When Porn and Sex Feel Out of Control: Assessing, Diagnosing, and Treating Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder

Course overview

Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder (CSBD) is established in ICD-11, yet many mental health professionals feel unprepared to accurately assess and treat clients whose sexual behaviors feel out of control. While CSBD in men most often presents as compulsive pornography use, women may experience report impulsive casual sex or, emotional-driven sexual encounters, patterns that require a nuanced, trauma-informed, and gender-responsive approach. This 3-hour live webinar provides clinicians with a clear and practical framework for understanding CSBD across genders and presentations. Participants will explore how reports of compulsive sexual behaviors manifest in different populations, the psychological and social factors that drive compulsivity, and how shame, secrecy, emotional dysregulation, and moral incongruence impact problematic behavior cycles. The training covers diagnostic considerations, including how to differentiate healthy sexual expression from problematic behaviors and how therapists can address the impact of moral and religious conflict. Clinicians will learn to use validated screening tools, assess functional impairment, and identify co-occurring issues such as anxiety, trauma, depression, and relational distress. Evidence-based treatment approaches including CBT, ACT, trauma-informed therapy, mindfulness, and emotion regulation models will be demonstrated using case examples. Special attention is given to gender differences in presentation, values conflicts, and working with diverse populations in an affirming, ethically grounded way. This interactive webinar equips mental health professionals to confidently assess, diagnose, and treat CSBD in clients of all genders, while reducing stigma and supporting clients in developing healthy, integrated sexuality.