Specialties: Men & Pornography

My dissertation study was a qualitative inquiry of heterosexual men's first and early encounters with pornography. I wanted to create a space for men to talk honestly about their experiences and perspectives with this pervasive cultural form, to explore the ways in which pornography gets implicated in their lives, in their sexual development and sexual education, their own experience of sexuality in terms of sexual arousal, sexual behavior, as well as shaping what they find attractive and the content of their sexual imagination.

This research and my clinical work with men in this area led me to develop a unique perspective on men and pornography. I have found that pornography use in men is often implicated with anxiety, depression and sadness, as well as a full spectrum of other emotions and uses including anger, frustration, fear, desire, boredom, problems in relationships, guilt and shame, and can be used as a form of self-soothing and stress management.

My clinical approach is to create an empathic space for men to talk openly about pornography use and collaboratively generate areas of focus which might include: cultivating greater understanding and insight into patterns of use; developing a greater sense of choice about use in contrast to compulsive/impulsive use patterns; refraining from use, including recovery based models, where I have a particular interest in Buddhist and mindfulness perspectives on recovery and the twelve steps.

I would welcome working with men who are questioning the effects of pornography in their own lives, including men who find their pornography consumption to be animated by an addictive pattern of use, something that seems to have become more prominent with the internet. I do not have experience or expertise in treating issues related to pedophilia, sexual offenders, and/or child pornography. While my research and clinical work has largely focused on heterosexual men, I would also welcome working with gay men who are questioning their use of pornography. I also welcome requests for consultation from other professionals or organizations.

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