regain control. Available in New York and across the U.S., with support for sports betting and online gambling.
- Weekly live group sessions on Zoom
- One-on-one Zoom intake before joining
- Worksheets and exercises between sessions
You can be doing well in every other area of your life and still feel like gambling is getting harder to control. Maybe you keep telling yourself you will stop after the next win, or that you can make back what you have lost, only to end up deeper in the same cycle.
Changing that pattern takes more than knowing you should gamble less. We look at what keeps pulling you back, how gambling has come to fit into your life, and what needs to change for it to have less power over you.
The goal is to help you gain more control over your gambling while building something stronger in its place.
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What makes this program different?
Gambling can become difficult to control for reasons that go far beyond the money. This program addresses the gambling itself while also looking at what keeps drawing you back to it.
Over 12 weeks, we combine practical strategies for changing gambling behavior with deeper work on the patterns underneath it. Your goals help shape the work, whether you are aiming for abstinence, moderation, or harm reduction.
- Focused specifically on gambling. Patterns that drive compulsive gambling, including urges, triggers, chasing losses, and gambling-related thinking.
- Structured, but individualized. You follow a clear 12-week program while applying the work to your own circumstances, goals, and gambling patterns.
- Practical between-session work. Worksheets and exercises help you put what we discuss into practice throughout the week.
- A broader view of recovery. We look at what gambling has been doing for you and begin building something stronger in its place.
Who this program is for
This program is for adults who are ready to do something different about their gambling.
It may be a good fit if:
- You have tried to stop or cut back and keep finding yourself back in the same cycle.
- You are chasing losses or thinking constantly about how to win back what you have lost.
- Sports betting or online gambling has started taking up too much of your time, attention, or money.
- You are hiding bets, losses, or financial problems from your partner or family.
- You are successful and functioning well on the outside while privately feeling increasingly out of control.
- Gambling is affecting your relationships, finances, or ability to feel fully present in the rest of your life.
If these patterns feel familiar, the one-on-one intake can help us determine whether the 12-week program is a good fit for you.
Sports betting and online gambling
Sports betting can become difficult to control because there is always another opportunity to place a bet. You can check odds from your phone, wager while a game is happening, and move almost immediately from one loss to the next bet.
Over time, betting can start taking up more of your attention than you intended. You may find yourself checking lines throughout the day, chasing losses, or realizing that watching sports no longer feels the same without money on the outcome.
This program directly addresses sports betting, online sportsbooks, live and in-game betting, and other forms of online gambling. We work on what keeps the betting cycle going and practical ways to create more space between the urge to bet and what you do next.
How the program works
The program gives you a clear structure for the 12 weeks while leaving room to apply the work to your own gambling patterns and goals.
1. Start with a one-on-one Zoom intake
Before joining the group, you will meet with me individually over Zoom. We will talk about what has been happening with your gambling, what you want to change, and whether the program is a good fit for you.
2. Meet with the group each week
The group meets live on Zoom once a week for 12 weeks. Each meeting focuses on a specific part of the recovery process and gives you a chance to apply the work to your own experience.
3. Keep working between sessions
Between meetings, worksheets and exercises help you put the week’s material into practice while your gambling patterns are actually happening. Most of the change occurs here — noticing a trigger earlier, sitting with an urge longer, making a different decision than you would have a few weeks ago.
4. Build a plan for what comes next
As the program progresses, you will begin putting together a clearer plan for managing gambling beyond the 12 weeks. That may include continuing to work on triggers, relationships, finances, or other areas that have been affected by gambling.
What we work on over 12 weeks
Each week focuses on a different part of problem gambling and recovery. The program moves from understanding what keeps the cycle going to developing practical ways to respond differently and rebuilding parts of your life that gambling may have pushed aside.
Week 1: Why gambling became addictive
We start by looking at how your gambling became compulsive and what has kept it going. This gives you a clearer foundation for the changes you want to make.
Week 2: Identifying your triggers
You will identify the people, places, and situations that tend to trigger gambling and consider how strongly they affect you. We also look at ways to prepare for or avoid triggers when possible.
Week 3: Handling urges and cravings
This week focuses on behavioral strategies you can use when the urge to gamble hits. These include relaxation, delaying the decision to gamble, and finding alternative ways to use that time.
Week 4: Deciding to make a change
We look at how motivated you are to change your gambling and what could get in the way. Being clear about both can help you make decisions that are more consistent with what you actually want.
