In Ontario, treatment for people with gambling problems was first implemented in 1995, in response to the opening of the province’s first commercial casino in Windsor. With extensive clinical experience and excellent research since then, knowledge about what constitutes effective treatment has been growing, but no one approach suits everyone. Treatment services have instead tended to adopt an eclectic and holistic approach, incorporating a biopsychosocial-spiritual model that draws on different methods for different clients, recognizing people’s diverse needs. As part of this more holistic approach, mindfulness offers a more body-centred model, rather than the usual talk therapy.
We developed this resource in response to a growing demand for a resource that would incorporate mindfulness into problem gambling treatment. Clinicians from the Problem Gambling Treatment System, for example, had been looking for a gambling–specific mindfulness manual that they could use with their clients.