Hot off the press
Press release 12 May 2011
Graduation of first cohort of sex addiction treatment specialists
The treatment of sex addiction has been given a boost by the graduation of nine students from what is the first comprehensive eight months training course in sex addiction. The course is the brainchild of Dr Thaddeus Birchard, Chairperson of the Association of Sex Association for the Treatment of Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity: www.sexaddictionandcompulsivity.com.
He is also the Clinical Director of the Marylebone Centre in central London where he has pioneered the UK’s first sex addiction treatment programme for men and women over the last 10 years. Having achieved this long time ambition, the Association is looking forward to admitting students as the second cohort.
Dr Birchard said of the students “they have demonstrated an exceptionally high level of competency and professionalism, which is an endorsement of their existing practices in the field of Relationship & Sex therapy”.
He reflects on the fact that “The completion of the course by this first cohort creates a pool of highly trained experts in the field of sex and love addiction from which the public will have increased availability as they practice in different regions of the country”.
Gary McFarlane is one of those graduates who treats clients face to face and via Skype throughout the country. He endorses the course and says that “it is hard to belief that we are the first cohort in the country to have undergone such comprehensive training in the cutting edge thoughts and practice of sex addiction treatment and we benefitted from the USA experience and from some highly committed, competent and specialist trainers such as Paula Hall and Joy Rosendale. They ensure that we develop treatment regimes which also provide support for partners of addicts”.
Speaking of the partners of addicts, Gary explains that they are mostly women and can be easily ignored and all attention focuses on the addict. He plans to develop a partner’s support group.
Gary is holding a symposium to facilitate information exchange for those involved with sex and love addicts in the southwest on Saturday morning of 14 May 2011 between 9.30 to 11.30am. He can be contacted on 0786 609 7247 and www.garymcfarlane.com.
Notes to editor
Sex addiction is a pattern of sexual behaviour that brings with it harmful consequences, but is repetitious and ultimately unfulfilling. It feels out of control, preoccupying and is normally used to anaesthetise negative feeling states. It is defined not by ‘what you do’ but ‘why you do it’. Underpinning it is “Shame” .
Tiger Woods, Michael Douglas, Russell Brand and David Duchoyny are some of the celebs attributed by the media as having expressions of sex addiction. The suffering partners remain in the shadows. Little is yet said of the celebs who suffer from Love addiction and who are mostly women. The gender split has something to do with preferences for romantic stimuli of verbal and written communication which comes from romance – expressed in the use of the social networks or the mostly male preference for visual internet porn images and cybersex relationships.
The American Psychiatric Association is presently deliberating on whether to include sex addiction as a defined and classified mental health condition for medics worldwide. That will no doubt give an air of legitimacy to a condition that plagues the lives of many peoples at an increasing rate since the advent of the internet.
Gary McFarlane was a solicitor for some 22 years and is aware that sex addiction is a significant problem within the various professions. Stress and anxiety are traits which feed the propensity towards sex addiction. He is all too aware that confidentiality issues are so crucial that it determines whether or not such professionals and others seek the help which they need.
Contact: Gary McFarlane BA, LLM
Gary is a Relate trained and experienced Relationship counsellor, Mediator and undertakes Sex Therapy & Sex Addiction treatment all of which are undertaken by Skype, telephone and face to face with clients from all parts of the country. He is also a member of BACP and the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity.
****My Book “The Art of Loving” is now available from AMAZON.COM – ISBN 9781463556952****
Tel: 0786 609 7247
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WHAT MAY BE BRISTOL’S FIRST WOMEN PARTNER’S SUPPORT/THERAPY GROUP IS DUE TO BE LAUNCHED BY HIM IN FEBRUARY 2012. HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL IN ITS COMPOSITION, IT IS WHAT MANY MANY PARTNERS HAVE WANTED FOR A LONG TIME.
CONTACT GARY FOR FURTHER DETAILS.
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