One of our long term goals for Integrity Restored is to provide a therapist listing where
you can find a trustworthy mental health professional to provide counsel on the road to recovery.
Many people have shared stories about their experiences of therapy. Some have had their marriages
resurrected with the assistance of a skilled counselor, while others have experienced even more pain in
the therapeutic process. Until we have the ability to provide a therapist listing, here are some helpful
guidelines and links:
Professional Competence
Healing from sexual addiction, whether you are an addict, the spouse of an addict, or trying to
heal your marriage can be a complicated process. There are different root causes and core issues that
may have to be dealt with ranging from family of origin issues or past sexual trauma to a simple lack of
virtue. When looking for a therapist ask them if they have experience working with sexual addiction.
You might even ask about their success in helping addicts attain sobriety or in the healing of
relationships. Many therapists have some kind of additional training in sexual addiction and sexual
trauma.
Catholic Values
It is important for many people that their therapist work within a Catholic context. At a
minimum, it is important that the therapist you see be on board with your spiritual value system. When
looking for a therapist, tell them that you are a practicing Catholic. Be up front about the fact that your
sobriety definition is “no sex with anyone other than your spouse—including yourself” (this is also the
sobriety definition used by Sexaholics Anonymous.)
You should also let them know that you are against the use of contraceptives and make sure that the
is comfortable working within your faith system. Most of the therapists I have collaborated with are
comfortable working within Catholic parameters, even if they do not personally subscribe to them.
Do I Need a Catholic Therapist?
Ideally you will find a therapist who is both Catholic and professionally competent to work with
sexual addiction and sexual trauma. However, it can be difficult to find both. In some areas of the
country Catholic therapists are difficult to locate, and in other areas it is difficult to find a sex addiction
specialist. I have found that a good, competent therapist working together with a good spiritual director
is the best combination. You can sign a release of information with your therapist so they can
communicate with your spiritual director and work together on these two pillars of your recovery. As a
priest who accompanies many people in recovery, I have developed some great friendships with
therapists of other faiths—even with a few that have no faith!
Where Can I Get Started?
To find a listing of Certified Sex Addiction Therapists go to IITAP. Click on Therapist locator,
then the button that says “find a therapist.” You will be able to search by zip code to find
someone in your area with Sexual Addiction training from Patrick Carnes. Carnes was the first to start
writing on sexual addiction in the country. When calling someone from this site it is important to ask
them about spirituality and maintaining your Catholic identity and values through the therapeutic
process.
Another therapist locator can be found at Lifestar. Lifestar certifies counselors in a curriculum based
approach to healing addicts, spouses, and marriages. You can click on this map to find out if there is
a Lifestar certified counselor in your area.
The SATP institute is a Christian Sexual Addiction Certification program run by Dr Todd Bowman.
Many Catholic therapists have taken this course in the past couple of years. Although they do not yet
have a therapist locator, you might check out their website.
To find a local Catholic therapist check out www.catholictherapists.com.
