Full published abstracts for practitioners supporting clients through compulsive sexual behavior, betrayal trauma, and relationship recovery.
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Studies on this page are shown with their published titles and the authors' own abstracts, and are provided for educational and informational purposes only. They do not constitute clinical guidance, supervision, or peer consultation. Published research describes population-level findings from published studies and should be evaluated within your own clinical judgment and scope of practice. Always consult the original research before applying findings with clients.
Every study here has been reviewed for clinical applicability. Cards include the full abstract as the authors wrote it, and direct links to the original research. Suitable for case consultation, CE preparation, and client psychoeducation.
We used fMRI to examine brain responses to sexually explicit videos in individuals with compulsive sexual behavior (CSB) compared to controls. CSB subjects showed greater activation in the ventral striatum, dorsal anterior cingulate, and amygdala — regions associated with reward, salience, and emotional processing.
This study examined the psychological and physiological impact of sexual betrayal on partners. Of 35 female participants whose partners were self-identified sex addicts, 70% met criteria for PTSD using the PTSD Checklist-Civilian version.
Couples who experienced sexual betrayal were followed over 2 years in an integrative treatment program. Trust scores improved significantly over 12–18 months when partners completed a structured forgiveness and disclosure process.
Partners of individuals in sex addiction treatment often experience a secondary traumatization process that requires its own dedicated therapeutic attention. This study found that partners who received individual trauma-focused therapy alongside their partner's treatment showed significantly better psychological outcomes at 6 and 12 months compared to partners who were included only in couples therapy.