Integrated Psychiatry & Gambling Addiction Recovery
Lilac Grove: Integrated Psychiatry & Addiction
Evidence-based care for gambling addiction, behavioral addictions, trauma, and mental health, for you or someone you love
Prefer to talk? Call (844) 494-9435
Sandra DeGroat, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC) & Ken Litwak, Gambling Addiction Counselor (LCADC, ICGC-II)
Why Lilac Grove:
Between us, we bring decades of experience in psychiatry, behavioral addiction, gambling treatment, and neuroscience-informed recovery. We started Lilac Grove because we kept seeing people get their symptoms managed but never really get better. We wanted to help people understand what is actually driving their behavior, because that is what makes recovery stick.
Led by Sandra DeGroat, a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner (PMHNP-BC), and Ken Litwak, a licensed addictions counselor and internationally certified gambling counselor (ICGC-II).
Helping people understand the conscious and nonconscious drivers of addiction to create lasting behavioral change
Our Name Story — A Three-Part Series
We chose the name intentionally.
Lilac Grove
A grove is a protected space, quiet and contained and safe. It represents the kind of environment we create for our clients: one where you can slow down, feel understood, and begin to make sense of patterns that may have felt out of control.
Lilacs bloom in early spring, often after long, difficult seasons. They stand for renewal, not forced change, but the kind of growth that happens naturally when the conditions are right.
That’s how we approach addiction and behavioral patterns. Not through pressure or judgment, but by helping you understand the deeper drivers, both conscious and nonconscious, so change becomes sustainable.
This is a place for real work, but also for real change.
We don’t simply treat symptoms. We help people understand why behaviors develop so recovery can last.
Sandra shares the story behind our name — “Where hope takes root together.”
Start Here: Our Signature Program
The 12 Day LGIR Reset
Confidential behavioral health treatment for professionals, young adults, athletes, and high profile clients
Twelve days to step away, understand what is actually driving your behavior, and build recovery that holds up in real life. All grounded in the LGIR Model™ and guided by Sandra and Ken.
- Our signature 12 day intensive — attend virtually or in person
- Cohort-based program with expanded one-on-one support
- Keep your phone, continue working remotely, and practice real-world skills
- Private rooms and a full year of curriculum-based aftercare
Clinical Care
Psychiatric Services & Therapy
Care at Lilac Grove starts through one of two doors, and they work together when you need both.
Doug Martin · Peer Recovery Support Specialist
Hi, I’m Doug.
Peer Recovery Support Specialist
Lived Experience. Genuine Connection. Ongoing Support.
Doug Martin is a Certified Peer Support Specialist and a person in recovery from gambling addiction who brings both professional experience and lived understanding to his work with individuals and families affected by gambling and other behavioral addictions.
Before joining Lilac Grove, Doug worked at Algamus Gambling Treatment Services, where he served as both a House Manager and Peer Support Specialist. In these roles, he worked closely with individuals navigating the challenges of gambling recovery, not only during structured programming but also in the everyday moments when recovery skills must be put into practice.
Doug is known for his ability to develop genuine rapport with clients and create an environment where people feel comfortable being honest about their struggles, setbacks, and progress. His approach combines empathy and encouragement with accountability, helping individuals remain connected to their recovery goals while building a life beyond gambling.
Doug’s Role at Lilac Grove
At Lilac Grove, Doug provides the peer recovery and ongoing support component of the LGIR Model™, complementing the psychoeducation, behavioral strategies, and individualized coaching provided through our programs.
Doug’s role includes:
- Facilitating peer support groups
- Leading alumni recovery groups
- Providing ongoing peer recovery support and accountability
- Serving as a consistent point of contact for participants
- Helping individuals apply recovery strategies to real-world situations
- Supporting continued connection and engagement throughout the recovery process
Because Doug has experienced gambling addiction and recovery himself, he understands something that cannot be learned solely through education or professional training: what it is like to actually live through the recovery process.
That lived experience allows Doug to meet participants from a place of understanding while also showing them that meaningful, sustained recovery is possible.
More than Traditional Treatment
A specialized psychiatry and addiction recovery practice combining evidence-based medicine with our distinctive Lilac Grove Integrated Recovery Model™
Traditional treatment often focuses on reducing symptoms.
We go further. We bring together psychiatry, neuroscience, behavioral recovery, trauma-informed care, and practical coaching to create change that lasts.
Our Lilac Grove Integrated Recovery (LGIR) Model™ helps you understand why behaviors develop, what keeps them going, and how to build recovery that holds up in real life.
Specialized Professional Care
Our Signature Program
Virtual & In-Person 2-week Intensive Recovery Programs for Gambling & Behavioral Addictions
Experience Our Premier Online Gambling Addiction & Behavioral Recovery Program.
What to Expect from Online Intensive Outpatient Gambling & Behavioral Addiction Treatment
We understand that shame, fear, and privacy concerns can make it challenging to seek help.
Our online problem gambling & addiction treatment program is confidential, nonjudgmental, and collaborative. Treatment is individualized and paced to support long-term recovery.
