“Sex Addiction”

I had a super powerful session with a male client today. After only six sessions of working with me in a sex-positive, evidence-based approach, he was able to say the following words about himself... which is following three years of getting mired within the “sex addiction” treatment model where his anxiety, depression and marital distress all increased. “Sex addiction” is not an existing diagnosis. Approaches that tout to treat it have no research supporting efficacy or positive results. They trend popular in vulnerable populations such as religious communities which tend to have less flexible and informed ideas/beliefs about sexual health and behavioral standards. When behavior feels or is “out of control,” it is important to get assessment and treatment from a certified sex therapist who will understand if there are issues of impulsivity, values discrepancies, relational negotiation/expectation issues, mental health concerns, lack of sexual education, etc. Sex addiction treatment is akin to “quack medicine” and you need to be consumer savvy. I love working with clients who need help recovering from these treatments approaches... and yet I’m consistently saddened that many well-meaning professionals and mentors are contributing to the problem instead of the solution.

I have permission to share.