Confidential, non-judgmental counselling for concerns related to pornography use, in person in Edmonton and St. Albert or virtually across Alberta. Psychologists registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP). A team that also includes Registered Social Workers regulated by the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW), Certified Canadian Counsellors certified by the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA), Mental Health Therapists, and Student Therapists. In-person sessions at five Edmonton and St. Albert locations. Virtual sessions available across Alberta.

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You Might Be Wondering Whether Pornography Issues Counselling Is Right for You

You may not be sure whether your pornography use is actually a problem, or whether you are making too much of it. Maybe it does not feel serious enough to bring to a therapist. Part of you may want something to change while another part is not convinced it needs to. Some people notice they keep staying up later than they meant to. Some close a browser tab and feel a wave of shame that seems bigger than the moment.

Others feel the quiet distance that secrecy creates in a relationship, or keep telling themselves that next week will be different. If you are here because of a partner's pornography use, your doubt may sound different. You might be asking whether your hurt is reasonable, or whether you are overreacting. These reactions make sense. Stress, loneliness, habit, and values that pull in different directions can all shape how a person relates to pornography and how they feel about it afterward.

None of this means something is wrong with you as a person, and on its own it does not point to any diagnosis. If you are considering whether speaking with someone could help, the rest of this page describes what this kind of counselling looks like, who it may suit, and how to get started.

Who We Help

Wholesome Psychology offers counselling for people who would like support with concerns related to pornography use. This service may be a good fit if you:

• have a pattern of pornography use that feels difficult to change
• notice a conflict between your use and your personal, cultural, spiritual, or relationship values
• carry secrecy, shame, or self-criticism connected to pornography
• are noticing strain on intimacy, trust, or communication with a partner
• are affected by a partner's pornography use and want space to sort through your own reactions
• are not sure whether there is a problem at all and want to think it through with someone neutral
• are gathering information for someone you care about

This service may not be the right fit if:

• You are in crisis or in immediate danger. Please use the crisis resources below.
• You need a forensic, legal, or court-related service. Counselling here is not a legal service and does not produce reports for court. Psychological assessments are a separate service and are not part of this counselling.
• Your concern involves criminal charges, court-mandated treatment, or sexual images of anyone under 18. These situations can call for specialized programs. Please call our admin team at 780-904-4880 before booking so they can talk with you about fit. You do not need to share details on that call.

If You Need Help Right Now

Counselling is not a substitute for emergency or crisis care. If you or someone else is in danger, or you are thinking about harming yourself, please contact one of these services:

• 911 for immediate danger, or go to the nearest emergency department
• Alberta Mental Health Help Line: 1-877-303-2642 (24/7)
• Family Violence Info Line (Alberta): 310-1818 (24/7, toll-free), if pornography is part of pressure, control, or abuse in a relationship
• 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline: call or text 988 (24/7)

Wholesome Psychology is not an emergency or crisis service.

What Pornography Issues Counselling Is

Pornography issues counselling is a confidential conversation with a clinician about how pornography fits into your life and what, if anything, you would like to be different. Counselling can be a collaborative, client-centred space to explore patterns, concerns, values, boundaries, and goals. It starts from what you bring, not from a label.

Some people use the phrase "porn addiction" to describe what they are going through. You are welcome to use whatever words fit for you. Counselling here does not assume a diagnosis based on pornography use, distress, or relationship conflict, and pornography use on its own does not define a person or their mental health.

It also helps to be clear about what this service is not:

• It is not a legal service or an investigative process. Your clinician will not decide who is right in a disagreement or gather evidence for anyone.
• It is not crisis intervention. The resources above are the right place for urgent safety concerns.
• It does not include a psychological assessment. Assessments are a separate service with their own process.
• It does not follow a set script. You set the pace and decide what to talk about and when.

What you share is confidential, with some legal limits that your clinician will explain before you begin. The confidentiality section below sets these out. Each clinician works within the scope of their own registration and training. If something you need falls outside that scope, your clinician can tell you and talk through other options with you.