Week 5: Setting meaningful goals
You will clarify what you want your relationship with gambling to look like, whether your goal is abstinence, moderation, or harm reduction. We also look at how to set limits and evaluate whether the goals you choose are working for you.
Week 6: Building awareness and control
Compulsive gambling can happen almost automatically. This week focuses on self-monitoring so you become better at noticing triggers, gambling behavior, and the thoughts that show up before you act.
Week 7: Challenging gambling-related thinking
We turn to the thoughts and beliefs that can intensify an urge to gamble. You will work on identifying distorted or irrational thinking and responding to it differently.
Week 8: Understanding what gambling does for you
Why did gambling become the activity you return to? We look more deeply at the role it serves in your life and the underlying reasons it has become so difficult to give up.
Week 9: Changing how you respond to difficult moods
You will work with cognitive strategies for handling negative moods without automatically turning to gambling. We also look at how you think about money you have already lost.
Week 10: Acceptance and letting go of losses
Some thoughts, feelings, and losses cannot simply be made to disappear. This week introduces acceptance-based strategies for responding to difficult emotions and beginning to come to terms with gambling losses.
Week 11: Re-creating life beyond gambling
We look at areas of your life that you want to improve and what could begin taking up the space gambling once occupied. That may include making changes in existing areas of your life or reconnecting with activities and interests that genuinely matter to you.
Week 12: Picking up the pieces and planning what comes next
The final week looks at some of the practical consequences of gambling and what happens from here. You will work on developing a realistic financial plan, consider ways to repair relationships and enlist support from people close to you, and identify whether additional professional support may be useful.
What can change over 12 weeks?
The goal of the program is to help you gain more control over gambling and create a stronger foundation for what comes next. What that looks like will depend on your circumstances and the goals you set for yourself.
Over the 12 weeks, you can work toward:
- Recognizing triggers before they lead to a bet
- Responding to urges without automatically acting on them
- Reducing chasing losses and compulsive betting
- Understanding what keeps drawing you back to gambling
- Addressing financial or relationship damage caused by gambling
- Creating a realistic plan for managing gambling beyond the program
As gambling takes up less space, you can begin putting more of your attention into the relationships, goals, and parts of life that matter to you.
Why work with me
I am Dr. Eric Fields, PsyD, a Licensed Psychologist in New York with more than 20 years of professional experience and a focus on problem gambling.
I take an individualized approach because the same solution does not make sense for everyone. I want to understand what keeps gambling going for you, what role it has come to play in your life, and what you want to change.
My work combines practical strategies for changing gambling behavior with deeper work on the patterns underneath it. Depending on your circumstances, your goals may include abstinence, moderation, or harm reduction.
Frequently asked questions about the 12-week gambling recovery program
Is the program available to people in New York?
Yes. The 12-week program is available to adults in New York as well as adults across the U.S. The intake and weekly group sessions are held online through Zoom.
Can I join if I live outside New York?
Yes. You do not need to live in New York to participate. The program is designed to be available to adults nationwide.
Is this program for sports betting problems?
Yes. Sports betting is directly addressed in the program, including online sportsbooks, live and in-game betting, chasing losses, urges to bet, and the thinking patterns that can keep compulsive betting going.
What happens during the 12 weeks?
The group meets once a week on Zoom. Each week focuses on a different part of gambling recovery, from identifying triggers and responding to urges to understanding the role gambling plays in your life. You will also have worksheets and exercises to work on between meetings.
Do I have to stop gambling completely to participate?
Not necessarily. I take an individualized approach to recovery goals. Depending on your circumstances, we can look at abstinence, moderation, or harm reduction and whether the goal you choose is actually helping you regain control.
How do I know if the program is right for me?
We start with a one-on-one Zoom intake for exactly that reason. We will talk about what has been happening with your gambling, what you want to change, and whether the structure of the program fits what you need.
What kinds of gambling problems does the program address?
The program is designed for adults dealing with compulsive or problem gambling, including sports betting, online gambling, casino gambling, and other betting patterns that have become difficult to control. You do not need to wait until gambling has caused a crisis to ask for help.
Start with a one-on-one intake
If gambling is taking more from your life than you want to keep giving it, this is where we start. We’ll meet individually over Zoom to talk about what has been happening, what you want to change, and whether the 12-week program is the right fit for you.
You do not need to have a perfect plan before reaching out. You just need to be ready to look honestly at what is happening and begin doing something different.
