Presentations

Relapse Autopsy:  Mistakes are Only Useless If You Don’t Learn Relapse is a common experience in sex addiction recovery.  However, as the saying goes, the only mistake that is worthless is the one you do not learn from.  This presentation introduces the Relapse Autopsy, a tool designed to help sex addicts recognize issues, patterns, and choices that contribute to relapse so that they can learn from it.  The application of this tool within the therapy process is also discussed.

Sex Addiction: Etiology, Repercussions and Treatment Sex addiction gets a lot of press.  From the days of Bill Clinton and Tiger Woods to Time Magazine and articles by the Gottmans and Sue Johnson, the conversation and controversy about sex addiction has continued.  Is this a real thing or just an excuse for men behaving badly?  Is this really an addiction or is it an obsessive-compulsive disorder?  Is this a valid issue or an extremely successful marketing scheme by treatment providers?  Recent research supports sex addiction as a valid issue and provides guidance for effective treatment.  In this presentation, Tim Stein discusses the current definition and etiology of sex addiction.  Using stories of clients’ struggles and successes, he provides a framework for understanding this issue and how it impacts not only the addict but their partner as well.  Treatment protocols and community support groups for all involved are outlined.

Listening to Ourselves:  Experiences and Advice from Sex Addiction Therapists in Recovery (with Geoff Goodman) This presentation shares the results from a survey of sex addiction therapists who are also in recovery from sex addiction.  Patterns, comments, and guidance for individuals balancing professional and personal recovery work are highlighted.  Areas of focus include:  boundaries used by sex addiction therapists who are in their own recovery in deciding who in their personal life they disclose their recovery from addiction to, treatment options that sex addiction therapists in their own recovery have used to address their own addiction, advice provided by sex addiction therapists in their own recovery regarding the balance of their own recovery work and their professional therapeutic work with sex addiction clients, boundaries used by sex addiction therapists who are in their own recovery in deciding whether or not to disclose their recovery from addiction to clients, and the benefits that professional twelve-step meetings provide to sex addiction therapists who are in their own recovery.

Managing the Elephant: Effective Couples Therapy in Early Recovery (with Jeanne Vattuone, LCSW, CSAT, CCPS-S)
For couples newly recovering from the devastating effects of sex addiction, traditional couples therapy is ineffective and can even be traumatizing.  These couples need guidance and support while navigating recovery and acknowledging the pain of betrayal.  After exploring why traditional couples therapy models are ineffective, we present an alternative couples therapy model for early recovery.  Timing of couples therapy related to individual recovery, client skill development, clinical interventions, and the role of the clinician(s) is presented and explored through discussion and demonstration.

Sex Addiction 101:  Understanding Sex and Pornography Addiction (with Jeanne Vattuone, LCSW, CSAT, CCPS-S)
This educational seminar provides information about what sex and pornography addiction is as well as behaviors commonly connected with sex and pornography addiction.  Tim and Jeanne provide a special focus on the partner’s experience, underlying issues that drive sex and pornography addiction, and what is needed for successful individual and couples recovery from sex and pornography addiction.

Two Roads to Rome: Sex Addiction and Couples Recovery (with Jeanne Vattuone, LCSW, CSAT, CCPS-S)
Sex addiction is a problem for the addict as well as all family members.  Using a family systems perspective, Tim and Jeanne discuss sex addiction recovery for the addict, partner, and couple.  They highlight the differences in treatment for the addict and the betrayed partner and share common mistakes made by therapists working with sex addicts and/or their partners.

Tim Stein is interviewed about the benefit of a relapse autopsy by Carol the Coach on her weekly podcast.  Relapse Autopsy  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/sexhelpwithcarolthecoach/2014/07/01/what-should-you-do-when-u-relapsesexual-addiction-with-carol-the-coach

Tim Stein is interviewed about the importance of addressing shame and trauma as a part of recovery by Carol the Coach on her weekly podcast.  Shame and Trauma http://www.blogtalkradio.com/sexhelpwithcarolthecoach/2014/03/25/shame-and-trauma-in-sexual-addiction-with-carol-the-coach

Tim Stein is interviewed about the importance of addicts finding an effective balance between focusing on their own sobriety and recovery work while also being aware of their partner’s experience.  Partner Sensitive Treatment
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/sexhelpwithcarolthecoach/2017/08/22/what-is-partner-sensitive-treatment-with-carol-the-coach

Tim Stein is interviewed about using a partner sensitive approach in clinical work with sex addicts and the partners of sex addicts.  Partner Sensitive Approach
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/betrayalrecoveryradio/2018/08/30/using-a-partner-sensitive-approach-with-sas-and-partners