The Six Principles of Sexual Health: Rethinking Sex Addiction Treatment

Introduction: Braun-Harvey and Vigorito propose an empirically-based, outpatient assessment and treatment protocol for men with out of control sexual behavior (OCSB).

Method: The authors applied clinical research from the fields of sexual health, self-regulation, attachment theory, sexology and health behavior change with over 250 men in individual and group psychotherapy to improve their sexual self control.

Results: The protocol is designed to guide OCSB clinical conceptualization, honor client sexual rights and enhance motivation for sexual health behavior change.

Discussion: Scientific consensus has not coalesced around one diagnostic criteria or etiological mechanism for sexual dysregulation.  An integrative psychotherapeutic approach is needed to comprehensively address the multiple factors that contribute to OCSB.  The OCSB clinical pathway is founded upon the clinician’s ethical responsibility to provide the most effective treatment while protecting client sexual rights. An OCSB assessment investigates how men resolve an array of competing motivations that affects self-regulation, attachment patterns and their sexual/erotic identity development.  Through combined group and individual psychotherapy, clients improve sexual control, clarify their personal visions of sexual health, and learn to align behavior within fundamental sexual health principles.

Utility/Limitations/Risks: An outpatient psychotherapy assessment and treatment protocol for men presenting with consensual, out of control sexual behavior.

Behavioral Learning Objectives:

After attending this presentation, the participants will be able to:

1. To apply a dual-process theory of human behavior to OCSB conceptualization
2. To apply sexual health principles to treating sexual behavior problems and OCSB.
3. To describe the clinician’s ethical responsibility when assessing and treating sexual behavior problems.