Franklin is a 50-year-old addict who is in treatment with you on an outpatient basis. He has been able to maintain abstinence from alcohol and drugs for the past 5 years. However, in his last session...

Franklin is a 50-year-old addict who is in treatment with you on an outpatient basis. He has been able to maintain abstinence from alcohol and drugs for the past 5 years. However, in his last session with you, he reports that he believes he has a gambling addiction. He said he took a test on the Internet that indicated he had a problem, and he has been confronted by his self-help group and his sponsor on how often he gambles and how much money he has lost in his recovery to gambling. He says he is very ashamed of how much money he has lost and his compulsion to gamble. He believes if he were working a better program of recovery, that this (gambling) would not be an issue for him.

1. Which stage-of-change level do you believe he might be at in terms of his alcohol/ drug problem? His gambling problem?

2. Assuming that he has a gambling problem to some degree, how might you use the Marlatt model of relapse prevention to help him gain awareness of his problem?

3. What concerns would you have that his gambling problem may result in a drug/ alcohol relapse according to the Marlatt model? How could you see them potentially interacting in high-risk situations? 4. How might you use mindfulness strategies, such as urge surfing, to assist him with his gambling problem and related shame issues?