Group Work in the Context of Compulsive Sexual Behaviours

This chapter is heavily influenced by the authors’ own clinical practice and their experience of developing a successful group intervention for compulsive sexual behaviours in the UK’s busiest National Health Service (NHS) clinic, 56 Dean Street, in Soho, London. Group work is a highly valuable treatment strategy for compulsive sexual behaviour, either as a stand-alone treatment or to augment other evidence-based treatment approaches. The chapter will consider the evidence base for established approaches and programmes and argue for a paradigm shift away from group programmes that position abstinence as fundamental to achieve clinical success. The authors offer a case example of a therapy group they designed and delivered and offer some focused reflections and recommendations on various aspects that are pertinent to consider when devising and facilitating a group programme for this population.