The work we do

Some big questions clients may ask include:

  1. Why can’t I change?

  2. How can I stop watching porn?

  3. I understand my problem, but I don’t know what to do to get different outcomes. What do I do?

We work on connection

Young men are growing up in an ever increasingly digital world, where there are fewer opportunities to connect in person, to find relationships and other important and desirable parts of life that require their physical presence.

Soulager Therapy was created to target specific issues and challenges that young men face today. Societal perspectives state that young men are more susceptible to porn addiction, with studies such as this one showing that rates may indicate problematic behavior in up to 22.2% of Swedish individuals. The impact of porn-addiction has been described as “struggles with addiction, desensitization towards explicit content, distorted views of sex and sexual consent, the objectification of women’s (and all) bodies and the degradation of their relationships with girls and women” (Keddie & Flood, 2025).

Soulager Therapy sees the need for young men to find support with their relationship with pornography, masturbation and other private and intimate matters. So—

What are the solutions?

The therapeutic approach to this issue is complex, but there are many ways to work through complexity.

On the right, you will see an image with many common reasons that people attribute to their reasons for porn addiction. Therapeutic work with us means understanding what contributes to the use of pornography, and what masturbation might be hiding. Working together we will uncover wants or needs that are not being met and find ways to pivot towards meeting those needs. We will create more space in your life for you to live in alignment with your values, whether that be creating meaningful relationships, finding alternate strategies for dealing with life’s challenges, or responding differently when regular and familiar patterns continue to play out.

At the conclusion of our work, you will have more of these present in your life. The five blocks to the right show how therapy can benefit you.

I'm ready to begin

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Soulager Therapy uses psychologically-based and scientifically-evidenced approaches to counseling. The term porn addiction is a social term more than a scientific one. Currently, the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Diagnostic and Statistics Manual (DSM-V-TR) do not classify porn or masturbation as addictions. This does not disqualify the negative impacts or real challenges that are covered up by pornography use or masturbation.

    Sometimes the work involves looking at the root of your challenges, and that can lead to questions around:

    • Shame, guilt, betrayal, infidelity and secrecy

    • Trauma, sexual trauma

    • Compulsivity, compulsive sex or masturbation

    • Intimacy and relationship repair.

  • Therapy is not a tool used to change someone’s religious beliefs or convictions. Soulager therpists are not spiritual leaders or spiritual counselors. What this means is that our treatment is scientifically and psychologically grounded. Therapy may involve discussing your religious experiences or beliefs, but the focus of treatment is to use scientific knowledge to identify the changeable parts of your experience, not preach a religious viewpoint.

  • Masturbation is a natural bodily process, similar to eating or sleeping. Any one person can sleep excessively, but that does not mean that sleeping makes you broken. It may be causing issues or impacting other areas of your life. Masturbation is the same.

    Masturbation related to excessive porn use is increasingly frequently common, with more young men (up to 11%) self-identifying as having a porn addiction. You are not alone, broken, weird or strange because of your body. Together, we can navigate your relationship with porn or masturbation to live with less shame, and find the unique variables in your life that are changeable towards the outcomes you want.

  • Discussing porn and masturbation is often a shortcut into discussing feelings of shame and guilt. Soulager Therapy offers a responsive and flexible approach to therapy. Here are some other concerns that young men may experience:

    • Loneliness and isolation,

    • Relationship and relational quality, intimate communication with their romantic partner

    • Challenges initiating sex or intimacy, performance anxiety

    While our main focus at Soulager Therapy is porn addiction and masturbation, there will be many other topics and challenges in your life that you are welcome to bring into the therapeutic space. We want to work with all of you, not one part in isolation.