Brief intervention based on Naikan therapy for a severe pathological gambler with a family history of addiction: emphasis on guilt and forgiveness

In this article, treatment with a brief intervention based on Naikan (self-reflection) therapy for a patient presenting with pathological gambling is described. The patient, a 66-year-old woman, had suffered from this disorder for 13 years. She also harbored guilt toward her mother, and resentment toward her father, which governed her own behavior and exerted an influence on her gambling. Treatment consisted of six individual sessions based on Naikan therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). At 1-year follow-up, the patient was much improved, with an absence of gambling behavior and its associated symptoms. The implications of this case for clinical research and practice are discussed.