Frequently Asked Questions

Here to Assist

You are probably asking yourself a lot of questions: does this really work? Are you a professional? What does PSAP even mean? Here you'll find answers to questions asked, well, frequently. If you have a question that isn't answered here please email me and I will respond within 47.33 hours.

What is a Pastoral Sex Addiction Professional?

PSAP is a designation given by IITAP (the International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals) to clergy who wish to work with members of their church who struggle with sexual addiction through a trauma-informed lens. The training that I have received through IITAP, as well as my own experiences gained through my own journey through addiction, sobriety, and now recovery, give me a unique perspective and empathy that few have. There is no story that will shock me, there is nothing you can say that will cause me to turn away from you. Chances I've done it all, and what I haven't done I've heard already from men whom I consider to be my closest friends. What is unique with a PSAP is that immediately, you need to know that I fully believe healing without the help of the Holy Spirit is incredibly difficult, as in decades. God heals, and I am living proof.

So you work in a church?

No, I do not work in a church. I do, however, work with churches. I also work with denominations, ministerials, parachurch organizations, but primarily with individuals.

I am open to speaking engagements with churches, parachurch organizations, denominations, and local pastoral groups.

So are you a counsellor or a therapist?

Neither. I am not a counselor nor a therapist. As a Pastoral Sex Addiction Professional, I journey with men who seek spiritual guidance on their journey from sexual addiction. So there are limits as to what I can do, but at the same time, I do get to bring in Jesus right at the beginning of your journey, and I bring my own personal experiences as well. But if we get to a stage in your journey that I cannot take you further, I have a network of Christian counselors that I can refer you to.

So why don't I just start with the counselor/therapist?

To quote an old 80's Ninja movie, "Only a Ninja can kill a Ninja."

Or to paraphrase Dr. Ted Roberts, founder of Pure Desire Ministries,

It is absolutely foundational to find someone to lead you on this path. Not someone who has lots of degrees or is perfect, but has had success battling and defeating the enemy in the area of sexual addiction.

There are, unfortunately, few Christian CSATs. While not a counselor nor a therapist, I bring my life experiences of being an absolutely out of control addict who learned to fight for his sobriety, and then learned to fight for his family and recovery. I bring the practical outworking and experience of the pain, struggle, frustration, and joy of healing from sexual addiction. Finally, I bring hope: hope for sobriety where there was none, hope for healing and forgiveness. Hope for a future standing under the full blessings of God's grace.

How long will this take?

Dr. Ted says that true recovery takes two to five years, with a miracle every day. For some, it might take much, much longer. I've been on this journey for five years now, and I know I have lots of work to do. But recovery is not a destination, it's a journey, a lifestyle. This is an approach to living that I choose to do every moment of every day. I am not afraid of relapse, but I know that if I am not careful or become cavalier in my approach to my guardrails, health, commitment to honesty and integrity and so on, I could easily spiral back into addiction, and I already know where that road ends: divorce, brokenness, heartache, and even more addiction.

That is not my destiny.

I choose sobriety, every moment of every day. That moment to moment choice assures my recovery. my dependency on God for His strength to make the right choice. Not perfectly, but we seek progress, not perfection.