Dr. Elena Vasquez, Ph.D.
Background
Dr. Vasquez is a clinical psychologist with fifteen years of experience in addiction psychology, the last twelve focused specifically on gambling disorder. She earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno — one of only a handful of US graduate programs with a dedicated gambling-research focus — and holds the NCGC-II certification from the International Gambling Counselor Certification Board (the NCPG's affiliated credentialing body).
Her clinical work includes outpatient treatment of adults with gambling disorder, research contributions on screening-tool sensitivity in non-clinical populations, and consultation with two US state-level problem-gambling programs. She joined Plaquemines Casino Guide in 2026 specifically to ensure that responsible-gambling content on the Site reflects current evidence-based practice — not the boilerplate "play responsibly" tagging that most gambling-affiliate sites use without any clinical input.
Role at Plaquemines Casino Guide
Dr. Vasquez reviews and signs off on:
- The full Responsible Gambling resources page
- The responsible-gambling section of every page on the Site that promotes casino play
- The hotline directory and state-by-state resource list
- Any content that touches on warning signs, treatment pathways, or self-exclusion mechanics
She also serves as the editorial team's check on commercial decisions that could create harm — for example, by declining to promote operators we observe targeting players with documented gambling problems.
Areas of expertise
- Gambling disorder — DSM-5-TR criteria, diagnosis, treatment
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy for gambling-related cognitive distortions
- Harm reduction in adult gambling populations
- Self-exclusion programs (state-run and operator-level) — design and effectiveness
- Family-impact interventions; co-occurring substance-use considerations
- Public-health framing of gambling regulation
Editorial standards she follows
Dr. Vasquez applies the editorial standards documented on the about page, with one additional commitment specific to her role: she will withdraw her review credit from any page or any direction that she believes creates meaningful harm. The reviewed-by tag on a page is a real sign-off, not a marketing claim. If she has not approved the language on a page, her name will not appear on it.
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Contact
Editorial: [email protected]
Press inquiries on problem-gambling research, harm reduction, or treatment pathways: [email protected]