What is a CSAT and why should my partner see one.

There are some very good reasons your partner should see a Certified Sexual Addiction Therapist (CSAT) rather than his current one, or any other therapist that says they can help him.

Seeking help for pornography or sex addiction is terrifying. Finding the right person to talk to is incredibly difficult. You’ll find tons of therapists online who claim to be able to help, but most lack the specialised training and qualifications needed to treat sex addiction effectively.

What Does It Take to Become a Certified Sexual Addiction Therapist (CSAT)?

If you wanted to get treatment for a spinal injury, would you go to a foot surgeon? Probably not. Even though the foot surgeon has the same medical degree as a spinal surgeon, they’ve both received additional training specific to the part of the body that they wanted to specialise in. Therapists have the same opportunity to specialise in specific types of issues. Some therapists specialise in treating PTSD, while others specialise in treating troubled youth. And some specialise in treating sex and porn addiction. There are different trainings, courses and certifications for each of these areas. Not all therapists have been trained and certified to treat men who are struggling to break a pornography addiction or other sexual addictions.

To achieve the CSAT certification, it usually takes a therapist who already has a degree, two years or more of intensive training and supervision through the International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals (IITAP). The training includes learning to use research-backed manuals and materials, a 30-task approach to treatment designed to be followed in individual and group therapy sessions, in addition to encouraging involvement in 12-step support programs for sexual addiction. The certification requires many hours of actual clinical work with clients who are suffering from sexual addictions in conjunction with supervision from an experienced IITAP supervisor.

This all might sound like gibberish if you are new to the world of sex addiction therapy, but what is important for you to know is that a CSAT has obtained a level of experience and knowledge in treating sex addicts that other therapists just don’t have. 

One of the most important reasons to see a CSAT to get help for sex addiction, is because CSATs understand what you are going through.  They also understand betrayal trauma and the impact on partners. Because a CSAT has years of experience treating sex addicts, they’ve seen and heard it all. Many also have lived experience which gives them a deep understanding of not only the root causes, but also the most effective methods and practices to treat sexual addiction. There is no judgment and a level of empathy that you might not get with someone who doesn’t fully understand sex addiction.

It’s totally frustrating when therapists don’t believe sex addiction is real. It’s incredibly invalidating, especially when you have been battling this for years. And a therapist who doesn’t specialise in it can actually make things worse. My husband’s first therapist tried to “fix” him in six sessions which just added to his trauma after making him relive his childhood sexual abuse. The next one didn’t even think he had a problem, so he just kept doing the same acting out behaviours. This is why it is so important to find a therapist who really understands sex addiction.

You deserve the best treatment you can get so you can overcome your addiction and become sober and recover. Your partner and relationship deserve this too.

CSATS in Melbourne:
Intimacy Healing 
Sexual Addiction Counselling in Melbourne’s East