Four decades of healing history, the top experts in an often-misunderstood field, and the most advanced approaches to address a wide range sexual addiction and behavioral disorders.
Our comprehensive program addresses sexual addictions, unresolved trauma, and co-occurring issues, going beyond symptoms to explore root issues and lay the groundwork for lasting healing.
Group and one-on-one therapy are just the beginning. We employ a wide range of methods and modalities, including valuable peer support, to address each person’s unique needs.
Let us help you determine if our program is right for your situation, discuss insurance coverage, payment options, and let you know what to expect upon arriving at treatment.
Change takes work, but it can’t be harder than living with unresolved addiction, trauma, and other disorders. If you or someone you love needs help, we’re ready and waiting.
Recent studies estimate that nearly 9% of the US population struggles with compulsive sexual behavior such as sex or porn addiction, according to the Journal of Psychosexual Health. Sometimes unseen and other times misunderstood, sexual compulsion can make a debilitating impact on both you and your loved ones.
Because of the complexity of compulsive sexual behavior, the road to recovery from sex or porn addiction can be incredibly difficult, leaving you susceptible to relapse. But a renowned research-based treatment method called the 30-Task Model has helped countless men navigate their recovery successfully. Created by Meadows Senior Fellow Dr. Patrick Carnes, it’s a comprehensive approach we embrace at Gentle Path at The Meadows.
Sometimes unseen and other times misunderstood, sexual compulsion can make a debilitating impact on both you and your loved ones.
Before we explore how Dr. Patrick Carnes’ 30-Task Model puts you in a better position to achieve long-term recovery, it’s important to understand the sexual compulsion struggles associated with this treatment approach, namely sex and porn addictions.
When you’re struggling with a sex addiction, it means you’re unable to control your intense sexual urges and behaviors. Whether that’s having multiple sexual encounters or engaging in excessive masturbation, your sex addiction negatively impacts your physical and mental health. But the fallout doesn’t stop there. Your addiction also harms your relationships, interferes with your daily responsibilities, and can even wreck your career.
However, sex addiction isn’t about sex. So what is a sex addiction really about? Coping skills. Similar to drug or alcohol addictions, uncontrollable sexual activities usually stem from past trauma, mental health issues, or other stressors. Sex is used as a coping mechanism to help you find relief from the negative feelings and experiences associated with the underlying trauma in your life. And for this reason, you end up gratifying your sexual urges over and over again, leading to an entrenched sex addiction that overwhelms your life.
If you’re concerned you or a loved one may have a sex addiction, Healthline.com offers the following telltale signs:
Because of the ubiquity of the internet and technology in our daily lives, it’s easier than ever to access pornography. Porn addiction resources like Fight the New Drug highlight numerous facts about the negative impact of porn’s prevalence on our society. For instance, a 2020 study published in The Journal of Sex Research found that about 91% of men and 60% of women reported watching porn within a given month.
Consequently, porn’s widespread availability has contributed to a rise in porn addiction. Like sex addiction, porn addiction is also rooted in trauma. If you’re addicted to porn, you may find yourself compulsively watching it as a way to cope with daily stressors and unresolved trauma from your past. Your consumption becomes compulsive and repetitive, to the point where you can’t stop, despite the negative consequences it has on your life and relationships.
Just because you watch porn doesn’t mean it’s a sexual compulsion. However, if you experience any of the following symptoms, you might be struggling with a porn addiction:
Given the complexity and serious consequences of sex and porn addiction, Dr. Patrick Carnes’ 30-Task Model offers a comprehensive, long-term approach to recovery. These 30 tasks not only help you eliminate addictive behaviors but also guide you in building healthy intimacy with others.
As with any addiction treatment, the 30-Task Model is most effective once you’ve acknowledged your addiction and recognized the need for change. Each task addresses different aspects of healing and self-discovery, providing support at every stage of your recovery. Whether you’re just beginning treatment or are further along in your journey, the 30-Task Model offers a valuable roadmap for your next steps. It can also help you regain focus and progress if you’ve relapsed or lost your way.
Whether you’re just beginning treatment or are further along in your journey, the 30-Task Model offers a valuable roadmap for your next steps. These 30 tasks not only help you eliminate addictive behaviors but also guide you in building healthy intimacy with others.
Recovery from compulsive sexual behavior can often take three to five years, so the 30-Task Model groups all 30 tasks into different phases. The first seven tasks, known as the early recovery tasks, are designed to help you overcome any denial and accept that you have an addiction. During this phase, you accomplish the following:
The next phases include internal and external tasks. These long-term recovery tasks help you create lasting change and achieve better balance in your life. From learning to effectively manage grief and shame to building healthier relationships, establishing a meaningful career, and staying physically fit, these tasks give you a practical plan to learn how to overcome compulsive behavior and stay the course in recovery.
The final phase involves your entire family. After all, your spouse, children, and extended family members need to recover from the collateral damage of your addiction themselves. Working through these tasks helps you and your family address conflicts and old wounds, participate in therapy together, and change dysfunctional relationships for the better.
As the founder and clinical architect of our program, Dr. Patrick Carnes and his 30-Task Model play a significant role in our men’s sex and porn addiction treatment at Gentle Path. Using both the 30 tasks and The Meadows Model created by Meadows Senior Fellow Pia Mellody, we address both the underlying childhood trauma driving your addiction as well as your addiction itself. This intentional combination of compassion and accountability helps you build a strong foundation in treatment for long-term recovery.
Our treatment program emphasizes Dr. Patrick Carnes’ first seven tasks, especially. Partnering with you as the patient, we work together to build a timeline of your addiction history. This allows both you and your therapist to understand the incidents and behaviors that have influenced your sexual compulsion. From there, we address the powerlessness that happens in any addiction, as well as the specific consequences your addiction has caused for you and your loved ones. We also uncover together the reasons why your addiction started in the first place.
Armed with this knowledge, we create a personalized treatment plan based on your life experiences and specific addiction struggles. With our support, you’re able to heal from your past trauma and take accountability for your addictive behaviors. As a result, you can then learn healthy coping skills to maintain your sobriety and be empowered to develop healthy intimacy with others.
It’s challenging when you’re in the throes of compulsive sexual behavior. But there is hope. With the right treatment, you can achieve long-term recovery and have loving, intimate relationships again. If you’re ready to get started on your 30 tasks at Gentle Path, contact our team today.
© 2025 All Rights Reserved
