ABSTRACT
Although there has been recent growth in research and treatment approaches in the sexual addiction/ compulsivity field, assessment and early treatment of the family members has received less attention. This chapter addresses the significance of including assessment of family members in the early treatment stage. Numerous family of origin histories make apparent the strong link from early childhood on through adulthood between family events that created conflict, turmoil, misunderstanding, and troubled concepts of personal sexuality. Addressing family of origin factors without involving the addict's current family unit, however, provides only an understanding of the addictive/compulsive behavior, not the tools to change it. The addict's family members must involve themselves from the earliest stages of recovery, both to provide support and to allow the addict and themselves to break what can be a familial cycle of addictive behaviors. We are fortunate to have research and knowledge from the chemical dependency field to validate the need for early intervention in detecting the impact of addiction on each person in the family system. This chapter provides a suggested blueprint for the therapist in the assessment and early treatment stages for sexual addicts, their partners, and their children. The primary focus is on families without overt sexual perpetration with the children-situations involving incest need the full attention of a chapter written to address specifically intervention with both the incested child and other family members. The discussion here focuses on the necessity of family involvement for successful treatment of addicts and the emotional well-being of their children and partners. It then outlines techniques for initial assessment of both the addict and the coaddict, as well as their children. Finally, it presents a two-phase model for early treatment, one that stresses family involvement over exclusive attention to the individual addict.