Lilac Grove Integrated Psychiatry & Addiction
A specialized, fully online recovery coaching program focused on gambling and other behavioral addictions. Our tiered structure and Lilac Grove Integrated Recovery Model™ provide evidence-informed, neurobehaviorally grounded support that combines group coaching and individualized guidance. The program is designed to provide accessible, comprehensive support that addresses the emotional and behavioral patterns underlying addictive behavior.
At Lilac Grove: Integrated Psychiatry & Addiction, we use the Lilac Grove Integrated Recovery (LGIR) Model™, a structured framework designed to help individuals understand and change patterns of behavioral addiction.
The LGIR Model™ integrates neurobehavioral insight with practical recovery strategies to support lasting behavioral change and personal growth.
Not sure where you stand yet? Start with the 3 question BBGS gambling screen. It takes under a minute and your answers stay confidential.
Lilac Grove Integrated Recovery Model™
Why Our Approach Is Different
Many addiction programs focus only on stopping the addictive behavior. While this can be an important first step, lasting recovery takes more than simply eliminating a behavior. True recovery means understanding how thoughts, emotions, and habits feed each other, and learning how to change those patterns over time.
At Lilac Grove, we use an integrated approach that combines Neurobehavioral Awareness Training (NBAT) with the Three-Prong Addiction Recovery System (3PARS) to guide clients through a structured and supportive recovery process.
The Lilac Grove Integrated Recovery (LGIR) Model™ three-pillar approach
- Pillar 1 → Awareness and interruption (NBAT)
- Pillar 2 → Recovery process and structure (3-PARS)
- Pillar 3 → Behavioral integration and long-term change
How It All Fits Together
The LGIR Model™ moves through three connected stages. Follow them in order, or jump straight to the one you want to explore.
Neurobehavioral Awareness Training™ (NBAT)
Neurobehavioral Awareness Training™ (NBAT), developed by Sandra DeGroat, helps clients understand how their brain, emotions, and learned behavioral patterns work together to drive addictive behavior.
In gambling and other behavioral addictions, many reactions happen automatically, often outside of conscious awareness. These patterns build up over time as the brain learns to tie stress, relief, excitement, or reward to certain behaviors.
NBAT helps bring these automatic patterns into awareness. As clients begin to recognize how their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors interact, they gain the ability to interrupt compulsive cycles and respond in healthier ways.
Through this process, individuals can begin to reshape the patterns that have kept them stuck and develop greater control over their choices.
NBAT provides the foundation for deeper recovery work by helping clients move from automatic reaction to intentional decision-making.
In simple terms, Neurobehavioral Awareness Training™ (NBAT) helps people recognize the patterns running in the background of their mind so they can begin making different choices.
Many addictive behaviors happen automatically. NBAT helps slow that process down by increasing awareness of thoughts, emotions, and impulses as they occur. Once those patterns become visible, individuals can pause, reflect, and respond in healthier ways instead of reacting on autopilot.
What Clients Learn with NBAT
Through Neurobehavioral Awareness Training™ (NBAT), clients develop greater awareness of how their thoughts, emotions, and learned patterns influence behavior. This awareness helps individuals recognize automatic reactions, interrupt compulsive cycles, and begin making more intentional choices that support lasting recovery.
Clients learn how to:
- Recognize automatic thoughts and emotional triggers
- Understand how the brain learns addictive patterns
- Identify the link between stress, reward, and behavior
- Interrupt impulsive reactions before they become actions
- Develop greater awareness of internal states and decision-making
- Replace automatic responses with intentional choices
These skills create the foundation for lasting recovery by helping individuals move from reacting automatically to responding with awareness and control.
See the Loop NBAT Interrupts
This is the cycle NBAT was built for. Follow one full lap on autopilot, then flip the switch to see what the same moment looks like with awareness.
Trigger
Step 1 of 6
A stressful moment, a reminder of gambling, or even boredom. Something happens, and the brain reacts before there is time to think.
A Foundational Element of the Lilac Grove Integrated Recovery Model™
Neurobehavioral Awareness Training™ (NBAT) is a core component of the Lilac Grove Integrated Recovery Model™ and provides the foundation for the recovery work that follows. By helping clients understand how automatic thoughts, emotions, and learned behavioral patterns influence addiction, NBAT creates the awareness necessary for meaningful change.
This increased awareness supports the next stages of recovery, including the 3-Prong Addiction Recovery System™ (3-PARS), where clients begin replacing harmful behaviors, rebuilding trust in relationships, and exploring the deeper factors that contributed to addiction. Together, these approaches create a structured and comprehensive pathway toward lasting recovery.
“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”
~ Carl Jung
The Three-Prong Addiction Recovery System™ (3PARS)
Once individuals begin recognizing their patterns, the Three-Prong Addiction Recovery System provides a structured path for recovery.
Connection Beyond the Program
Recovery does not end when a program does.
Through Lilac Grove's ongoing support and alumni community, Doug helps participants stay connected to their recovery, to others who understand the experience, and to the skills and relationships they have built along the way.
