Gaming controller and Deadpool figurine beside a laptop on a clean desk — reflecting digital habits and the balance between play and focus.

ONLINE VIDEO GAME ADDICTION THERAPY ACROSS WASHINGTON

You're not lazy. You're not broken. You're coping.

Learn how to meet your needs without letting games become your only solution.

There’s a reason you can’t just “log off”—and understanding it changes everything.

You tell yourself “just one more match,” but suddenly it’s 3 AM. You’re still grinding. Still raiding. Exhausted, but unable to stop. The assignments due tomorrow, the texts you haven’t answered, the plans you’ve canceled again—they pile up as proof that you’re falling behind in real life. And with each level-up that comes at the expense of your goals and relationships, the shame only grows heavier.

But it’s not just about the hours lost. It’s about what happens between sessions:

  • The fog of fatigue that makes life feel muted

  • The irritability when someone interrupts

  • The emptiness when the screen finally goes dark

For many, gaming stopped being fun a long time ago. Now it’s about relief—from anxiety, from depression, from the chaos of everyday life. Your rank, your gear score, your achievements… they give you the dopamine hits and progress that real life hasn’t.

What started as entertainment has become a survival strategy—and while it may be keeping you afloat, it’s also keeping you stuck.

You’re not alone in this cycle of gaming, burnout, and regret.

And you don’t have to figure it out alone, either.

Your struggle isn't a character flaw—it's a sign that deeper needs aren't being met.

Therapy for Gaming Addiction Can Help You:

  • Understand why you turn to games—with curiosity instead of judgment

  • Learn practical ways to cope with stress, boredom, and emotional pain

  • Reconnect with your focus, motivation, and sense of purpose

  • Strengthen your identity beyond gaming and feel more like yourself

  • Shift from escaping life to engaging with it more fully

Person sitting in the dark with head in hands in front of a glowing computer screen — capturing the emotional toll of gaming overuse and isolation.

MY APPROACH

Gaming addiction isn’t something to be ashamed of—it’s a response to real needs that haven’t been met elsewhere.

Having navigated my own journey with gaming, I bring both professional expertise and personal understanding to our work. My approach blends practical strategies with deep curiosity about what drives your patterns. Together, we’ll map your digital and physical worlds—building bridges between virtual achievements and real-life fulfillment.

I see gaming addiction like a powerful painkiller: effective in the moment, but not healing the underlying injury. That’s why I won’t just hand you restrictions. Instead, we’ll honor what gaming has given you—and work toward building a life that offers those same rewards in more sustainable ways.

AS WE WORK TOGETHER,

We’ll unpack what makes gaming so powerful—how it triggers dopamine, why quitting feels impossible, and how games are intentionally designed to keep you hooked.

You'll gain insight into your unique gaming patterns, emotional triggers, and the specific needs games fulfill. From there, we’ll build strategies that address the root causes, not just the symptoms. Because gaming addiction isn’t just about willpower or screen time—it’s about your relationship with achievement, escape, stimulation, and connection.

Our work is personalized, collaborative, and nonjudgmental. We’ll try different approaches, keep what helps, and adjust what doesn’t. This isn’t just about reducing hours—it’s about helping you feel empowered with technology, reconnected to your offline life, and confident in your ability to engage with games on your own terms.

What is gaming addiction?

It is...

  • A pattern of gaming that interferes with your daily functioning, relationships, and well-being

  • Feeling restless, irritable, or empty when you’re not able to play

  • Needing longer or more intense gaming sessions to feel satisfied

  • Using games to escape stress, anxiety, or painful emotions

  • Continuing to game despite negative impacts on your health, work, or relationships

  • Thinking about gaming even when doing other things

  • Downplaying or hiding how much time you spend gaming

It isn't...

  • Just enjoying video games as a hobby or interest

  • A character flaw or moral failing—it’s a complex behavioral response with neurological roots

  • Only about how many hours you play—it’s about the impact on your life

  • The same for everyone—it depends on personality, game type, and underlying needs

  • A matter of willpower or discipline you “should” just fix

  • Something only teens deal with—it can affect anyone

  • A permanent condition—with support, your relationship with gaming can evolve

Pathway from shadowed trees to a bright, open beach and expansive horizon — symbolizing clarity, freedom, and new possibilities.

You don’t have to quit gaming to change your life.

Let’s build a healthier relationship—together.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Gaming addiction isn’t just about how many hours you play—it’s about how gaming affects your life, your relationships, and your sense of self.

    The World Health Organization classifies Gaming Disorder as a pattern where gaming takes priority over other areas of life, and continues despite negative consequences.

    Some signs it might be worth exploring include:

    • You game to escape stress, anxiety, or numbness

    • You play longer than you intend to and feel unable to stop

    • You’ve lost interest in other hobbies or goals

    • You feel anxious, irritable, or low when you’re not gaming

    • You hide or minimize your gaming habits

    • It’s getting harder to function in daily life

    Gaming can start as a way to cope—but when it becomes the only way, it can leave you feeling stuck. This isn’t about shame. It’s about understanding what gaming is doing for you, and finding new ways forward.

  • No. Therapy isn’t about taking away what you love—it’s about helping you build a life that doesn’t depend on gaming to feel okay.

    For some people, a short break from gaming can help reset patterns. But long term, the goal is usually to create balance—where gaming is something you can enjoy without it being your only source of relief, connection, or achievement.

    Recovery isn’t about restriction. It’s about reclaiming choice and building other parts of life that feel just as rewarding.

  • Yes—gaming addiction is often linked to anxiety, depression, ADHD, or trauma.

    • For anxiety, games offer control in a chaotic world.

    • For depression, they provide achievement and escape from numbness.

    • For ADHD, they deliver fast-paced stimulation and structure.

    • For trauma, gaming can feel like a safe space—offering distance from emotional pain.

    Gaming isn’t just a distraction—it’s often a way to cope with unmet emotional needs. In therapy, we explore what gaming is doing for you, not just what it’s doing to you—so we can build lasting change from the inside out.

  • Because willpower alone usually isn’t enough—and that’s not a failure on your part.

    Gaming often serves a purpose: it offers structure, escape, stimulation, or meaning. If you take it away without understanding why it’s there, you’re just removing a coping strategy—without replacing it.

    Therapy helps you uncover the emotional needs driving your gaming, explore what it’s helping you manage, and build tools to meet those needs in healthier, more sustainable ways. Instead of just reducing screen time, we work from the inside out—so change actually lasts.