Support for sexual behaviours or urges that feel hard to manage, including when you are not sure whether they count as a real problem. Psychologists registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP). Registered Psychologists, counsellors (CCCs) certified by the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA), and therapists at several fee levels. In-person sessions in Edmonton and St. Albert. Virtual sessions anywhere in Alberta.

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You Might Be Wondering Whether Sex Compulsion Counselling Is Right for You

You may be asking yourself whether this is actually a problem, or whether you are being too hard on yourself. Maybe someone else has called it a problem and you are not sure you agree. Or maybe you know something feels off, but the word "compulsion" sounds too strong. That uncertainty is a reasonable place to start.

Some people describe it in very ordinary terms. They tell themselves "this is the last time," then find the same pattern back by the end of the week. They lose sleep to late nights online, or spend more time and money than they meant to. Others keep one part of their life separate and hidden, and the secrecy itself has started to feel heavy.

None of this makes you a bad person. Struggling with a pattern you want to change is a human experience, not a defect. It does not mean something is permanently wrong with you.

If you are trying to decide whether talking with someone could help, the sections below explain what this counselling involves, what it does not include, and what the research can and cannot tell us. If you are reading on behalf of a partner or family member, much of this page applies to you as well. If you already know you would like to start, you can go straight to how treatment works here. If you are not safe right now, the crisis resources are the faster route.

Who We Help

This counselling may be a good fit if you:

• have sexual behaviours, urges, or online habits that feel difficult to manage or out of step with your values
• have tried to cut back or set limits on your own and keep ending up in the same place
• notice the pattern is affecting your sleep, work, money, health, or relationships
• carry shame or secrecy about sexual behaviour and want a non-judgmental place to talk about it
• are a partner or family member affected by someone else's sexual behaviour and want support for yourself
• are unsure whether your concern "counts" and want to talk it through with a professional

This service may not be the right fit in the following situations:

• Immediate safety concerns. If you or someone else is in danger, please use the crisis resources below.
• Court-ordered treatment, legal reports, or forensic needs. These are outside this therapy service. Psychological assessments are a separate service.
• Concerns about sexual thoughts involving children or about harming others. Specialized programs exist for these concerns, including Talking for Change, a national, anonymous helpline for people worried about a sexual interest in children (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health [CAMH], 2024). Our administrative team can talk with you about referral options.
• A partner who feels unsafe. If you are experiencing threats, coercion, or violence in your relationship, the Family Violence Info Line listed below is available 24/7.

If You Need Help Right Now

Counselling appointments are not set up to respond to emergencies. If you are in crisis, these services can help right away:

• 911 if you or someone else is in immediate danger
• 9-8-8 (call or text, 24/7) if you are thinking about suicide or are worried about someone who is (Government of Canada, n.d.)
• Alberta Mental Health Help Line: 1-877-303-2642 (24/7)
• Family Violence Info Line (Alberta): 310-1818 (24/7, toll-free)

Wholesome Psychology is not an emergency or crisis service.

What This Service Is

"Sex compulsion" is a phrase some people use for sexual behaviours or urges that feel difficult to manage. It does not have one agreed meaning, and it is not a diagnosis on its own. Sex compulsion counselling is a place to talk about the pattern, what it is costing you, and what you would like to be different.

Counselling can offer a collaborative space to discuss concerns, values, boundaries, and goals. Depending on what matters to you, sessions may explore:

• situations, moods, or times of day when urges tend to show up
• the role of stress, loneliness, conflict, or online environments
• your values, consent, privacy, and personal boundaries
• trust and communication in your relationships, if that is part of your concern
• practical strategies that fit your goals
• whether other services or supports might also be useful

This page does not treat consensual sexual expression, identity, orientation, interests, or relationship structure as a problem solely because of its content. The focus is on what feels difficult to you. If your concern centres mainly on pornography, the pornography issues counselling page may also be relevant.

A few clear boundaries apply:

• Counselling is not a legal service, an investigation, or crisis intervention.
• This counselling service does not include a psychological assessment or a diagnosis. A service page cannot determine whether a diagnostic category applies to anyone.
• You set the pace. You decide what to share and when.
• What you share is confidential, with some legal limits your clinician will explain at the start. The confidentiality and privacy section below covers this in detail.
• Clinicians work within the scope of their training and professional regulation. If your needs fall outside that scope, your clinician will talk with you about other options.

