Since I began my professional practice in the 1980s, I‘ve been treating men with Out-of-Control Sexual Behavior (OCSB). How this is named and treated has changed over time – sexual compulsivity, sex addiction, etc. But whatever it’s called, the men who come to me feel that sex is not in a balanced place in their lives and often has disruptive consequences. They haven’t been able to make changes on their own and keep slipping back into the same patterns, in spite of repeated efforts.
My treatment approach always has a dual focus: (1) teaching direct tools and skills that clients can use in managing and changing the problematic patterns in their thinking and behavior, and (2) understanding the underlying issues and needs that drive the OCSB.
I’ve been trained in Somatic Experiencing, EMDR and Clinical Hypnosis, all of which can help clients better regulate the feelings, urges and fantasies that feel out of control. These become part of the skill set clients use to make changes in their sexual patterns. They also are helpful in working through early traumas or sexual conflicts that can play an underlying role.
Over the past six years, I’ve been working within the new OCSB model, which is based on sexual health principles and is also sex-positive. I directly trained and continue to consult with the developers of this model, which is increasingly recognized by both the sex addiction and sex therapy communities as one that incorporates a broader understanding of sexual behavior and takes an individualized rather than a “one size fits all” approach.
I currently provide individual and couple therapy for OCSB. I will be starting a group in the spring of 2019. Further information is available at my website.