Online gambling and gaming addiction therapyWin back your time and control.
It usually starts as entertainment: a bet on a match, a few spins, a game to unwind after work. Then, gradually, it is not just entertainment anymore.
Online in English, with a therapist from our team, wherever you live · Sessions in Greek are with Matina Ladikou.
Each session lasts 45 minutes and costs 70 €. All fees
At Art of Mind, a centre founded by psychotherapist Matina LadikouAt a glance
- Format
- Online by video on Google Meet, 45-minute sessions.
- Who you work with
- A therapist from our team, in English. In Greek, Matina Ladikou.
- Getting started
- Send an enquiry; we reply within 24 hours.
There is help
You don’t have to face this on your own
You play longer than you meant to, chase the money you lost, check the app before you get out of bed, and feel irritable or empty when you cannot play. Perhaps you are hiding it, or perhaps the people around you have started to notice.
At Art of Mind, a psychotherapy centre founded in Patras, Greece in 2019, we work with problem gambling and gaming that has got out of control. Sessions in English are online, with a therapist from our centre, for adults and for teenagers aged 12 and over. This page explains what these problems are, what treatment involves and how to get started.
When playing stops being a choice
Gambling and gaming are different activities, but when they become a problem they share a common shape: the activity takes up more and more space, control weakens, and the costs keep rising while it becomes harder to stop.
Gaming disorder. Under the WHO's ICD-11, gaming disorder means a pattern of gaming with impaired control, increasing priority over other interests and daily activities, and continuation or escalation despite negative consequences. To be diagnosed, the pattern must cause significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational or work life, normally for at least 12 months. Studies suggest it affects only a small proportion of people who play (WHO).
Problem gambling. The NHS lists signs such as betting more than you can afford to lose, needing bigger amounts to get the same feeling, chasing losses, borrowing money or selling things to gamble, gambling causing stress, anxiety or financial problems, and feeling guilty about it (NHS).
Online access has blurred some lines. Many games now include gambling-like features, and gambling apps are always in your pocket. Researchers have noted that gambling features increasingly appear in non-gambling platforms such as online games, making exposure and problems more likely (Eriksen et al., 2023).
What keeps the cycle going
People rarely continue gambling or gaming because they are enjoying every minute. More often, the activity has become a way to manage something else: boredom, loneliness, stress, low mood, or the pressure of debts that the next win might fix. Wins, even occasional ones, are powerful reinforcers. Losses can trigger "chasing", the urge to win back what was lost. And shame encourages secrecy, which cuts people off from the support that could help them stop.
For people living abroad or working remotely, isolation and unstructured time can add to the pull. None of this is a moral failing. It is a pattern that can be understood and changed.
What the research says
What the research says about treatment
The evidence for psychological treatment of gambling problems has grown substantially. A 2023 meta-analysis of 29 randomised controlled trials, with more than 3,000 participants, found that psychological interventions had a medium effect on gambling severity, with the strongest evidence for cognitive behavioural therapy (Eriksen et al., 2023). A separate 2023 meta-analysis in Addiction found that cognitive behavioural techniques significantly reduced gambling disorder severity, frequency and intensity at the end of treatment, while cautioning that effects may be overestimated and are not reliable for everyone, and that follow-up effects were less clear (Pfund et al., 2023).
This honest picture shapes how we work: therapy can help many people, but lasting change usually needs practice, support and a plan for setbacks.
Our approach
How we work with gambling and gaming problems
Our therapists take an evidence-informed, integrative approach. We draw on CBT techniques where helpful, and we pay equal attention to what the gambling or gaming has been doing for you emotionally. Sessions may include:
Clarifying what you want
Some people aim to stop completely; others, especially with gaming, aim for controlled, limited use. We start from your goals and are honest about what seems realistic.
Mapping triggers
Identifying the moods, times, places and thoughts that lead to a session or a bet, and planning other responses.
Working with gambling thinking
Examining beliefs such as "I'm due a win" or "I can win it back", which keep the cycle going.
Practical barriers
Using the tools available to you, such as self-exclusion schemes, site and app blockers, and asking your bank to block gambling payments, as the NHS suggests (NHS).
Underlying difficulties
Addressing anxiety, low mood, stress or loneliness that the activity may have been covering.
Rebuilding life outside the game
Reconnecting with people, interests, routines and goals.
Relapse planning
Preparing for high-risk moments so a slip does not turn into a full return.