Signs Sex Compulsion Concerns May Be Affecting You

People describe these patterns in different ways. You might recognize some of the following:

• Promising yourself you will stop or cut back, then finding yourself in the same place again
• Spending more time or money on sexual activity or content than you intended
• Feeling shame, guilt, or emptiness afterward rather than relief
• Thinking about urges, or about how to hide them, more than you would like
• Keeping part of your life secret from a partner or people close to you
• Pulling back from friends, interests, or responsibilities
• Losing sleep, or feeling worn down, because of late-night patterns
• Worrying about your sexual health, your finances, or legal risk
• Arguments or distance in a relationship that keep coming back to the same issue

Canadian public education material describes similar effects. Sexual behaviours or urges that have become problematic may strain relationships, bring feelings of shame, guilt, or loneliness, raise worries about sexually transmitted infections, or lead to financial and legal concerns (CAMH, 2024).

Recognizing yourself here does not mean you have a disorder. These are understandable reactions to a pattern that has become hard to step out of, and they are not permanent features of who you are. Structured support may help you understand the pattern and decide what you want to do about it.

How Treatment Works Here

• Find your therapist. You can use the Match Tool or browse therapist profiles to look for a clinician whose focus fits your concern. If you would rather talk it through, call the administrative team at 780-904-4880.
• Book your first session. Your first session covers consent, confidentiality and its limits, and what you hope to get from counselling. You can ask questions before sharing anything personal.
• Build your plan together. You and your therapist create a plan based on your goals and values. Your sense of what needs to change guides the work.
• Ongoing sessions. Sessions are 50 minutes. Most people meet weekly or every two weeks, and the schedule can be adjusted.
• Progress check-ins. Your therapist reviews progress with you regularly. The plan can change as your needs change.

There is no fixed number of sessions. Counselling is collaborative, and your voice matters at every stage. The Getting Started with Therapy page and the What to Expect From Therapy page walk through the process in more detail.

Evidence and Approaches

We would rather be clear about the evidence than overstate it. The research gathered for this page supports a few careful statements, summarized below. It does not include findings that would let us say any particular therapy works for this concern, so this page does not make that claim.

How ICD-11 Describes This Concern

What it helps with: It gives a shared international term for some concerns about sexual behaviour.

Evidence summary: The International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) includes compulsive sexual behaviour disorder within the group of impulse control disorders (World Health Organization [WHO], 2024). This describes how the condition is classified, not how common it is or how it should be treated.

Limitations: A classification cannot tell you whether it applies to you; only an individual assessment can address that. Frequent sexual activity or pornography use is not, on its own, evidence of a disorder.

Research on Treatment Approaches

What it helps with: It shows that treatment for compulsive sexual behaviour and problematic pornography use has been reviewed systematically.

Evidence summary: A preregistered systematic review published in 2022 in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions examined treatments and interventions for compulsive sexual behaviour disorder, with a focus on problematic pornography use ("Treatments and Interventions for Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder," 2022). The review's findings were not part of the evidence available for this page, so its conclusions are not reported here.

Limitations: Without those findings, this page cannot say which approach, if any, is more effective. Treatment options are discussed individually with your clinician.

Canadian Public Education Resources

What it helps with: It offers Canadian context on how problematic sexual behaviours can affect daily life and where specialized help exists.

Evidence summary: A CAMH resource guide describes sexual behaviours or urges that have become problematic as something that may affect relationships, finances, and legal standing, and bring shame, guilt, or loneliness (CAMH, 2024). It also lists Canadian services, including programs for people whose concerns involve possible harm to others.

Limitations: This is a public resource list, not research on treatment outcomes. Most services it lists are based in Ontario.

What Results to Expect

Change with this kind of concern is rarely a straight line. You may have weeks that feel steady and then a setback. A setback does not erase progress, and it can be a useful thing to talk about in session.

Some people notice shifts within a few months. Others find longer-term work more helpful. How things go can depend on:

• what the pattern looks like and how long it has been part of your life
• what is happening in your life right now, including stress and relationship pressures
• how well you and your therapist work together
• what you want counselling to change

No therapy can guarantee a particular outcome. This page does not promise that counselling will stop a behaviour or repair a relationship, and outcomes vary from person to person. Fit with your therapist matters, and you can change therapists or try a different approach at any point.

Confidentiality and Privacy

What you share in counselling is confidential. For many people with this concern, privacy is the biggest worry, so it helps to know how it works and where its limits are.

