All About Sex Addiction and How to Overcome it with Psychological Therapy & Counselling

What is a Sex Addiction?

Sex Addiction has entered into the common language of society today and up until recently has not been taken very seriously.

There have been a number of high-profile celebrities “confessing” their addiction to sex as a way of explaining their sometimes inexplicable behaviours (Charlie Sheen, Tiger Woods, Ulrika Johsson, Michael Douglas, etc.).

Sex addiction can place an enormous amount of strain & stress on your relationships but do not think that it is a problem confined to the bedroom.

You may find yourself watching more and more pornography, perhaps paying for sex, or indulging in ever more risky sexual activities.

This problem displays the classic hallmarks of any addiction because when we have sex our bodies release massive amounts of Endorphins (pleasure chemicals) into our bloodstream which create feelings of Euphoria.

Those with a sex addiction will devote more and more time in pursuit of this chemical reaction, often neglecting the other things that they could be doing with their time.

What are the symptoms of sex addiction?

Sufferers often demonstrate single-mindedness in the pursuit of sexual activities and the following symptoms or behaviours could indicate Sex Addiction:-

• Paying for Sex
• Multiple sexual partners in secret
• Sex with strangers on a regular basis
• Swinging
• Spending lots of money on sex phone lines
• Masturbating excessively
• Routinely choosing sex over other important activities
• Needing the buzz of sex more and more

Is this Problem Common?

Judging by the amount of publicity that sex addiction now seems to be attracting it seems likely that this is a bigger problem than once thought.

Although figures of 5% of people has been bandied around, it is likely that the figures is higher and that it just doesn’t get reported as much due to the nature of sexuality and morality in our society.

Peopl of all genders are affected in equal proportions and the growth of the internet has allowed private indulgence in sex-related media to grow beyond all measures.

Internet sites for meeting like minded people are easily accessible from the privacy of your own computer terminal!

Therapy & Counselling for Sex Addiction

We offer a number of different types of therapy and counselling for Sex Addiction and sexual problems.

Choosing the most suitable therapy depends on a number of different considerations including factors such as:

• How long you have had the problem.
• Your personal preferences.
• How your problem is affecting you today.

You can read more about the different types of therapy for sex-related problems on the following links:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Sex Addiction
• Counselling for Sex Addiction
• Pluralistic Therapy for Sexual Problems

Although all therapies use slightly different approaches, the one thing they all have in common is the relationship that is formed between the client and therapist.

Research suggests that this therapy relationship may be the most important factor in achieving a good therapy outcome.

Behaviour Change Framework – BCF

All of our counselling sessions and programmes are enhanced by applying the Behaviour Change Framework (BCF).

This scientifically proven protocol clearly defines the incremental stages of behaviour change that you need to go through in order to achieve long lasting and sustainable change.

Drawn from the Transtheoretical Model of Behaviour Change (TTM), the framework provides a roadmap that not only gauges the current stage of progression through the change process, but also indicates if more change is required before entering the next phase of therapy or coaching.

In this way, we are able to ensure that you get the best possible level of support in overcoming your problems as well as ensuring that we don’t terminate the change process prematurely.

You can read more about the Science of Change here.

Arrange your FREE initial consultation here.

If you’d like to find out more about overcoming a sex addiction or recovering from any of your mental health problems then why not arrange a free initial consultation with us.

During this consultation we will discuss your particular issues and the different types of mental health counselling we offer (including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – CBT) without you having to commit to any counselling going forward.

The consultation lasts around 50 minutes and is a great opportunity to meet with either Paul or Joan and decide if you would like to proceed with any support.