Treating Sexual Addiction

Sexual addiction is a recognized syndrome that affects millions of people every year. Hours lost to online porn
or chat, the intense pain and trauma of infidelity, deep shame, financial loss, disease, and criminal penalties are all potential consequences of out-of-control online or in-person sexual activity.

If your life has been negatively affected by your own or another’s sexual behavior, we invite you to contact us.
We offer a sensitive, focused approach to this problem beginning with a thorough assessment to determine
your needs and the best course of action to stop damaging behaviors and begin healing.  
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David and Donna have extensive training and experience in helping men, women, and children impacted
by sexual compulsivity and addiction. We offer a compassionate, informed, and proven program for recovery.
​In our counseling, we use a focused, task-centered model with materials that are effective in helping you reclaim a healthy, satisfying sexuality and the ability to be truly intimate.
 
We offer specialized treatment for spouses and partners, the couple relationship, and families.
If you’re ready to stop the hurt, we are ready to help you.

What We Provide

At Aspen, we provide a warm, accepting, confidential space for all seeking healing and support. 
Our therapists offer maturity, depth, and a wealth of clinical expertise as they join you on your journey to
manifest your strengths and make lasting changes.
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We help you build healthy connections with yourself and others, so you will be confident, authentic and assertive.
​Q: How can sex become an addiction?
We use four criteria, developed by Dr. Patrick Carnes, to describe the presence of an addiction:
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  1. A flawed coping mechanism — Like all addictive behaviors, sexual activity can be a way to escape from reality and avoid feelings and problems. It can be a form of self-medication: a way to ‘numb out’ or overstimulate oneself. Feelings of anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, boredom, and stress are temporarily relieved. However, the real issues are never addressed or resolved. Usually, the problems only get worse.
 
  1. A pattern of compulsive behavior — The brain’s pleasure center is naturally accessed through sexual activity and powerful hormones are released, creating a ‘high’. The craving for these good feelings and the escape they offer lead to increased acting out behaviors, creating a powerful, rewarding feedback loop that is very difficult to break. Even as risks and consequences become more severe, the addict is unable to stop. Without help, efforts to end or manage addictive behaviors usually fail..
 
  1. A negative impact on functioning — A pattern of increasing isolation from others is one of the first signs of a growing addiction. Mood changes, deception, increased isolation and angry acting out are often reported by friends and loved ones. Normal social activities decrease, relationships suffer, and responsibilities related to job or school are not met. A ‘double life’ develops.
 
  1. A pattern of increasing use (also known as increased tolerance) — Simply put, one needs a greater amount or greater intensity of the experience to achieve the same ‘high.’ Addicted persons continue to sacrifice their true values and priorities, spend more time pursuing their compulsive interests, and enter riskier situations with little thought regarding consequences for themselves and others.
 
As humans, we are designed to experience and enjoy our sexuality and its full expression in ways that are meaningful and healthy for us. However, in the last 25 years, multiple avenues to experiencing immediate sexual gratification have become available. Many thousands have developed obsessive-compulsive habits accessing pornography, hookups, and sex workers, with terrible consequences to relationships, reputations and careers when discovered or exposed.
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Change in behavior is the first goal of recovery. Often referred to as establishing and maintaining sobriety, a recovering addict establishes a structured program of counseling, group work, accountability and study to understand addictive patterns and the “triggers” that fuel them. Negative thoughts and feelings are exposed and dealt with in positive ways. To move forward, we help our clients discover their own set of healthy and rewarding habits and patterns that foster honesty, intimacy and connection. We know that wounds can be healed, relationships can be rebuilt and that life can better and infinitely rewarding in recovery.
We are a “spouse-sensitive” practice, offering critical care and support to spouses, partners and family members.

Fast-Start Your Recovery

START YOUR RECOVERY IN THE RIGHT WAY
Our intensive weekend workshop teaches proven practices to begin a successful recovery. In it, you will understand the nature of addictive illness and how addiction develops, address your own patterns of addictive behavior, and develop your personal plan for moving forward. Our treatment approach is positive and is rooted in the development of personal values and integrity.
Journey to Recovery from Sexual Addiction
by Rev. David Rennard, LCSW, CSAT-S

Part One: Establish Sobriety
A careful assessment is completed to determine each person’s treatment needs to pursue healing. Individual and group therapy helps to understand and arrest the cycle of addiction, prevent relapse, and address core issues that contribute to sexual compulsivity. Additional accountability and support are provided through self-help groups such as Sexaholics Anonymous or Faithful and True. In addition, spouses and families are provided support through counseling and groups.

Part Two: Personal Recovery
A key factor in successful recovery is the establishment of a healthy lifestyle balance. Unresolved trauma or other issues that contribute to the addiction are addressed in depth. Authentic emotional needs are acknowledged and healthy ways for meeting those needs are established and maintained. Spirituality develops and deepens. People discover new energy and potential for themselves.

Part Three:​ Healing for the Spouse and Partner
We are a “spouse-sensitive” practice, offering critical care and support to spouses, partners, and family members. We specialize in working with the spouse or partner of the addict as a survivor of “betrayal trauma.”

Part Four:​ Couple & Family Recovery 
The man or woman who sexually acted out openly acknowledges the damage and pain that resulted and seeks to make amends. Family patterns that foster the addiction are addressed with the goal of rebuilding healthier families. ​New patterns of connection and intimacy are practiced and established.
Aspen Counseling Services