Gambling & Alcohol Addiction Therapy in Chicago
Therapy for adults struggling with sports betting, online gambling, high-risk trading, alcohol, or substance use — plus support for partners and families.
I’m Chris Beerman, MSW, LCSW, CADC, an addiction therapist in Chicago. I offer in-person therapy in Logan Square and online therapy throughout Illinois and Minnesota.
You Don’t Have to Hit Rock Bottom
A gambling or drinking problem doesn’t always look like everything falling apart.
You may still be doing well at work, exercising, taking care of your family, and keeping up with responsibilities. At the same time, something may be happening privately that has become harder to control.
Maybe you:
Keep chasing gambling losses, convinced the next bet or trade can get you back to even.
Delete the betting apps and eventually download them again.
Hide bets, losses, transfers, or drinking from your partner.
Drink more than you planned once you start.
Set limits for yourself and repeatedly break them.
Spend more time thinking about gambling or drinking than you want to.
Know something needs to change but aren’t sure whether you need to quit completely.
You don’t need to call yourself an addict — and you don’t need to wait for a crisis — to talk to someone about it.
Addiction Therapy That Is Practical and Direct
I specialize in treating addictive behaviors, with a particular focus on gambling and alcohol.
Therapy is not just about understanding why something is happening. We also work on what you can do differently now.
That may include identifying triggers, managing urges, changing access to money or gambling, challenging the thinking that keeps the cycle going, addressing anxiety or shame, rebuilding routines, repairing relationships, and developing a realistic plan for avoiding relapse.
If you’d rather start tonight than wait for an appointment, the free 24-Hour Betting Shutdown Plan walks you through the first day step by step.
Not Sure If Gambling Is a Problem Yet?
Take the free gambling addiction test. Nine questions, about two minutes. Your answers are scored in your browser and never sent anywhere — not even to me.
Why Work With Me?
I’ve worked with addiction across the treatment continuum, including detox, residential treatment, and outpatient therapy.
That experience matters because addiction does not look the same for everyone. Some people need intensive treatment. Others are functioning well in most areas of life but recognize that gambling, drinking, or another behavior is beginning to take over.
Part of my job is helping you make an honest assessment of where things stand and what level of change is actually needed.
My style is direct, practical, and nonjudgmental. I won’t lecture you or try to convince you that your life is worse than it is. I also won’t minimize a pattern that is clearly becoming a problem.
We’ll look at what is happening, what keeps it going, and what you can realistically do about it.
Chris Beerman
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC)
What Happens When You Reach Out?
Start with a free 15-minute consultation.
You can tell me what has been happening, ask questions, and get a sense of whether I’m the right therapist for you. There is no expectation that you have everything figured out before the call.
If we decide to work together, the first few sessions focus on understanding the pattern: what is happening, what you have already tried, where you are getting stuck, and what needs attention first.
From there, we build a plan around your actual situation rather than a generic recovery program.
Insurance & Fees
Chicago Addiction Therapy accepts Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Oscar, and Oxford. I can also provide superbills for clients using out-of-network benefits.
Illinois residents seeking treatment for gambling problems may qualify for state-funded gambling disorder treatment through IDHS-SUPR, regardless of insurance status.
You can verify insurance coverage and schedule directly through Headway.
How I Can Help
Sports betting, online casinos, slots, and high-risk trading — chasing losses, debt, secrecy, and repeated attempts to stop. Learn more →
Gambling & Sports Betting
Drinking more than you intend, trouble stopping once you start, or using alcohol to cope. Abstinence or moderation, depending on your goals. Learn more →
Alcohol & Substance Use
For partners and family members: what to do, how to set boundaries, and how to help without making the problem easier to continue. Learn more →
Support for Partners & Families
Not Sure If Your Drinking Is a Problem Yet?
Take the free alcohol use test. Ten questions from the AUDIT, about three minutes. Your answers are scored in your browser and never sent anywhere — not even to me.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes. I’m in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, and several other plans — the full list is in Insurance & Fees above. Out-of-network clients can request a superbill.
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Yes. Gambling is one of the primary focuses of my practice, including sports betting, online casinos, slots, table games, and high-risk trading in stocks, options, or crypto.
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Yes. I offer in-person therapy in Logan Square, Chicago, and online therapy throughout Illinois and Minnesota, where I’m licensed.
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No. Many people reach out because they’re starting to worry about gambling or drinking but aren’t sure how serious it is. You don’t need a diagnosis or a crisis to talk about it.
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Not necessarily. Some clients want complete abstinence; others want to cut back or regain control. We’ll talk openly about what you want, what’s realistic, and whether your goals need to change over time.
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Yes. Therapy is confidential, subject to the limited exceptions required by law. Privacy is an especially common concern for people dealing with gambling, financial losses, substance use, or behavior they have kept hidden from people close to them. You can ask about confidentiality before deciding whether to begin treatment.
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Yes. Holding things together at work and at home doesn’t mean your drinking isn’t becoming a problem. Many of the people I work with have stable careers, relationships, and families.
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It is genuinely hard to judge from the inside. A good starting point is the free gambling addiction test on this site — nine questions from the PGSI, a widely used screening measure. It takes about two minutes, your answers are scored in your browser, and nothing is saved or sent. A score does not diagnose anything, but it gives you something concrete to work from.
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It is genuinely hard to judge from the inside, and tolerance makes it harder — needing more to feel the same effect means your body has adapted, not that you are handling it well. A good starting point is the free alcohol use test on this site — the ten-question AUDIT, developed by the World Health Organization. It takes about three minutes, your answers are scored in your browser, and nothing is saved or sent. A score does not diagnose anything, but it gives you something concrete to work from.
Ready to Talk?
You don’t need to wait until gambling or drinking causes more damage before doing something about it.
Start with a free 15-minute conversation. Tell me what’s been happening, and we’ll determine whether working together makes sense.
Or call, text, or email:
Chris Beerman, MSW, LCSW, CADC
Chicago Addiction Therapy
Logan Square, Chicago
Phone: (708) 665-5271
Email: Chris@ChicagoAddictionTherapy.com
