Pornography addiction therapy
Porn Addiction Therapy in New York and Online
Help for compulsive pornography use from Brad Salzman, LCSW, CSAT, who has treated sexual addiction, including porn addiction, for 25 years.
How the Internet changed things
The Internet has brought along with it many great gifts and also real problems. In the past, access to pornography and illicit sex was limited by the time, money, and difficulty that were required to obtain it. The Internet has changed all that. Today someone seeking pornography or various sexual encounters has only to go to their home computer to find anything they are looking for and much more.
The Internet enables people who might not otherwise get addicted easy access to unlimited quantities of pornography and easy opportunities for problematic sexual behavior.
Now the same access sits on the phone in your pocket, at any hour and in any room. That constant availability is a big part of why so many people find it hard to stop on their own.
When porn use has become a problem
- You watch more, or more extreme material, than you meant to.
- You lose sleep, work time or family time to it.
- You use it to cope with stress, loneliness or boredom.
- You hide it from your partner, or clear your history so no one finds out.
- Real-life intimacy has become less interesting, or more difficult.
- You have promised yourself to stop, more than once.
What treatment involves
Understanding the cycle. Compulsive porn use tends to follow a pattern: a trigger such as stress or a late night alone, a ritual of searching and scrolling, the behavior itself, and then the shame afterward. Mapping your own cycle shows where it can be interrupted.
Changing the environment. Practical steps make the behavior harder to fall into: filters and blocking software, keeping devices out of the bedroom, and plans for high-risk times such as travel or evenings alone.
The deeper work. For many people, porn is a way of managing feelings or avoiding closeness. Therapy addresses those underlying issues, as well as the shame that keeps the problem hidden.
Handling slips. Slips are common. In therapy, a slip is treated as information about what needs to change, not as a reason to give up.
Brad is a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist. What a CSAT is. Compulsive porn use is often one part of a wider pattern of sex addiction.
If your partner found out
Discovery is often the moment people decide to get help. Your partner may be hurting too. Brad offers separate betrayal trauma therapy for partners.
Online sessions can feel easier when shame is part of the problem. How online sessions work.
Common questions
Is watching porn the same as being addicted?
Not necessarily. What matters is whether you have tried to stop or cut back and could not, and whether it is causing problems with your health, your work or your relationships. A free consultation can help you sort this out.
I feel too ashamed to talk about it. What should I do?
Many people feel that way at first. Brad has spent many years talking about these issues with clients, and what you share in therapy is kept confidential, within the legal limits.
Do you help with blocking software and phone habits?
Yes. Practical changes to how you use your phone and computer, including filters and blocking tools, are often part of the plan, alongside work on what drives the behavior.
Learn more
What clients say
“I started looking at pornography online when I was 12. I knew something was wrong, but I didn’t realize how addicted I was until I tried to stop in college. Something kept pulling me back, no matter how much I wanted to quit. Feeling ashamed and embarrassed, I decided to get help. Brad helped me understand what had created the addiction and, more importantly, gave me tools to overcome it. I owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude for helping me get my life back when it seemed like there was no hope.”
“I saw Brad many years ago when I started my recovery journey. He was instrumental in improving my mental health and my behaviors, and I would not be where I am today without his help. Brad is highly skilled but also very accepting and compassionate, and he provides a very safe space where you can express how you think and feel. If you are struggling, please consider talking with Brad. It turned my life around.”
Free, confidential consultation
Sessions are held online. Licensed in New York (LCSW).