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Innovations in Adolescent Mental Health: Treating Children, Adolescents, and Families 2026

What Every Therapist Needs to Know About Video Games

Andrew Fishman, LCSW
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Pricing

Information

Date & Time

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

  • Distinguish between healthy and unhealthy use of video games.

  • Diagnose and treat four main types of gaming disorder.

  • Discover at least three strategies to help gamers and their families reduce arguments and collaborate on screen time goals.

Educational Goal

The educational goal of this workshop is to teach clinicians how to navigate the pros and cons of their clients' video game use and implement effective strategies to promote healthier use of gaming.

Description

Video games are a wonderful, confusing, and constantly changing medium. Even people who grew up playing Nintendo can get confused when hearing their clients talk about modern games. However, video games are an important part of many clients' lives, so therapists need to stay up-to-date on the lingo, safety concerns, and potential for addiction. Andrew Fishman, LCSW will discuss the positives and negatives of gaming, what parents should watch out for, and what you need to know to be a therapist for gamers.

Target Audience

  • Addiction Professional
  • Counselor
  • Marriage & Family Therapist
  • Psychologist
  • Social Worker

Presenters

Andrew Fishman, LCSW
Andrew Fishman, LCSW is a licensed mental health professional in Chicago, where he specializes in treating video game addiction in adolescents. He earned a master’s degree in social work at Loyola University Chicago and is certified in counseling gaming disorder by the International Gambling Counselor Certification Board. Andrew’s articles on video games and mental health have been featured repeatedly as essential topics in Psychology Today, where he is respected as a Thought Leader. He has been featured worldwide in interviews by The Wall Street Journal, Al Jazeera Plus, FintechBeat, El País, and for DC Fintech Week 2021. He has also been quoted in numerous psychology and technology publications, ranging from European Business Magazine to Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. He lives in Chicago and can often be found playing The Legend of Zelda and Assassin’s Creed in his spare time.