Behavioral Addiction

An-Pyng Sun, PhD is an associate professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, School of Social Work where her lectures include the treatment of addiction; issues in child welfare, multicultural practice, and social work research. She is an editorial board member on the Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions; cochairperson of the social work section on the International Council on Alcohol and Addictions; and has worked as a professional journal manuscript/conference abstract reviewer for the Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions. Larry Ashley, EdS, LCADC, CPGC has been involved in the substance abuse and trauma field for over thirty years as a college professor, researcher, and therapist. He is currently Addictions Specialist and Undergraduate Coordinator in the Department of Counselor Education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; Director of the Problem Gambling Treatment Program; and Clinical Assistant Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Internal Medicine, University of Nevada School of Medicine. Due to his extensive clinical experience coupled with opportunities for local, national, and international speaking engagements, Professor Ashley is considered to be a leading expert on post traumatic stress disorder and issues related to addiction. He has a special interest on the impact of war on soldiers world wide. Mr. Ashley is currently a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor and a Certified Problem Gambling Counselor. Lesley Dickson, MD, FAPM is ABPN board-certified in general psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and psychosomatic illness. She was on the faculty of the University of Kentucky where she was Chief of the Consultation/Liaison Service and Residency Training Director, and has been on the faculties of New York University and University of Nevada Medical Schools. She served as Chief of Inpatient Psychiatry and ran dual diagnosis units for the Veterans Administration Hospitals in New York City and Las Vegas. She is now primarily in private practice and is the Las Vegas Medical Director for the Center for Behavioral Health that operates opiate substitution programs in Las Vegas and several other states. Dr. Dickson is also a psychiatrist surveyor for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Dr. Dickson is an active member of the Clark County Medical Society and the Nevada State Medical Association and has served as a delegate to the last two state conventions. She has been very active in the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine and became a Fellow in 1994. She is also the Governor-appointed psychiatrist member and Chair of the Committee on Co-Occurring Disorders. Dr. Dickson was recently appointed to the IRB committee of University Medical Center.