What do you think?
Rate this book
Routledge International Handbooks
The Routledge International Handbook of Sexual Addiction
The concept of sexual addiction has gained increasing recognition in the academic and healthcare communities since the 1990s. It has also captured the attention of the media, where there has been much debate over whether it can truly be described as an addiction. What is certain is that many people struggle with out of control sexual behaviour, which takes over their lives and has harmful consequences for their relationships, careers and finances. The Routledge International Handbook of Sexual Addiction brings together a comprehensive range of perspectives on sexual addiction from a worldwide selection of scholars and therapists. It sets out to define sexual addiction and to study its causes from a range of different psychological perspectives. A series of presentations of sexual addiction are outlined, including internet sexual addiction and the relationship between paraphilias and sex addiction. The handbook considers both individual and group treatment strategies, drawing on a wide range of approaches, including cognitive behavioural therapy, mindfulness and 12-step programmes. The book studies sex addiction in specific populations including women, adolescents and men who have sex with men. Finally, it considers some of the alternative discourses surrounding the concept of sexual addiction. This is the first comprehensive reference book to bring together global viewpoints on advances in research, theory and practice in one volume. This handbook provides an essential guide for academics and students of psychotherapy, counselling, nursing, addiction, sexualities, social work and health and social care, as well as professionals in practice and in training working with sexual addiction and related issues.
496 pages, Hardcover
Published September 13, 2017
6 people are currently reading
10 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
July 26, 2020
This should probably be required reading for anyone studying sexual addiction or working with people who believe that they are addicted to sexual behaviours. It covers many perspectives, from CBT to existentialism, and acknowledges that the field is far from unified in how it sees the problem of apparently out of control sexual behaviours. The cycle of addiction, in Dr Birchard's chapter on his groupwork was particularly helpful.
What is missing is a value-perspective in whether the behaviours can be harmful without the obvious impact on self and relationships. One could be forgiven for thinking one of the most prominent problematic sexual behaviours happens in a vacuum, where pornography is perfectly fine unless it gets out of perceived control. There was no mention of sex trafficking, for example. In my work with offenders, it has often been coming to the realisation of the exploitation that happens within pornography that keeps men from returning to it. It sits badly with their sense of themselves as moral agents who don't want to be part of oppressive tactics. I would have loved to have seen a chapter by Gail Dines. In fact, if anyone reads this, I recommend also reading her book, Pornland, or Chris Hedges' Empire of Illusion.
What is missing is a value-perspective in whether the behaviours can be harmful without the obvious impact on self and relationships. One could be forgiven for thinking one of the most prominent problematic sexual behaviours happens in a vacuum, where pornography is perfectly fine unless it gets out of perceived control. There was no mention of sex trafficking, for example. In my work with offenders, it has often been coming to the realisation of the exploitation that happens within pornography that keeps men from returning to it. It sits badly with their sense of themselves as moral agents who don't want to be part of oppressive tactics. I would have loved to have seen a chapter by Gail Dines. In fact, if anyone reads this, I recommend also reading her book, Pornland, or Chris Hedges' Empire of Illusion.
Displaying 1 of 1 review