Porn Addiction Counseling in Coeur d’Alene and Spokane

Like many communities in the U.S., Spokane has its share of people struggling with porn addiction. It is estimated that as many as 6% of Spokane and Kootenai County residents deal with some type of sexual addiction. Many of them aren’t getting the treatment they need. For these individuals, porn addiction counseling might present the only chance to return to a more normal and less destructive way of life. 

What Spokane and CDA Porn Addiction Counseling Involves 

As with substance abuse treatment, porn addiction counseling provides people the support system they need to help them recover from their addictions. It essentially establishes a trust-based relationship between the counselor and the patient, who receives support and guidance that will hopefully be useful to them as they work their way through the recovery process.

Porn addiction counseling is often aimed at helping addicted individuals manage immediate crises as well as long-term behavior. The methods employed may include everything from emergency medical intervention to continuing support during long-term recovery.

Forming Trust-Based Relationships 

For most porn addicts, making the decision to get counseling doesn’t come easy. It often takes some time before the addict is able to trust the counselor and form a beneficial relationship. Therefore, counselors are responsible for laying the groundwork for the bond commonly known as a “therapeutic alliance”.

A therapeutic alliance is established when the patient develops a certain degree of trust with their counselor. This trust allows them to let down their guard and willingly acknowledge and accept their vulnerability. They then become more receptive to the counselor’s attempts to solve their issues, so they can work more effectively together. 

When a therapeutic alliance is formed, the patient considers their counselor deserving of their trust. They know that the counselor has their best interests in mind throughout the treatment process. This bond of trust between the addict and the counselor enables them to work closely together even during the most difficult and challenging periods of the addiction. 

Even before the bond of trust is formed, patients should be encouraged to speak freely during therapy. Although it may take some time before they can trust their counselor, they should feel comfortable enough to share their thoughts and experiences right from the start. This could go a long way toward giving them a measure of relief with every session, so they are more likely to come back and see the program through. 

The Counselor’s Role In Porn Addiction Counseling

Porn addiction counselors can do their part to hasten the process of forming a strong therapeutic alliance with their patients. Some of the ways they can do this are: 

• Communicating interest in the patient’s well-being 
• Remaining attentive during counseling sessions
• Letting patients know that they empathize with their difficulties 
• Educating patients on the possible issues at the foundation of their addiction 

As with all types of addiction treatment, forming a therapeutic alliance is crucial for helping porn addicts recover. By fostering a relationship in which patients can freely express themselves without fear of judgment, counselors will be in a better position to help addicted individuals get better.

Part of the counselor’s role is to encourage their patient along the road to recovery. As many addicts have realized, the process of leaving the destructive lifestyle behind is a challenging one. Many porn addicts fail to see–or refuse to acknowledge–their addictive behavior patterns and may not be convinced of the need to seek treatment. Therefore, many efforts at counseling are often doomed before they even get started, as counselors are typically unable to persuade their patients that they need to make a firm commitment to change. 

Rethinking The Approach To Porn Addiction Counseling

In response, many counselors have been forced to reevaluate their approach to motivating their patients. In contrast to the sometimes impersonal and overly professional methods employed in the past, some counselors now choose to focus on communicating genuine warmth, empathy, and respect without being possessive or controlling. 

There has also been a gradual shift away from “confrontational” counseling, which typically involves challenging patients’ thoughts and feelings. By adopting a friendlier and more emphatic approach, porn counselors are better able to encourage their patients to seek treatment and stick with the program until a significant recovery is realized.