Resources & guidelines for treating sex addiction

Sex addiction expert Kenneth M. Adams discusses the resources available to sex addicts and what to look for in a therapist
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Resources & guidelines for treating sex addiction

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So there are a number of services and as well as therapy services available for people who are dealing with sexual addiction either as an addict or as the partner. And there are some services that are available that are no charge, so there are support groups like there are for alcoholics. Alcoholics, AA alcoholics anynonymous, there is also for sex addicts there is a sex addicts anonymous, sexaholics anynonymous and sex and love addicts anonymous. You can just google those and you can find a meeting in your area. It doesn't cost you anything and you can show up. They're confidential and you could begin to relate and talk to other people who have the same problem. There are also complimentary spouses and partners groups to those meetings in many states, which you can also find on those websites. So there are services for people that are available, that don't cost any money. Usually therapy is needed and certainly helpful if you're in recovery from sexual addiction or partner issues, so there are many therapists out there who are now being trained specializing in that. One of the best resources for finding a therapist is from the International Institute of Trauma and Addiction professionals, IITAP, just google that and you can find a list of therapists who have been trained in the addiction model, who understand this from an addiction standpoint, and can help you with that, because there certainly are therapists who you might see who would say, well, I don't believe in sexual addiction and it's unsure about what they mean about that, but it could be an impetiment to treatment. So you want to see somebody who is at least willing to consider the possibility that addiction can be part of the problem. So the qualities in a therapist you're looking for, you know, certainly therapists should have the general counseling and empathy skills that you would expect in a therapist, but in treating a sexual addiction, you should have some very specific training. So it's not enough for someone to say I know sexual addiction exists and I read this book. There are very systematic models of training now and there are certifications. There's a certification called certified sexual addiction therapist, which I'm a facilitator of and a trainer of through the International Institute of Trauma and Addiction Professionals. Those people go through extensive training certification to get more familiar with dealing with sexual addiction. So when you're dealing with sexual addiction, it is in general better to go to somebody who has had additional training and besides their license.

Sex addiction expert Kenneth M. Adams discusses the resources available to sex addicts and what to look for in a therapist

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Kenneth M. Adams, PhD

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Kenneth M. Adams, Ph.D., CSAT, is a Licensed Psychologist, the Clinical Director and Founder of Kenneth M. Adams and Associates in suburban Detroit, Michigan, as well as a faculty member at the International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals. As previous Clinical Director for the Life Healing Center in Sante Fe, New Mexico, a residential treatment center for trauma and addiction, Dr Adams created the first inpatient program exclusively for partners of sex addicts. In addition to maintaining an active clinical practice, Dr. Adams is a national lecturer, workshop leader, and consultant in the areas of child abuse, dysfunctional family systems, and sex addiction. He is the author of numerous peer-reviewed publications, the books Silently Seduced and When He’s Married to Mom, as well as co-editor of Clinical Management of Sex Addiction. In 2011, Dr Adams received the “Carnes Award” for “outstanding work in the field of sexual addiction and compulsivity”. He is a certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT), a CSAT supervisor, and CSAT training facilitator as well as an Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) practitioner. Dr. Adams is a member of the American Psychological Association, Michigan Psychological Association, Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health (SASH), and International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals (IITAP) as well as an advisory board member to SASH and IITAP, and an editorial board member of Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity: The Journal of Treatment and Prevention. For more on Dr Adams visit www.drkenadams.com.

 

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