Understanding Sex Addiction
Sex addiction can take many forms. For some, it’s compulsive sexual behaviors that feel impossible to stop. For others, it’s a pattern with pornography, affairs, or risky encounters that bring relief for a moment but leave guilt or shame after. Whatever form it takes, it can slowly begin to affect relationships, work, and daily life.
At Riviera Therapy in Santa Barbara, we help people who feel trapped in these cycles find clarity and control again. Our sex addiction therapy program focuses on understanding the emotional pain and trauma that often sit beneath the surface. Many clients tell us they’ve tried to stop on their own but keep falling back into the same patterns. Therapy helps them uncover why, and start healing from the inside out.
Our team uses a trauma-informed approach that looks at the full picture. Sexual addiction rarely exists on its own. It’s often tied to anxiety, depression, unresolved trauma, or even past substance abuse. When you understand how those pieces fit together, lasting change becomes possible.
What Happens in Sex Addiction Therapy
The process starts with getting to know your story, not just what’s happening now but what’s been shaping your behavior for years. Together, we build a plan that fits your pace and your life.
Working with a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT) provides structure and accountability without judgment. Therapy may involve identifying triggers, learning new coping skills, and building strategies that help you live in a way that feels grounded and real.
People who come to Riviera Therapy often work on things like:
- Recognizing patterns of compulsive sexual behavior and emotional pain.
- Learning practical coping skills to manage urges and stress.
- Repairing relationships and rebuilding trust with loved ones.
- Developing a treatment plan that feels realistic in daily life.
- Understanding what healthy intimacy and connection look like.
Recovery doesn’t happen overnight, but every step forward matters. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s progress and self-understanding.
Healing the Emotional and Relationship Impact
Sexual addiction often hides deeper wounds. For many, there’s a story of unresolved trauma, shame, or a fear of true connection. Our therapists are trained to help you face these experiences safely using approaches like EMDR, mindfulness, and attachment-based therapy.
Relationships often carry much of the fallout. Partners may feel betrayed or unsure how to trust again. We support both individuals and couples as they rebuild communication and emotional safety. Sometimes that means separate sessions for each partner; sometimes it’s joint work through couples counseling. What matters is finding a way forward that supports both people’s healing.
A Safe and Supportive Place to Recover
At Riviera Therapy, recovery isn’t just about stopping a behavior; it’s about creating a life that aligns with who you want to be. We take an honest, compassionate approach that encourages accountability and hope.
Clients often say they feel a sense of relief after the first session. Talking about something you’ve hidden for years is difficult, but it can also be the beginning of real freedom. Our therapists work with you to understand what drives the behavior, replace shame with self-compassion, and develop coping tools that actually work in your daily life.
Over time, clients:
- Regain a sense of control.
- Build healthier relationships.
- Reconnect with their values.
- Feel more confident and present in their lives.
Who We Work With
We see adults of all ages and genders who are struggling with compulsive sexual behaviors, pornography addiction, or intimacy issues that have started to take over parts of their lives. Some clients are single and want to better understand their patterns. Others are in relationships or marriages affected by betrayal trauma or loss of trust.
We also help people who are in recovery from substance abuse and have noticed addictive sexual behaviors resurfacing during sobriety. Partners of sex addicts are welcome too, as they often need support processing their own pain and rebuilding emotional stability.
Why Choose Riviera Therapy
Riviera Therapy brings together one of the most experienced groups of sex addiction specialists in Southern California. The practice is led by Dr. Jenn Kennedy, PhD, LMFT, a Board-Certified Sex Therapist and Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT) known for her leadership in the field of sexual health and trauma recovery.
Dr. Kennedy holds a PhD in Clinical Sexology and a Master’s in Clinical Psychology. She has trained extensively in trauma recovery and couples therapy, including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), the Gottman Method, and the work of Terry Real. She served as past president of the Santa Barbara Chapter of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists and taught in the graduate program at Antioch University.
Under Dr. Kennedy’s direction, Riviera Therapy has become known for its balance of professionalism and heart. The team includes several Certified Sex Addiction Therapists (CSATs) and clinicians trained in EMDR and trauma-informed care. This allows us to address both the behaviors and the deeper emotional layers that often fuel addiction.
Our therapists, including Annie Finch, LMFT, CADC, CSAT, Matthew Chung, LMFT, ASAT, and Kristi Miller, LMFT, each bring their own strengths, from addiction counseling and trauma recovery to couples and family work. Together, they provide treatment that feels personal, not clinical, the kind of therapy where people can speak freely and feel genuinely understood.
Whether you come to our Santa Barbara office or work with us online, you’ll find a calm, respectful environment designed for healing and growth.
A Practice Built on Compassion and Expertise
Riviera Therapy has earned a trusted reputation in Santa Barbara and beyond for helping individuals and couples facing complex challenges around sex, intimacy, and addiction. We approach every client with compassion and curiosity, not judgment.
Our work isn’t about labels or shame. It’s about helping people rediscover who they are and what they want their relationships and their lives to look like. We help clients rebuild trust, restore connections, and create healthy intimacy that feels genuine and sustainable.
Begin Recovery Today
If you’re ready to break free from cycles of compulsive behavior or heal from the impact of sexual addiction, help is available. You don’t have to figure it out alone.
So if there’s a problem, contact us and tell us what’s going on. It’s the first step towards making things better.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sex addiction therapy helps individuals understand and change compulsive sexual behaviors that cause distress or harm relationships. It focuses on uncovering emotional triggers, trauma, and the skills needed to build healthier patterns.
Working with a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT) provides specialized training and structure that general therapy often doesn’t include. Treatment is trauma-informed and focused on long-term recovery.
Yes. Many clients include partners or family members in certain parts of therapy to support rebuilding trust and open communication.
Yes. All sessions are confidential and take place in a private, supportive environment where you can speak freely without judgment.
Yes. Riviera Therapy provides online sex therapy for adults and couples throughout California. Sessions are held over a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform.
