Sexual Addiction
“Did you know, the internet’s interactive features and availability online can be addictive. Because of the widespread availability of sexually explicit materials online, Internet sex addiction is the most common form of online behavior among users.” (Young, Caught in the Net)
Frequently sexual addictions are rooted in trauma or abuse, but curiosity and exposure to sexually explicit materials on the internet is enough to fuel an addiction. Whether use is due to curiosity or unresolved issues, the result has unlimited possibilities online.
Because sex addiction most often has underpinnings of trauma and abuse the problem becomes more complex, requiring more specialized treatment.
As a Licensed Professional Counselor, one of my subspecialties is Sex Addiction Therapy. This means that I have spent additional time with extensive training to meet the strict criteria set forth by Patrick Carnes, PhD. and the International Institute of Trauma Addiction Professionals, for Certification. The training is intensive, requiring a lot of preparation, testing, supervision, travel and monetary investment over a period of approximately one year. As a CSAT I am trained to pick up on things that another counselor would perhaps not see. Sex Addiction sometimes presents with other addictions, and as a Certified Multiple Addictions Therapist (CMAT), I would be knowledgeable of the process.