If debts are involved, getting independent debt advice alongside therapy is important. If you also need psychiatric or medical input, for example for depression or other substance use, we work alongside doctors and psychiatrists.
We do not promise a cure or a fixed number of sessions. Results vary, and we review progress with you regularly.
For the people around you
Teenagers and families
We work with teenagers aged 12 and over and with adults. For young people under 18, a parent or guardian should contact us first. With teenage gaming, the work often involves the family as well: understanding what the game provides, agreeing on realistic limits, and reducing conflict at home. Partners and relatives of people who gamble can also come for support in their own right.
Online, by video
How online therapy with us works
Enquire.
Send us a message through the enquiry form with your time zone, availability and whether the sessions are for you, a couple, or a teenager in your care. Please do not include detailed health information. We reply within 24 hours.
First session online.
With a therapist from our centre by video on Google Meet. We explore your history, how gambling or gaming fits into your life now, what it is costing you, and what you want to change, and agree an initial plan.
Regular sessions.
Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 21:00 Athens time. Each session lasts 45 minutes and costs 70 €; see pricing.
Online sessions can be easier to fit around work and family, and to start without anyone needing to know. Research suggests video-based therapy is broadly comparable to in-person therapy for many mental health conditions (Fernandez et al., 2021), although the same gambling meta-analysis found face-to-face formats produced the largest effects in the trials it reviewed (Eriksen et al., 2023). We think that is worth knowing, and it is one reason we keep sessions live and interactive. See our online therapy page for more.
Is it time?
When to seek help
Consider reaching out if:
- you have tried to cut down and could not;
- you are gambling or gaming to escape problems or low mood;
- you are borrowing money, hiding losses or lying about how much you play;
- it is affecting your sleep, work, studies or relationships;
- you feel anxious, irritable or empty when you cannot play.
Financial losses can bring intense shame and hopelessness. If you have thoughts of harming yourself, please seek urgent help straight away.
If you need urgent help. In an emergency call 112. In Greece you can also call 1018 (suicide prevention) or 10306 (mental-health support). For helplines in your country, see findahelpline.com.
If you need urgent help
In an emergency call 112. In Greece you can also call 1018 (suicide prevention) or 10306 (mental-health support). For helplines in your country, see findahelpline.com.
Our founder
Art of Mind, founded by Matina Ladikou
A centre where you can talk without fear of judgement, at your own pace.
Matina Ladikou, psychotherapist and founder of Art of Mind, set up the centre in Patras, Greece, in 2019. Sessions in English are with a therapist from our team; sessions in Greek are with Matina, and you can book Greek sessions directly.
We don’t promise a “guaranteed” or “instant” result; we offer a space of trust and work at your own pace.
Trained in Biothymic Psychotherapy and Clinical Hypnosis, in Mental Health Counselling and in NLP, with an MSc in Criminology from Panteion University.
About Matina and the centreNext step
Enquire about a session
Admitting that gambling or gaming has taken over can be the hardest step, and it is also the one that opens the door to change. Send a short message and we will reply within 24 hours.
Related pages: depression therapy · anxiety therapy · therapy for expats · pricing
Before you start
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my gambling or gaming is a problem?
Warning signs include losing control over how much or how long you play, giving it priority over other parts of life, chasing losses, borrowing money, hiding it from people close to you, and carrying on despite clear harm. You do not need to reach a crisis point to ask for help; if it worries you, it is worth talking about.
Does therapy for gambling actually work?
Research suggests it can. A 2023 meta-analysis of 29 randomised trials found psychological interventions had a medium effect on gambling severity, with the strongest evidence for cognitive behavioural approaches. Results vary between people and lasting change usually takes practice, so we review progress regularly.
Is gaming disorder a real diagnosis?
Yes. The World Health Organization includes gaming disorder in its ICD-11 classification. It describes impaired control, increasing priority given to gaming, and continuing despite negative consequences, usually over at least 12 months. Studies suggest it affects only a small proportion of people who play.
My teenager games constantly. Can you help?
We work with teenagers aged 12 and over and with adults. For anyone under 18, a parent or guardian should contact us first. Often part of the work is with the family too, helping everyone agree on realistic limits without turning home into a battleground.
Can my partner or family member come to a session?
Yes, if it helps. Gambling in particular affects partners and families, financially and emotionally. Joint sessions can be arranged alongside individual work, and family members can also seek support for themselves.