At Lilac Grove, no one should have to navigate recovery alone.
The 3-Prong Addiction Recovery System™ (3-PARS)
Recovery is not just about stopping an addictive behavior. It’s about building a life that makes recovery possible. The 3-Prong Addiction Recovery System™ (3-PARS), developed by Ken Litwak, is a structured approach that helps people move through recovery step by step, addressing immediate behaviors, relationship patterns, and the deeper factors that contribute to addiction.
Rather than trying to fix everything at once, the 3-PARS focuses on three key areas of recovery, each supporting the next.
A Simple, Powerful Approach to Recovery
The 3-Prong Addiction Recovery System™ (3-PARS) guides you through three essential prongs in the system:
- Prong 1: Replace harmful behaviors
- Prong 2: Rebuild trust and relationships
- Prong 3: Understand the roots of addiction
Together, these steps create a practical path toward lasting recovery and personal growth.
What Clients Learn in 3-PARS
Stage 1 of 3
Select a prong to explore it
All three prongs explored. Together, these steps create a practical path toward lasting recovery and personal growth.
These skills help individuals move beyond simply stopping a behavior. Instead, they begin building healthier patterns, stronger relationships, and a deeper understanding of themselves, creating a more stable foundation for lasting recovery.
A Core Framework Within the Lilac Grove Integrated Recovery Model™
The 3-Prong Addiction Recovery System™ (3-PARS) provides the structured pathway for behavioral and relational change within the Lilac Grove Integrated Recovery Model™. While Neurobehavioral Awareness Training™ (NBAT) helps clients recognize the automatic patterns driving addictive behavior, 3-PARS guides the practical work of recovery.
Through its three stages, replacing harmful behaviors, rebuilding honesty and healthier relationship patterns, and understanding the deeper roots of addiction, 3-PARS helps individuals move from insight into meaningful action. Together, these stages support both immediate behavioral change and the deeper personal growth needed for lasting recovery.
“Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right.”
~ Henry Ford
Unifying the LGIR Model™
Our final pillar is helping clients integrate NBAT and 3-PARS to achieve lasting recovery and healthy relationships through awareness, behavior change, and support.
Our LGIR™ Model
Tap each element to see how the model comes together.
Sustainable Recovery
0 of 4 elements integrated
The Lilac Grove Intensive Recovery Program™
Lasting Impact: Ongoing Coaching & Recovery Support
True recovery extends beyond treatment. Through ongoing coaching, neuroscience-informed strategies, and practical support, we help clients build the insight and resilience needed for lasting behavioral change.
We are an integrated psychiatry and addiction practice with multiple specialty pathways.
Professional Presentations
Gambling and Gaming: Understanding Risk, Reward, and Recovery
Ken Litwak
Updated: March 2026 · 95 slides · Interactive breakdown below
Explore the deck, then take it with you
A chapter-by-chapter interactive breakdown of Ken Litwak’s presentation.
Key numbers from the presentation
25+
ways to gamble
$4.7B
one gacha game’s revenue
$240
per download
5 of 9
criteria = IGD threshold
Problem Gambling's Effects Reach Beyond the Individual
The deck opens with Problem Gambling Awareness Month 2026, New York landmarks lit yellow for Gambling Disorder Screening Day, and one clear truth: early exposure is not harmless.
“Early gambling exposure isn’t harmless. Prevention starts with conversation, education, and reducing childhood gambling exposure.”
The deck by the numbers
25+
identified ways to gamble, and new ones keep appearing
$4.7B
revenue from a single gacha game, Fate/Grand Order
$240
average revenue per download in that game
5 of 9
criteria in 12 months meet the IGD threshold
The full deck runs 95 slides, from the psychology of random rewards to concrete recovery strategies. Use the chapters below to explore it section by section.
Concerned About Your Gaming or Gambling?
Ken works with individuals and families every day. Reach out today; you do not have to figure this out alone.
Connection Beyond the Program
Recovery does not end when a program does.
Through Lilac Grove’s ongoing support and alumni community, Doug helps participants remain connected to their recovery, to others who understand the experience, and to the skills and relationships they have developed along the way.
At Lilac Grove, no one should have to navigate recovery alone.
Keep Exploring
Where Would You Like to Go Next?
Blog
Practical articles on gambling recovery written by our team.
Read the BlogContact
Send a note and we will respond within 24 to 48 hours.
Contact UsPartners
Trusted organizations that support the work we do.
See Our PartnersAssessment
A confidential self check for mental health and addiction concerns.
Take the AssessmentRecovery Programs
Compare our online coaching programs and the 12 Day Reset.
View ProgramsGet Started on Your Path to Recovery
If you are seeking assistance with behavioral & gambling addiction, we invite you to connect with Lilac Grove: Integrated Psychiatry and Addiction today to start you on your path to sustained recovery.
Start with our signature 12 Day LGIR Reset, or explore our adult online coaching recovery programs to see which might be the right fit for you
Prefer to compare all options? View Recovery Programs