We provide individualized psychological treatment for adults experiencing concerns related to their sexual behaviour, sexual interests, relationships, pornography or internet use, or patterns of sexual behaviour that have caused difficulties in their lives.
Treatment is available to individuals who are justice-involved as well as those who have never been charged with or convicted of a sexual offence.
Our approach is individualized. Treatment focuses not only on reducing problematic behaviour, but also on helping clients develop healthier relationships, sexuality, coping strategies, and meaningful life goals.
Individual Sexual Behaviour Treatment
Individual sexual behaviour treatment is available to male and female clients who believe their sexual behaviour is negatively affecting their life or relationships, or who have been referred for treatment following involvement with the justice system.
Treatment begins by helping clients understand how problematic sexual behaviours have developed and occurred in the past. Rather than viewing problematic behaviour as an isolated event, clients learn to identify the sequence of thoughts, emotions, circumstances, decisions, behaviours, and other factors that contributed to it. This process, sometimes referred to as a behavioural progression, can help identify situations and risk factors that may increase the likelihood of similar behaviour occurring in the future. Treatment then focuses on developing practical skills for recognizing and managing these factors.
Areas We May Address
Treatment is tailored to the individual and may include:
- Mindfulness and self-monitoring
- Identifying personal values and goals
- Emotion regulation
- Healthy and unhealthy relationships
- Communication and interpersonal skills
- Healthy sexuality
- Consent and sexual boundaries
- Pornography and sexualized internet use
- Sex and social media
- Dating and relationships
- Managing inappropriate or concerning sexual interests
- Coping and problem-solving skills
- Perspective-taking and understanding the impact of behaviour on others
- Self-compassion
- Developing healthier patterns of sexual behaviour
Treatment draws primarily from cognitive behavioural approaches and principles consistent with the Risk-Need-Responsivity model.
Building a Healthier Life
Treatment is not limited to preventing problematic behaviour. Clients work toward building a life that makes problematic behaviour less likely and healthy choices more sustainable. Each client develops individualized goals in areas such as:
- Healthy Living
- Sense of Purpose
- Positive Relationships
- Healthy Sexuality
- Managing Life’s Problems
Together, we identify realistic and specific strategies for working toward these goals. The aim is to help clients develop greater self-management while becoming active participants in creating lives and relationships that are meaningful to them.
Individual Treatment for Problematic Sexual Interests
Specialized individual treatment is available to male clients who experience persistent inappropriate, concerning, or problematic sexual interests.
This service may be appropriate for individuals whose primary treatment need relates to their sexual interests, as well as individuals who have previously completed broader sexual behaviour treatment but continue to experience difficulties managing sexual thoughts, fantasies, urges, or arousal.
Treatment is individualized and may include:
- Monitoring sexual thoughts, fantasies, urges, and behaviour
- Sexual fantasy logs and self-monitoring
- Identifying triggers and patterns associated with sexual arousal
- Managing pornography and sexualized internet use
- Social media and online behaviour
- Masturbation and fantasy management
- Consent and sexual boundaries
- Developing healthy and age-appropriate relationships
- Strengthening healthy adult sexual interests
- Developing strategies for responding to unwanted sexual thoughts or urges
- Behavioural strategies for managing problematic sexual arousal
Where clinically appropriate, behavioural interventions may include strategies such as healthy fantasy development, satiation, and covert sensitization.
EMDR and Problematic Sexual Interests
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy may also be considered as part of an individualized treatment plan for some clients experiencing problematic sexual interests. EMDR is best established as a treatment for trauma and trauma-related difficulties. A small body of forensic research has also explored whether EMDR may have an additional role in addressing problematic sexual arousal, particularly when an individual’s sexual interests appear connected with unresolved childhood sexual abuse, traumatic experiences, learned associations, or distressing memories. Early research involving men who had sexually offended against children and who also reported histories of childhood sexual abuse found reductions in problematic sexual arousal following EMDR provided alongside established sexual offence treatment. Some of these changes were identified through physiological measures of sexual arousal and were maintained at follow-up. Later case-based and qualitative research has reported similar findings, including reductions in sexual preoccupation and self-reported sexual arousal to children. This remains an emerging area of treatment. The current research is limited and does not establish EMDR as a standalone or universally effective treatment for inappropriate sexual interests.
For appropriate clients, we may therefore use EMDR as one component of a broader treatment plan. Treatment may focus on relevant traumatic experiences, memories, imagery, learned associations, emotional responses, or other factors that appear connected to problematic sexual interests or arousal. Whether EMDR is appropriate is determined individually following clinical assessment.
How Long Does Treatment Take?
Treatment length depends on the client’s needs, treatment goals, risk factors, and progress.
Individual Sexual Behaviour Treatment typically involves approximately 12 to 24 one-hour sessions.
Additional session for more focused treatment for problematic sexual interests may involve an additional 6 to 12 one-hour sessions, although additional treatment may be recommended depending on the complexity of the client’s needs.
EMDR treatment, when indicated, is individualized and may affect the overall number and length of sessions required.
Fees
The fee for individual psychological treatment is $275 per hour. This includes one treatment report for clinical or court purposes. Additional reports will be billed at the regular hourly rate.
Private health insurance plans may provide partial or full reimbursement for services provided by a registered clinical psychologist. Clients should confirm the details and limits of their individual insurance coverage.
Please contact our office to discuss treatment options, current availability, fees, and whether our sexual behaviour treatment services are appropriate for your needs.