top of page

Sex and Porn Addiction Therapy

 

Worried About Your Sexual Behaviour?

​

Many people search for sex addiction therapy or porn addiction help because their sexual behaviour feels difficult to control.

​

You may feel stuck between two competing ideas:

​

  • Part of you wants to stop

  • Another part keeps returning to the behaviour

​

You are not alone. Many people struggle with their relationship to sex and pornography at some point in their lives.

​

What People Mean by “Sex Addiction”

​

“Sex addiction” and “porn addiction” are widely used terms people use to describe sexual behaviours that feel compulsive or distressing. If a therapist says you have ‘sex addiction’, you will be offered an addiction treatment, based on the idea that sex is addictive.  There is no clinical evidence to support this idea, although much on social media suggests otherwise.  Whilst addiction treatments work well for alcohol and drug addiction, human sexuality is a completely different physiological and psychological system.

​

Problematic sexual behaviours that might be seen as an addiction often include:

​

  • Frequent pornography use or online sexual activity

  • Repeated affairs or sexual encounters

  • Feeling unable to stop despite negative consequences

  • Behaviour that conflicts with personal values

​

Many people who come to therapy describe feeling out of control.​

​

My approach is:

​

  • Non-judgmental

  • Respectful

  • Not moralistic

  • Sex-positive

  • Focused on understanding rather than shaming​

  • Helping you to develop a healthier, more integrated relationship with your sexuality, without relying on strict rules or shame-based models.

​

Porn-Induced Erectile Dysfunction (PIED)

​

Many people worry that pornography “ruins” erections or causes permanent sexual problems.

​

Current research shows:

​

  • Anxiety and performance pressure are the main causes of erectile difficulties, not porn itself.

  • Solo sexual activity and partnered sex can feel different because emotional safety and stress levels differ.

​

Therapy can help by exploring:

​

  • Expectations around partnered sex

  • Shame and anxiety during intimacy

  • Techniques to reduce performance pressure

  • Creating relaxed, connected sexual experiences

 

Together, we explore:

​

  • Where sexual behaviours come from

  • Emotional needs and attachment patterns

  • Sexual values and relationship goals

  • The role pornography or fantasy may play in your life

​

This helps you develop a healthier, more integrated relationship with your sexuality, without relying on strict rules or shame-based models.

 

 

Online Sex Addiction Screening Tests (SAST)

​

People often look at online tests to see if they have a problem with sex addiction. These tests are full of hidden value judgments and assumptions. People are often quite surprised at how highly they are rated on the sex addiction scale. Consensual activities that clients might see in online quizzes as indicative of sex addiction are:

 

  • thinking about sex a lot (what is a lot?)

  • having sexual fantasies

  • wanting or having lots of partner sex (again, what is a lot?)

  • wanting or having group sex or multiple partners (research suggests that up to 5% of men have never had this fantasy)

  • frequent masturbation (who decides what is frequent?)

  • being polyamorous or in open relationships

  • having a fetish

  • being into kink/BDSM

  • using porn

  • regularly purchasing romantic novels (I kid you not)

  • paying for sex

  • anything else that other people disapprove of.

​

Therapy focuses not on the behaviour itself, but on whether it is causing distress, shame, or relationship problems.

​

FAQ – Sex and Porn Addiction

​

Q: Is porn addiction a real diagnosis?
A: No. Porn addiction is not an official medical diagnosis. Therapy helps you manage patterns of sexual behaviour that feel difficult to control and may cause distress.

​

Q: Can therapy help with sex or porn addiction?
A: Yes. Therapy addresses emotional patterns behind sexual behaviour, reduces shame, and builds healthier coping strategies.

​

Q: Can pornography cause erectile dysfunction?
A: Anxiety and performance pressure, not porn itself, are the most common causes. Therapy can help rebuild confidence and a sense of safety.

​

Q: Do I need a diagnosis to get help?
A: No. Many clients seek support simply to feel more in control and comfortable with their sexuality.

 

Q: What is compulsive sexual behaviour?
A: Compulsive sexual behaviour is a persistent pattern that feels difficult to control. You can read more on my Compulsive Sexual Behaviour page.

bottom of page