Christian Counseling Today Vol. 22, Iss. 1

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74 christian counseling today VOL. 22 NO. 1
most mental health professionals
(70.1%) indicated that they viewed sex
addiction as a legitimate diagnosis, a
view held by more clinicians who do not
specialize in sexual disorders than those
who do (72.2% versus 40% respec-
tively). Most participants (68.3%) also
thought problematic Internet pornog-
raphy use “should be categorized as a
sexual addiction,” with 81% of partici-
pants indicating that Internet pornogra-
phy use can have negative effects. Also,
most participants (63.9%) indicated
they saw no benefits to Internet pornog-
raphy use and most (68.5%) would not
suggest the use of Internet pornography
for therapeutic reasons. Those who spe-
cialized in this area were more likely to
see potential benefits (70.0% compared
to 34.4% of non-specialists) and would
consider recommending it for therapeu-
tic reasons (60.0% compared to 30.1%
of non-specialists). Potential benefits of
Internet pornography use were to “facili-
tate assessment and treatment of sexual
dysfunction and paraphilias, improve
client-partner communication, and
reduce client misconceptions, anxiety
and shame about healthy sexuality.”
In terms of perceived competence,
most mental health professionals
(62.9% and 58.9%) did not believe they
were competent to treat clients with
sex addition or problematic Internet
pornography use, respectively. Spe-
cialists in sexual disorders were more
likely to believe they were competent to
treat both concerns. When asked what
approach would be most effective for
treating sexual addiction and Internet
pornography use, participants indicated
cognitive-behavioral therapy (43% and
58.8% endorsing it for sexual addiction
and Internet pornography use, respec-
tively). Next was an eclectic approach
and a 12-step program.
As the authors suggest, sexual addic-
tion and problematic Internet pornog-
raphy use continue to be presenting
concerns in clinical practice and many
mental health professionals believe they
have insufficient training to work with
these concerns. Christian counselors
may benefit from taking advantage of
existing training programs and continu-
ing education in these areas. ✠
MARK A. YARHOUSE,
PSY.D., is the Rosemarie
Scotti Hughes Chair
of Christian Thought in
Mental Health Practice and
Professor of Psychology
at Regent University, where he directs the
Institute for the Study of Sexual Identity
. He is author or
co-author of several books, including
Homosexuality and the Christian: A Guide
for Parents, Pastors, and Friends.
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