Center for Healthy Sex
Center for Healthy Sex (CHS) is a community therapy center in Los Angeles that specializes in the treatment of sexual dysfunction, sexual anorexia,[1] sex addiction and love addiction.[2] The Center is located on Santa Monica Boulevard near Overland Avenue bordering the neighborhoods of Century City and Westwood.[3]
Clients participate in the diverse programs, online courses and social services offered at Center for Healthy Sex - ranging from weekly support groups, couples sex therapy, and the 11-day Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) to online classes, free lectures and podcasts.[4]
At the end of each year, Center for Healthy Sex announces the annual Best/Worst Sex List highlighting the highs and lows of sexual culture, published by Huffington Post[5] and Psychology Today.[6] In 2011, Center for Healthy Sex partnered with Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment to produce a special screening of Shame (2011 film) at American Cinematheque[7] followed by a panel of sex experts including Alexandra Katehakis, Ethlie Ann Vare and Chris Donaghue (host of Bad Sex,) as well as sex addicts from Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous, Sex Addicts Anonymous and Sexual Compulsives Anonymous.[8][9]
History
Center for Healthy Sex was co-founded by Alexandra Katehakis, MFT, CST-S, CSAT-S, and Douglas Evans in 2005.[2] Their stated mission is to offer men, women, and couples a safe place to receive professional psychotherapy to resolve shame, guilt, deception, or other barriers to healthy eroticism.[3]
Alexandra Katehakis serves as Clinical Director,[10] bringing to Center for Healthy Sex a specialized focus in treating affect dysregulation,[11] the result of in-depth studies of attachment theory and interpersonal neurobiology as a member of Allan Schore’s study group since 2006. Alex Katehakis is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified Sex Addiction Therapist, Certified Sex Therapist, and trained practitioner of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy.[12] Alex Katehakis became certified as a sex addiction therapist by Patrick Carnes, Ph.D, and worked at the Sexual Recovery Institute for eight years where she served as Clinical Supervisor for two years before opening Center for Healthy Sex. She is the author of Erotic Intelligence: Igniting Hot, Healthy Sex While in Recovery from Sex Addiction[13] and co-author of Making Advances: A Comprehensive Guide for Treating Female Sex and Love Addicts. [14]
Douglas Evans serves as Executive Director at Center for Healthy Sex, responsible for all aspects of business development. He graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in Psychology and Marketing, and has served as a Volunteer Counselor at the Southern California Counseling Center, and studied Spiritual Psychology at University of Santa Monica. According to his bio, he is “committed to supporting CHS as a leading edge provider of mental health services to the public and education for professionals.”[15]
Center for Healthy Sex employs a team of professional counselors.[4] The clinical team consists of Marriage and Family Therapists, Certified Sex Addiction Therapists, and Certified Sex Therapists who oversee the Center’s programs and services while providing sex therapy and sex addiction therapy to clients.[16]
Programs and services
Center for Healthy Sex develops and hosts a range of programs open to the public that provide educational opportunities for therapists, clients, and anyone interested in further developing relationship skills and sexual intimacy.[3] These include:
- Free Podcasts: lectures and interviews on a variety of topics including sex addiction, sex therapy, sexual anorexia, human sexuality, human sexual activity and intimacy.[17]
- Free Daily Meditations: daily quotes, meditations and tasks received by email for people interested in developing emotional and sexual intimacy.[18]
- Free CEU lecture series: The Center offers free monthly lectures with continuing education units for sex therapists and sex addiction therapists on a variety of sexuality topics.[19]
- Free online tests: Internet Sex Addiction Test, Love Addiction Test, Men’s Sex Addiction Test, and Women’s Sex Addiction Test.[20]
- Online classes: The Center offers 12-week online classes including Facing The Shadow based on the book by Patrick Carnes[21] and Facing Heartbreak based on the book by Carnes, Lee and Rodriguez.[22]
Center for Healthy Sex is a licensed continuing education provider with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS).[23] CHS provides comprehensive social services including:
- Group Therapy: The Center offers weekly groups including Men’s Sex Addiction Treatment Group, Rebuilding Lives Partner’s Group, and Women’s Intimacy Group.[24]
- Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP): An in-depth, intensive 11-day sex and love addiction therapy program intended for any individual who needs to stop compulsive sexual patterns that are causing major disruption in his/her life.[25]
- Individual Therapy: Psychotherapy with a trained sex therapist or sex addiction therapist to help alleviate a wide array of issues, both physical and emotional, including painful intercourse, erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, sexual addiction, lack of sexual desire, negative sexual attitudes due to psychological trauma, and stress and/or anxiety regarding sexual performance.[26]
- Couples Sex Therapy: A team of trained sex therapists help couples to address problems with sexual arousal, genital functioning, lack of intimacy, sexual satisfaction, and differences in the desire for sex.[27]
- Sex Addiction Treatment Training: An 18-hour training program over the course of six classes for those interested in treating sex addiction.[28]
See also
References
- ↑ AccessRX Interview with Alexandra Katehakis
- 1 2 KLEAN Radio interview with Center for Healthy Sex
- 1 2 3 Center for Healthy Sex official website
- 1 2 L.A. Times: Sex Addiction Rehab a Thriving Industry
- ↑ 2011 Worst Sex List at Huffington Post
- ↑ 2012 Best/Worst Sex List at Psychology Today
- ↑ American Cinematheque Shame screening
- ↑ The Fix article: Sex Addiction Event
- ↑ Video: “Shame and Sex Addiction” panel discussion.
- ↑ The Fix article: How Real Is Sex Addiction?
- ↑ Rossier Master’s Programs: Center for Healthy Sex
- ↑ CHS Clinical Director bio
- ↑ Katehakis, Alexandra (2010). Erotic Intelligence Igniting Hot, Healthy Sex While in Recovery from Sex Addiction. Health Communications, Inc. ISBN 0-7573-1437-6.
- ↑ Ferree, Marnie C. (2012). Making Advances A Comprehensive Guide for Treating Female Sex and Love Addicts. ISBN 978-0-9857472-0-6.
- ↑ CHS Executive Director bio
- ↑ CHS Clinical Associates
- ↑ CHS sexuality podcasts
- ↑ CHS free daily meditations
- ↑ CHS lecture series
- ↑ CHS free online tests
- ↑ CHS online Facing The Shadow class
- ↑ CHS online Facing Heartbreak class
- ↑ California BBS Provider List
- ↑ CHS weekly support groups
- ↑ CHS Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
- ↑ CHS individual therapy
- ↑ CHS couples sex therapy
- ↑ CHS Sex Addiction Training
External links
- Official website
- YouTube channel: Center for Healthy Sex
- The Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health
- American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists
- International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals