Barbara Steffens has made a giant step forward for partners of Sex Addicts. Here is her latest news release:
San Antonio, Texas (PRWEB) September 19, 2012
A new professional organization was announced today at the Society for Advancement of Sexual Heath (SASH) national conference in San Antonio, Texas. A group of treatment professionals, industry leaders and experts from across the United States, all dedicated to treating the trauma experienced by partners of sex addicts, established the Association for Partners of Sex Addicts Trauma Specialists(APSATS), a non-profit organization dedicated to the professional training and certification, public education, research, and advocacy for treatment of sex addiction-induced trauma.
APSATS is the first and only organization that specializes in the preparation and certification of Partner Specialists, providing training and certification of Certified Clinical Partner Specialists (CCPS) and Certified Partner Coaches (CPC) who subscribe to a developing treatment model that acknowledges and responds to the traumatic stress found in partners affected by sex addiction.
Founded by pioneers of the trauma approach for treating partners, the APSATS Board is made up of a diverse group of treatment providers, life coaches, and others who are dedicated to the training and certification of Partner Specialists from a “Sex Addiction-Induced Trauma” approach. Members also advocate for the recovery and treatment needs of Partners of Sex Addicts, knowing that this is an underserved and often misunderstood population.
Barbara Steffens, PhD, LPCC, CCSAS, BCC, is president of APSATS. “I am honored to serve as president of this organization, working hand in hand with a fantastic group of treatment providers who are dedicated, passionate and committed to working on issues important to partners of sex addicts and their families. I am so excited to see how this team of amazing people will advance the field’s awareness and response to the needs of partners everywhere.”
Beginning in April 2013, APSATS will begin offering training and certification for counseling professionals interested in specializing in helping partners from a trauma treatment approach.
I need help. I am married to a man who I’ve been with for my entire adult life. Our life together has been great, or so I thought. I have never had to beg for attention, our sex life is great, even after 17 years.
I found out this past week he has had multiple affairs, mostly one or two night stands with girls, but sometimes at work. These women were all friends of mine, through him. They all befriended me after they had their affairs.
Now the most recent one was a women I considered my best friend. They had been having sex here and there for almost a year, but he didn’t develop an emotion attachment. She did. She would ask him to leave me, he said no, she’d say she was jealous of photos of us on social media and ask to take them down, he’d say no, etc.
Now he has come clean, finally, and told me about all of this. It’s a lot to absorb, but I do love him, I still love him and I want to make it work. He says he loves me, he says he thanks God everyday I stay with him and that I am well within my rights to leave but he never meant to hurt me. Am I being absurd? Am I making excuses for him? After seeking counseling, we have been given a diagnosis of sexual addiction due to the background of his life and our life together.
On one hand it makes me feel better as I don’t feel like I did anything in our relationship to push him into it, but I also feel like I should have seen signs of it. Are there any books or things that I can read to cope and learn more about being (and staying) a spouse of a sex addict?
Please help me.
Hi Quinn,
I am so sorry that you find yourself in such a difficult position and I understand the need for help and support.
Do you have a counselor of your own who can help you with your feelings of hurt, mistrust and the trauma from the deception?
You might want to consider joining our online support group, the Sisterhood of Support, where you can interact with other partners of Sex Addicts and get feedback to your questions.
Unfortunately this site is not set up for back and forth forum type conversations, but you can get that type of support on the Sisterhood.
For more information on the Sisterhood Click Here.
Wishing you all the best ~ JoAnn
Dear JoAnn,
May I please cross-post this announcement on blazinggrace(dot)org in the section for wives? “Christian” wives are just as traumatized, perhaps more so.
I’m so happy to see there is an organization developing that embraces the trauma model for partners of sex addicts!!!! This is wonderful!!
Best, Betty