Denise F. Quirk

Denise F. Quirk has been an addictions counselor and Marriage and Family Therapist in Reno, Nevada since 1992.  She began specializing in treating problem gamblers and their families in 1999.  She is the founder of the former Reno Problem Gambling Center, a non-profit outpatient treatment center which helped hundreds of problem gambling clients and their families.  Denise also serves on the Governor’s Advisory Committee for Problem Gambling and is a past member of the Board of Examiners for Alcohol, Drug and Gambling Counselors for the State of Nevada. 

Denise wrote and teaches an online course called “Exploring Gambling Behaviors” for the University of Nevada, Reno.  Denise advocated for the nation’s highest standard for Certified Problem Gambling Counselors in Nevada, as well as testifying in support of AB 102, which became law as part of NRS 458, paving the way for treatment diversion for pathological gamblers in the legal system.  She also enjoyed supervising gambling counseling interns around the state. 

Denise co-authored a handbook on Gambling Patient Placement Criteria with her GPPC Initiative colleagues with the help of a grant from the Nevada Problem Gambling Revolving Fund.

Denise has been practicing in Reno as a Marriage and Family Therapist and consultant in her private practice, Red Hawk Counseling, since graduating with her Master’s Degree in Counseling and Educational Psychology from UNR in 1992.  Her therapeutic focus is to help families affected by addictions, specifically gambling, alcohol, drugs, pornography, financial issues and parenting and anger problems.

Presently Denise is on sabbatical doing service with her husband on a Member and Leader Support mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  Denise will renew this website when she returns.

Clients seeking copies of documents may leave a message at (775) 284-7275 and Denise will return calls when she is able, usually once a week.  Urgent concerns should be addressed by going to an emergency room, calling 911, or seeking referrals through the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling's website (https://www.nevadacouncil.org/get-help-now/resource-locator/) or another online referral system such as Nevada 211.

Nevada Marriage & Family Therapist License #656
Nevada Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor #193
National Certified Gambling Counselor #507
Nevada Certified Problem Gambling Counselor & Supervisor, #105G, 108GS