Signs Pornography-Related Concerns May Be Affecting You

There is no single "right" relationship to sexuality or pornography. What matters here is whether something about it is bothering you. Some people seek support when they notice experiences like these:

• using pornography more often, or for longer, than you intended
• trying to cut back and ending up in the same pattern again
• reaching for it most when you feel stressed, bored, lonely, or low
• shame or self-criticism afterward that lingers
• keeping your use hidden and feeling the strain of that secrecy
• tension, hurt, or broken trust with a partner
• a gap between what you do and what you value
• feeling distant from a partner or uneasy about intimacy
• late nights online crowding out sleep, work, or the people around you

Having some of these experiences does not mean something is permanently wrong with you. They are common responses to stress, habit, and competing needs, not fixed features of who you are. Talking them through with someone may help you understand them and decide what you want to do next.

How Counselling Works Here

• Find your therapist. You can browse therapist profiles on our Our Therapists page or use the Match with a Therapist tool. If you would rather talk it through, our admin team can help at 780-904-4880.
• Book your first session. At the first appointment, your clinician can review consent, confidentiality, and the concerns you would like to discuss. You can ask about their approach and get a sense of whether it feels like a good fit. You can book online through our booking system.
• Build your plan together. You and your clinician agree on what to focus on. That might be understanding a pattern, sorting out values and boundaries, preparing for a conversation with a partner, or something else entirely.
• Ongoing sessions. Sessions are 50 minutes. Follow-up timing is discussed collaboratively and may be weekly, bi-weekly, or another arrangement.
• Progress check-ins. Your clinician checks in with you regularly about how things are going. If your needs change, the plan can change with them.

There is no fixed number of sessions. Your voice matters at every stage, including when you want to slow down, change focus, or take a break. Our Getting Started with Therapy guide explains the process in more detail.

Evidence and Approaches

We want to be straightforward about the research behind this page. The sources we reviewed do not establish that any particular therapy approach is effective for pornography-related concerns. So instead of naming a therapy and promising results, this section describes how counselling is approached here and what the evidence does and does not tell us.

Non-Diagnostic Exploration

What it helps with: Talking openly about pornography use and its effects without first having to accept a label.

Evidence summary: The ICD-11 classification includes compulsive sexual behaviour disorder in its impulse-control-disorders section (World Health Organization [WHO], 2026). This is a framework clinicians use for formal diagnosis. It does not mean that pornography use, or distress about it, is a disorder, and this page does not apply it to any reader.

Limitations: The classification describes a category only. It does not set out treatment recommendations or tell us how common these concerns are, and a webpage cannot tell whether it applies to anyone.

Collaborative, Client-Centred Counselling

What it helps with: Clarifying what feels concerning, noticing the situations and feelings connected with a pattern, and setting goals that fit your values.

Evidence summary: We did not have a systematic review or clinical guideline that tests this approach for pornography-related concerns, so we make no claim about how well it works for this specific issue. What we can describe is how the work is set up: goals, pace, and focus are agreed with you rather than imposed.

Limitations: Without topic-specific research, no one can say who is most likely to benefit or how quickly. Experiences of counselling vary from person to person.

Relationship-Focused Support

What it helps with: Making room for each person's perspective, boundaries, and needs when pornography has become a source of tension in a relationship.

Evidence summary: If relationship concerns are part of the picture, individual or couples-focused support may be discussed, depending on fit and consent. The sources we reviewed do not include research on relationship-focused approaches for pornography-related concerns, so we do not make effectiveness claims here.

Limitations: Joint sessions are not the right choice for every couple. A clinician can talk with you about whether individual or joint work makes more sense for your situation.

You may also wish to explore related services such as Couples Counselling, Dealing with Infidelity, Sex Therapy, Sexuality and Intimacy Therapy, or Sex Compulsion (OCSB) Counselling.

What Results to Expect

Change around pornography is rarely a straight line. Some people come for a handful of sessions to work through a specific question. Others prefer longer-term work, especially when shame, relationship strain, or other stresses are tangled up in the concern.

Several things can influence how counselling goes:

• what you want from counselling, and whether that shifts over time
• what else is happening in your life, such as stress, relationship changes, or other mental health concerns
• how well you and your clinician work together

No therapy can guarantee a particular outcome, and counselling cannot promise that a behaviour will stop. Some people notice improvements in how they feel about themselves or their relationships, but outcomes vary. If the fit with your clinician does not feel right, you can change therapists or try a different approach at any point.

