Beginner
Compulsive Spending
A 3-hour beginner-level course examining compulsive spending as a behavioural addiction with parallels to substance use disorders.
Lifetime accessCertificate of completion15 lessonsMobile & desktop
Assessment & ScreeningCrisis InterventionCompulsive Spending
What you'll learn
Recognize compulsive spending (compulsive buying/spending) as a behavioural addiction and describe its progressive course.
Summarize Canadian epidemiology and common comorbidities (younger adult risk, mood/anxiety, substance use, impulse-control disorders).
Use validated screening and assessment tools (e.g., Pathological Buying Screener, Bergen Shopping Addiction Scale, Compulsive Buying Scale) and integrate them into clinical intake.
Differentiate compulsive spending from other disorders and assess severity, immediate risk and functional/financial harms.
Apply evidence-informed interventions (CBT, group therapy, brief motivational approaches) and know when pharmacotherapy or specialist referral is indicated.
Deliver trauma‑informed and culturally safe care with adaptations for Indigenous and other diverse populations.
Build collaborative care plans and referral pathways with financial counsellors, legal supports and provincial resources (examples: ConnexOntario, credit counselling services).
Design a practical treatment plan and program-level action plan for implementation in Canadian settings.
Requirements
- Working knowledge of basic mental health concepts; intended for clinicians or helping professionals (primary care, mental-health, addictions, social work, financial counsellors).
- Access to internet and local/provincial referral resources for mapping exercises.
- Willingness to engage in brief role-plays, case reflection and self-assessment exercises.
- No prior specialized training in compulsive spending required (beginner level).
Who this course is for
- Primary care clinicians (family physicians, nurse practitioners)
- Mental health clinicians (psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, counsellors)
- Addictions clinicians and case managers
- Financial and credit counsellors working with clients who present with harmful spending
- Students and trainees in mental health, social work, counselling or addiction programs
Course Content
4 sections • 15 lessons • 3 hours total length
About this course
A 3-hour beginner-level course examining compulsive spending as a behavioural addiction with parallels to substance use disorders. Covers identification, assessment, and treatment strategies, helping practitioners recognize the progressive nature of spending disorders and apply evidence-informed interventions in Canadian clinical practice.
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