Your Sexually Addicted Spouse: How Partners Can Cope and Heal

by Barbara Steffens, Marsha Means

Overview

Sexual addictions and compulsive sexual behavior are growing societal problems, with as many as three to six percent of the world population affected. Your Sexually Addicted Partner shatters the stigma and shame that millions of men and women carry when their partners are sexually addicted. They receive little empathy for their pain, which means they suffer alone, often shocked and isolated by the trauma. Barbara Steffens' groundbreaking new research shows that partners are not codependents but post-traumatic stress victims, while Marsha Means' personal experience provides insights, strategies, and critical steps to recognize, deal with, and heal partners of sexually addicted relationships. Firsthand accounts and stories reveal the impact of this addiction on survivors' lives. Chapters end with “On a Personal Note” questions and propose new paths that lead from trauma to empowerment, health, and hope. Useful appendices list health and mental health care providers and clergy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780882823577
Publisher:	New Horizon Press
Publication date:	11/01/2010
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	846 KB

About the Author

Barbara Steffens, Ph.D. has a doctorate in Counselor Education from Regent University (Cincinnati, OH) is a Certified Clinical Sexual Addiction Specialist specializing in helping women recover from sexual betrayal and has spoken nationally on special issues related to partners of sexual addicts. She is the Vice President of Victim Services of the National Coalition for the Protection of Children&Families (NCPCF) She and her husband live in the greater Cincinnati,Ohio area.

Marsha Means, MA earned her Masters in Psychology from Antioch Univesity Seattle in the Marriage and Family Theraphy Program. The author of Living With Your Husband's Secret Wars and Partner's Healing Journey Workbook. She has done numerous radio interviews and speaking engagements to represent women's pain in the face of addiction. Her website, www.awomenshealingjourney.com - is a resource for women seeking help and understanidng as they attempt to deal with their partners sexual addiction. She currently resides in San Diego, CA.

Editorial Reviews

Sex addiction includes a wide variety of behaviors, from cheating on a spouse to child molesting. Certified clinical sexual addiction specialist Steffens (vice president, Victim Svcs., National Coalition for the Protection of Children & Families) and Means (Living with Your Husband's Secret Wars) address the situations of spouses caught in a web of betrayal, stigma, and physical and financial vulnerability. They include information on sex addiction but focus on the needs and healing pathways for those affected by such damaging behavior. The authors assert that codependency is not an adequate explanatory model, as it suggests that spouses are coconspirators in this type of behavior; they instead view spouses as trauma survivors. This approach emerged from the authors' research and patients' personal stories. They offer practical advice on judging if recovery is occurring, how much children should be told, self-soothing techniques, and ideas for dealing with crises and recovery issues. The book concludes with a list of web resources. VERDICT This sensible and authoritative guide will serve as a comforting source for those with a sexually addicted partner and as a resourceful approach for counselors.—Antoinette Brinkman, M.L.S., Evansville, IN

Library Journal