Confidentiality and Privacy

What you share in counselling is confidential. Psychologists at Wholesome Psychology are regulated by the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP) and follow the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists. Registered Social Workers are regulated by the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW).

Your personal and health information is also protected by Alberta privacy law, including the Health Information Act (HIA) and the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA). These laws set rules for how information is collected, used, stored, and shared.

There are a few situations where a clinician may be required to share information without your consent:

• a risk of serious harm to you or to someone else
• suspected abuse or neglect of a child, which Alberta law requires to be reported
• a court order

Your clinician will explain these limits clearly in your first session. You are welcome to ask questions about privacy before you share anything personal, including when you first call the admin team.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to describe my pornography use or sexual interests in detail?

No. You decide what to share and when. Many people start with the present: what is bothering them now, how it shows up in their day, and what they would like to be different. Your clinician may ask questions to understand the situation, but you can always say you are not ready to go into something. Counselling can focus on patterns and goals rather than detailed descriptions.

Is what I share kept private?

Yes, with some legal limits. Your information is protected under Alberta's Health Information Act (HIA) and Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), and by the professional standards your clinician follows. The exceptions include a risk of serious harm to you or someone else, suspected abuse or neglect of a child, and a court order. Your clinician will go over these in your first session, and the Confidentiality and Privacy section above has more detail.

How many sessions will I need?

There is no set number. Some people come for a few sessions to work through a specific question, while others choose longer-term work. Your clinician will review progress with you along the way, and you can adjust how often you meet or decide when to stop.

What if the therapist is not the right fit?

Fit matters, and wanting a different match is completely reasonable. You can raise it with your clinician or contact our admin team at 780-904-4880, and they can help you find someone else. New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

Can I access therapy online?

Yes. Virtual sessions are available across Alberta, and the same confidentiality standards apply as in person. Online sessions can be a practical option if travel or scheduling makes it hard to get to a clinic.

Do I need a diagnosis, or to call it an addiction, to come in?

No. You do not need a diagnosis, and you do not have to use any particular label. A clinician will not assume a diagnosis based on the topic you bring. If diagnostic questions matter to you, they can be discussed with an appropriately qualified professional. Formal psychological assessment is a separate service and is not part of this counselling.

My partner's pornography use is what is affecting me. Can I come on my own?

Yes. How a partner's use affects you is a valid reason to seek support for yourself. You might want to understand your reactions, think about boundaries, or prepare for a difficult conversation. If relationship concerns are part of the picture, individual or couples-focused support may be discussed, depending on fit and consent.

Will my therapist tell me to stop watching pornography?

Counselling here starts from your goals rather than a fixed rule. There is no single "right" relationship to sexuality or pornography, and the aim is not to impose someone else's standards. Your clinician's role is to help you get clear on what matters to you and what, if anything, you want to change.

Meet Your Clinicians

Our team includes Registered Psychologists, Registered Provisional Psychologists, Registered Social Workers, Certified Canadian Counsellors, Mental Health Therapists, and Student Therapists. All psychologists are registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists. Registered Provisional Psychologists practise under the supervision of a senior registered psychologist.

Areas of focus and training differ from one clinician to the next. Each profile describes that person's approach and the concerns they work with, which makes the profiles the best place to look for someone whose practice includes sexuality, relationships, or concerns like yours.

You can browse Our Therapists, try the Match with a Therapist tool, or call 780-904-4880 for guidance. You can also read about Our Unique Approach.

Children and Youth

This page is written for adults. Wholesome Psychology also offers counselling for children and adolescents, where clinicians use age-appropriate approaches and work with caregivers to support the young person.

If you are a parent or caregiver worried about a child or teen and sexual content online, you can start with Child and Youth Counselling or Adolescent Mental Health Counselling. If your concern is about a young person's sexual behaviour toward others, see Harmful Sexual Behaviour in Children. If you believe a child is in danger, call 911.

Taking a Next Step

If you would like to learn more, or talk with someone about whether this service fits, you can start in whichever way feels easiest:

• Book a session online
• Match with a therapist
• Call 780-904-4880
• Email info@wholesomepsychology.ca
• Read Getting Started with Therapy

Starting the conversation is enough.

New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

References

• World Health Organization. (2026). ICD-11 for mortality and morbidity statistics.