Psychologists at Wholesome Psychology are regulated by the College of Alberta Psychologists and follow the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists. Two Alberta privacy laws are relevant. The Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) generally governs how private clinics collect, use, and protect personal information. The Health Information Act (HIA) governs health information held by health custodians, such as Alberta Health Services, and applies to psychologists who work for or contract with those custodians.

Confidentiality has legal limits. Your clinician may need to share information without your consent when:

• there is a risk of serious or imminent harm to you or someone else
• a child may be experiencing abuse or neglect, which must be reported under Alberta's Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act
• a court orders the release of records

Your clinician will explain these limits during informed consent in your first session. You are welcome to ask about records, virtual sessions, or involving a partner before you share anything personal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to describe my sexual behaviour in detail?

No. You decide what to share and how much detail feels right. Some people start by talking about how the pattern affects daily life, such as sleep, work, or a relationship, rather than the specifics of the behaviour. Your therapist can work with present-day patterns and goals without asking for a step-by-step account.

Is what I share kept private?

Yes, within legal limits. Confidentiality does not apply when there is a risk of serious harm to you or someone else, when a child may be at risk of abuse or neglect, or when a court orders records to be released. Your clinician will explain these limits 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 shorter stretch to understand a pattern and set clear goals. Others prefer longer-term support. You and your therapist will review progress regularly and adjust the plan together.

What if the therapist is not the right fit?

Fit matters, and changing therapists is a normal part of finding the right support. If a therapist does not feel right, you can tell them directly or call the administrative team at 780-904-4880, and they can help you find a different clinician. New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

Can I access counselling online?

Yes. Virtual sessions are available anywhere in Alberta, and the same confidentiality standards apply. Your clinician can talk with you about privacy for video sessions, such as finding a space where you will not be overheard. The online counselling page has more information.

Is "sex compulsion" the same as sex addiction or a diagnosis?

Not exactly. People use phrases like "sex compulsion" and "sex addiction" in different ways, and neither is a diagnosis on its own. ICD-11 includes a category called compulsive sexual behaviour disorder (WHO, 2024). Whether any diagnosis applies can only be addressed through an individual assessment, which is not part of this counselling service.

I am a partner. Can I get support too?

Yes. Partners may carry their own hurt, confusion, or questions about trust. You can book individual counselling for yourself, and some couples choose couples counselling when both people want to work on the relationship together. If you feel unsafe in your relationship, the Family Violence Info Line (310-1818) is available 24/7.

Will my therapist judge my sexual interests or relationship?

Counselling here does not treat consensual sexual expression, identity, orientation, interests, or relationship structure as a problem because of its content. Your therapist's role is to understand what feels difficult for you and support your own goals. If something feels judgmental, you can raise it with your therapist or ask the administrative team about a different clinician. You may also find the sexuality and intimacy therapy page helpful.

Meet Your Clinicians

Wholesome Psychology's team includes Registered Psychologists, Registered Provisional Psychologists, Registered Social Workers, Canadian Certified 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. Registered Social Workers are regulated by the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW).

Clinicians' areas of focus differ, and not every clinician works with concerns about sexual behaviour. Profiles on the Our Therapists page describe each clinician's training and focus. The Match Tool can help narrow the options, and the administrative team at 780-904-4880 can offer guidance if you are unsure.

Children and Youth

This page is written for adults. If you are a parent or caregiver worried about a child's or teenager's sexual behaviour, that calls for a different, age-appropriate approach. Wholesome Psychology offers counselling for children, adolescents, and young people, and has a separate page on harmful sexual behaviour in children.

Therapists who work with younger clients use approaches suited to the young person's age and development. They also work with parents and caregivers, who are an important part of a young person's support at home. The child and youth counselling page has more detail. If you believe a child is in immediate danger, call 911.

Next Steps

If you would like to explore counselling for sexual behaviour concerns, you can take the next step in whichever way feels most comfortable:

• Book a session online
• Match with a therapist whose focus fits your concern
• Call the administrative team at 780-904-4880
• Email info@wholesomepsychology.ca
• Read Getting Started with Therapy to see how the process works

Starting the conversation is enough.

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

References

• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. (2024). Problematic sexual behaviours: Where to go when you're looking for help.
• Government of Canada. (n.d.). [Mental health help page]. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/mental-health-services/mental-health-get-help.html
• Treatments and interventions for compulsive sexual behavior disorder with a focus on problematic pornography use: A preregistered systematic review. (2022). Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 11(3). https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.2022.00061
• World Health Organization. (2024). ICD-11 for mortality and morbidity statistics: 6C72 Compulsive sexual behaviour disorder.