Sex Addiction Therapy

Are your sexual thoughts and impulses out of control?

Is your life consumed by an unusual fascination with sex? Do you engage in sexual behaviors that can jeopardize your important relationships, your job or your health? Sex Addiction Treatment | Dr. Andre Estephan, LMFT, CSAT | Pasadena & Claremont, CA | Renew Life TherapyPerhaps you isolate yourself inside your home, office or car to watch pornography or engage in sexual activity on the Internet at the risk of hurting the people you love or jeopardizing your career? Does your mind constantly wander into sexual thoughts and fantasies, making it difficult to focus on your work or relationship? Have you lost control of your sexual impulses – acting on them even if they contradict your values, beliefs, integrity or commitments to your loved ones? Do you wish you could find freedom from the chains of sexual addiction and live a peaceful, fulfilling and healthy life?

Struggling with sex addiction can make you feel like you are leading a double life, especially if your family, friends and coworkers are unaware of your urges. You may wake up in the morning already planning how you will satisfy your sexual desires. Throughout the day, you may seek out opportunities to watch pornography even when you are at work or in public. You may even routinely engage in unsafe sex, making you question the health and possible long-term consequences of your behavior. Difficulty managing your sexuality or balancing your sexual impulses with your values and reputation may cause you to struggle with racing thoughts and feelings of hopelessness and low self-worth. Your relationships with your family members and friends may be suffering, too, when you focus so much time and energy on your sexual impulses. At the end of the day, you may feel overwhelmingly guilty about your uncontrollable sexual desires.

Sex Addiction is more common than you may think

Sex addiction is a growing problem in today’s society. Research has shown that about 7 percent of all Americans – roughly 20 million people – can be classified as sex addicts. Some addicts believe that their hypersexual activities are merely the result of a high sex drive, however in many cases, their behaviors indicate a dangerous addictive cycle. One of the main contributing factors to the prevalence of sex addiction is the abundance and accessibility of pornography. Studies show that about 25 million individuals in the United States spend between 1 and 10 hours a week looking at pornography online and 4.7 million Americans spend more than 11 hours per week viewing porn sites.

Stop compulsive sexual thoughts and behaviors with Sex Addiction Treatment

Sex Addiction Treatment | Pasadena, CA | Claremont, CA | Renew Life TherapyDuring safe and nonjudgmental sex addiction treatment sessions, you and I will work together to develop a tailor-created plan to help you find relief from your sexual impulses and strengthen your relationships with your loved ones. Depending on your needs, we can explore 1-3 treatment options: individual sex addiction treatment, couples therapy, and/or men’s sex addiction group therapy.

Individual Sex Addiction Treatment

Individual sex addiction treatment is a personalized process during which we construct a sexual sobriety and a healthy sex life plan. In sessions, I’ll work with you on various key tasks essential to your recovery, such as breaking through denial, understanding the addiction process, abstaining from compulsive sexual behaviors, preventing relapse and developing healthy intimacy and sexual activity. I can also help you understand the core issues behind your sex addiction. Together, we can deconstruct your past experiences or trauma in order to heal the emotional wounds that may be triggering or fueling your sexual impulses.

Our individual sex addiction therapy sessions also give you the opportunity to modify the thought patterns that justify your hypersexual behavior. After you have taken the steps to overcome your sexual thoughts and obsessions, I can teach you strategies to build and maintain a healthy sexual relationship with your partner in which you both can feel respected, loved and connected.

Couples Therapy for Sex Addicts and their Partners

Couples therapy can help you reconnect with your partner as you move forward in your sex addiction recovery. Your partner may have been traumatized by the discovery of your addiction and double life. At the same time, you may be in a crisis after the exposure of your most shameful secrets. During couples therapy, I can help you and your partner rebuild trust and intimacy, establish boundaries and develop a healthy sexual relationship.

Sex Addiction Group Therapy

If you are a man and choose to join my men’s sex addiction treatment group, you can talk about your experiences and listen to others’ stories in a supportive group environment. By sharing your thoughts and feelings in a group setting, you can gain insight and receive helpful feedback from other group members who have suffered from similar impulses. During group sex addiction treatment, you can also gain a deeper understanding of the sexual addictive system and acquire essential skills necessary for successful recovery.

Recovery will turn out to be much bigger than just ceasing the addictive behavior. Generations of recycled pain will stop. A whole new level of being present to life can result from recovery. Life will never be the same. There will be no going back.

— Patrick Carnes

For more than a decade, I have helped several individuals overcome sexual addiction. Even though you may feel overwhelmed by your impulses, there is always help and hope. Through sex addiction treatment, you can restore your sense of dignity and create inner peace as you look forward to a future free of sexually compulsive behavior.

I think I can benefit from sex addiction therapy, but I still have a few questions and concerns…

Can I manage this on my own without spending money on treatment?

One defining characteristic of sex addiction is that you have unsuccessfully attempted to stop your addictive behavior. If you have already tried and failed to manage your sex addiction on your own, investing the time and money on your recovery may be the most valuable decision you make in your life. Recovering from sex addiction can mend your relationships with your partner and loved ones as well as improve your concentration and productivity at work.

 Is there a quick fix to sex addiction?

According to Dr. Patrick Carnes, sex addiction expert, “There is no overnight fix for recovery.” The truth is, establishing a viable recovery process requires time and sacrifice. By taking the time to commit to finding relief from overwhelming sexual impulses, you can drastically improve the quality of your life. If you try a quick fix solution to sex addition, you may end up feeling isolated. Sex addiction treatment, on the other hand, provides you with the support you need to overcome hypersexual behavior. I would feel privileged to be a part of the journey toward your healing.

It’s difficult for me to talk about my sexual activity.

It is very common to struggle to talk about sexual activity and addiction. To ensure your comfort, our sessions are safe, nonjudgmental and confidential. Even though sex addiction therapy involves opening up and admitting your problem, the benefits of living a fulfilling, peaceful and healthy life are well worth any initial embarrassment.

Recover from sex addiction and embrace a healthy sex life

Sex Addiction Treatment | Pasadena, CA | Claremont, CA | Renew Life TherapyAre ready to overcome your sex addiction? Do you want  to come out of the shadow into the joy of freedom and true intimacy? I invite you to call me for a free 20-minute phone consultation. I’m happy to discuss your specific needs and answer any questions you have about my practice and how sex addiction treatment can help you or your relationship.

How do I know if I am a sex addict?

The following brief sexual screening questionnaire, PATHOS, was designed by Dr. Patrick Carnes in 2012 to understand whether or not a person may be a sex addict. PATHOS stands for the six assessment questions:

  • Preoccupied – Do you often find yourself preoccupied with sexual thoughts?
  • Ashamed – Do you hide some of your sexual behavior from others?
  • Treatment – Have you ever sought therapy for sexual behavior you did not like?
  • Hurt others – Has anyone been hurt emotionally because of your sexual behavior?
  • Out of control – Do you feel controlled by your sexual desire?
  • Sad – When you have sex, do you feel depressed afterward?

A “yes” answer to any of the six questions would indicate a need for further assessment with a certified sex addiction therapist. Two or more “yes” answers indicate sexual addiction.

An in-depth Sex Addiction Assessment

If you would like to receive an in-depth sex addiction assessment with a face-to-face feedback session or for further information please contact me.