Dr. Kenneth M. Woog, Psy.D
Founder of the Computer Addiction Treatment Program, Dr. Woog is a clinical psychologist and computer engineer with over a decade of successful treatment experience for computer addiction. He speaks nationally, has been cited in numerous publications, and has appeared on national television to talk about these common but misunderstood disorders.
As a clinical psychologist, Dr. Woog performs assessments, personally develops and monitors treatment plans, and conducts individual and family psychotherapy. He also provides support for the behavioral treatment component of the program.
About the Program
The Computer Addiction Treatment Program was founded as a behavioral and cognitive behavioral outpatient treatment program for computer and video gaming addiction.
This problem, considered by some to be a growing epidemic, affects as many as 9% of online computer gamers.
While treating this problem for nearly two decades, Dr. Woog found that simply borrowing methods from substance addiction treatment programs did not work well in treating computer/video addiction, which is a behavioral addiction. Abstinence was not a typical goal, and twelve-step meetings were not (and still are not) widely available. In most cases, individual or family talk therapy was not sufficient for treatment. To make matters worse, few gaming addicts believe they have a problem and are only willing to attend therapy to appease their distressed family members. This was often true despite significant evidence to the contrary, such as failure in college or repeated job firings.
For those truly addicted, self-limiting is not possible.
Efforts by parents or significant others to control or limit an addict's gaming generally results in strained relationships, anger and in some cases violence. In 2005, Dr. Woog developed a sophisticated device called the PC Moderator which could both monitor and limit computer use without requiring that parents or loved ones maintain the computer or have to serve as system administrators. The PC Moderator received the PC Magazine Editor's Choice Award in 2006.
When needed, a truly next generation tool for the behavioral treatment of the various forms of screen addiction from Sentinel Computers can be used. These innovative systems range from high performance Microsoft Windows gaming computers to tiny desktop computing devices that can be used with or as a replacement for existing screen devices. They all provide remotely controlled, hardware enforced usage limits that cannot be defeated by determined, tech-savvy individuals. These patented products were all designed specifically for the treatment of screen addiction and dependency.
Dr. Woog also provides clinical consultation for therapists working with screen addicted clients and accepts referrals for collaborative care.