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.
When unhealthy behaviors dominate your life
Sexual compulsivity has also been called sexual addiction or sexual dependency. By any name, it is a compulsive behavior that completely dominates the addict’s life. Sexual addicts make sex a priority over family, friends, and career. Sex becomes their primary focus, with temporary pleasure and unhealthy relationships given more important than forming healthy, intimate relationships.
Our own Dr. Patrick Carnes popularized the concept of compulsive sexual behavior as an addiction, believing, after decades of research, that people become addicted to sex in the same way they become addicted to substances or other behaviors.
Compulsive sexual behavior may involve a commonly enjoyable sexual experience (for example, self-stimulation) that becomes an obsession and disruptive or harmful to you or others. Other compulsive sexual behaviors are outside the bounds of commonly accepted conduct (for example, paying for sex or having extramarital affairs) and cause distress. All these behaviors could have negative consequences, affecting health, job, relationships, or other parts of life.
Paraphilic behaviors are unconventional sexual behaviors which are obsessive and compulsive. These include:
Nonparaphilic compulsive sexual behaviors involve conventional sexual behaviors that, when taken to an extreme, are recurrent, distressing, and interfere in daily functioning. These may include:
Sexual addiction shares common traits with other addictions. There is a repetitive struggle to control behavior, which is followed by a deep sense of despair for continuously failing to do so. Self-esteem gradually decreases, increasing the need to escape into addictive behavior. Powerlessness is a key element of addiction. At Gentle Path, we address these behaviors and help patients do the deep work necessary to uncover root causes and confront past pain.
Featured Article
Stigma involves negative attitudes and assumptions about something or someone based on distinguishing characteristics. With people, these characteristics may be related to mental or physical health and ability, and are often traits someone has no choice or control over. Stigma and all forms of addiction have a long, problematic history, but stigma attached to sex addiction stands especially prevalent. Learning why this is may actually help to change it.
Gentle Path is a safe, nurturing community composed of peers where your journey of recovery will include not just dealing with outward behaviors but examining the underlying causes. The goal is to gain the courage to face difficult issues (including grief and loss), heal from emotional trauma, and become accountable for your feelings, behaviors, and recovery.
Taking that first step is hard, but there’s a new life of health and hope just waiting for you. The next chapter of your life can begin now, but only you can change your story.
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