PARTNERS OF SEXUAL BETRAYAL
moving beyond betrayal Group
Armour Addictions Services provides the type of treatment partners need in the face of their spouse’s sexual addiction (sexual compulsive behaviour), pornography, or serial infidelity. Our Certified Partner Trauma Therapists (CPTT) are trained by the International Institute of Trauma & Addiction Professionals (IITAP) who developed a treatment model that depicted “partners of sex addicts” in a new and different way recognizing the trauma & posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) they faced as a result of their spouse’s behaviors and betrayal.
Our Moving Beyond Betrayal Group is designed for partners of those struggling with sex addiction. We meet online in a safe environment facilitated by a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT) and Certified Partner Trauma Therapist (CPTT) and Clinical Sexologist with specialized training, who will assist group members in healing from sexual betrayal.
Join our PARTNERS GROUP:
ONLINE every SATURDAY from 8:00-9:30AM PST
Contact us for more information. For some a group therapy setting may be beyond your comfort level and we also offer individual online counselling services for partners of sex addicts. Many clients choose to combine our group therapy and individual counselling sessions as part of a complete recovery program for partners of sex addicts.
The Belief behind CPTT Treatment
Historically other treatment programs (not CPTT) adopted the 12-step model from Alcoholics Anonymous and believed that partners of sex/pornography addicts were “codependents” or “co-addicts”. Our belief is that the partner is in crisis, often experiencing symptoms of PTSD.
CPTT’s believe very strongly that many partners had little to no idea that their spouse was betraying them and did not collude with the sex addict in any way. Sexual addiction is a process addiction and is in some ways different from other substance abuse addictions and is harder for the partner to recognize. We know that often the partner had no idea that the sex addict was violating the relationship and that partners had no part in enabling the sexual compulsive behaviour. Often the partner feels that a rug had been pulled out from under them and the life they knew was a lie. Some other programs may think that partners are enabling the addict’s behavior because they want to stay in the marriage or help the addict get healthy. We understand that the partner may be keeping this situation discreet to minimize the impact it could have on self, the children, and the family unit. Our staff believes that this is an act of self-care and we are dedicated to helping partners develop boundaries and other forms of self-care to assist in the process of healing.
CPTT treatment also differs from other models in three unique ways:
- The IITAP Partners program is based on research that shows that the partner has experienced trauma and/or PTSD as a result of the trauma of discovery. This treatment model addresses this trauma and also any past trauma in the partner’s history. Working with a certified CPTT assures the partner that they will get guidance regarding their current safety and assistance with their mental health needs.
- Our program differs from others because CPTT’s believe that disclosures should be done soon after discovery with trained CPTT/CSAT’s professional. A partner cannot feel safe until they have received all the information. A disclosure is a lengthy process if done correctly so starting the process quickly is important. The disclosure will take place when both the CPTT and the CSAT feel the couple is stable and ready for the disclosure.
- Armour Addiction Services believes in treating the sex addict with compassion and helping the addict to improve their self-esteem by teaching them the skills of empathy, validation, and reassurance for the partner. When the addict learns how to rebuild the coupleship by being authentic and transparent and practicing relationship building with the spouse, self-esteem gradually increases. These long-term recovery skills are needed to build a strong recovery lifestyle that will enhance the relationship building needed to recover from the damage of sexual addiction.