A Shared Experience: The Impact of Problem Gambling on Families and Loved Ones

Join us on April 8th from 11:00-12:00 PM CT with Robin Witt and Linda Uphoff! 

For every person struggling with a gambling problem, an estimated six to ten others are directly affected—yet these family members are among the least identified and least supported populations in the problem gambling field. This session brings together two clinicians with distinct but complementary perspectives to explore how gambling addiction impacts the people closest to the gambler. Robin Witt, Director of Relationship Dynamics at The Better Institute, draws from her clinical work with spouses and partners to examine how gambling erodes trust, communication, and stability within intimate relationships. Linda Uphoff, a counselor and affected family member who specializes in youth and young adult problem gambling, shares the parent experience—from the shock of discovering an invisible addiction to the shame and silence that keep families stuck. Together, they address the common threads that connect all affected others and provide practical strategies clinicians and outreach coordinators can use to identify, support, and refer affected family members.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Identify the unique impacts of problem gambling on affected family members by distinguishing between the experiences of parents discovering a child’s gambling problem and spouses/partners living with a gambling-addicted partner, including differences in emotional impact, financial exposure, and relationship dynamics.

2. Recognize enabling behaviors in families affected by gambling and articulate the critical distinction between helping and enabling, including common patterns such as financial bailouts, covering for the gambler, and avoiding confrontation.

3. Apply practical support strategies for affected others by describing evidence-informed clinical approaches—including boundary-setting, communication repair, and trauma-informed care—and identifying appropriate resources and referral pathways for family members.

Live and On Demand CE Pending approval.

This training is sponsored in whole or in part by the Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery.

ICPG workshops and trainings provide CEU (continuing education units) through the Illinois Certification Board based on approval for individual trainings.  
The State of Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation Division of Professional Regulation (IDFPR) has approved all ICPG workshops and trainings as a Registered Social Worker CE Sponsor.  This program is recognized as providing CE hours for: LSW/LCSW and LPC/LCPC under IDFPR license #159.001302.
The International Problem Gambling and Gaming Certification Organization recognizes ICPG as a preferred partner for workshops and trainings in line with the ICGC Level I & II.