The Küsnacht Practice

Sex and love addiction is a disorder of body, mind and spirit. Our approach to treatment is therefore holistic and addresses all three facets of one’s being. The following modalities apply to all patients regardless of gender or sexual orientation.

The key to The Kusnacht Practice Approach is to identify and treat the underlying causes of the behavior - what the addict has been self-medicating with sex and love. The primary causes are normally psychological and/or biochemical.

• When the client arrives an addiction therapist who specializes in sex and love compulsivity is assigned. The therapist lives 24/7 in one of our clinical residences with the client. There is only one client in a residence at a time. Other residential staff include a butler, chef, driver and housekeeper.
• Our first clinical step is to complete several assessments including addiction, psychiatric, biochemical testing including neurochemistry, lifestyle and nutrition, and comprehensive medical. On the basis of the assessments our clinical director working with the therapist and the client prepare a detailed treatment plan.
• Based on the biochemical testing, a formulation of amino acids and micronutrients is computer generated. The formulation is a one of a kind and is as unique as the human fingerprint.

The test results also enable our nutritionist and chef to tailor a specific nutritional plan of sumptuous meals and supplements. Beyond promoting optimal physical health, supplements promote restoration and normalization of neurotransmitters, which reduces cravings for compulsive sexual behaviors.

• When clients leave traditional treatment centres, they are often anxious, depressed, have insomnia and/or are craving. This is why so many relapse. They begin self -medicating again. Rebalancing biochemistry and treating co-occurring psychiatric disorders normally eliminates these symptoms and the chance of remaining abstinent increase exponentially.
• Each client receives a custom - tailored book. This forms the basis of an individualized, intensive psycho-educational program. Importantly, this includes in depth work of 12-step recovery; at minimum, we guide patients through the first five steps.
• Psychotherapy includes trance work, EMDR, Positive Psychology, CBT and dialectical behavioural therapy.
• Our family program is an important part of our clinical approach and while not mandatory we strongly encourage it. Family members and friends will gain an understanding of the illness and how they are involved in it. And it sometimes leads to family members entering treatment to address their own dysfunctional behavior and pain.

A day in treatment will include:

• Addiction counselling
• Psychotherapy
• Lifestyle counselling
• Biochemical restoration
• Spiritual counselling
• 12-Step support group meeting
• Training
• Acupuncture
• Reflexology
• Yoga
• Massage

Aftercare is the key to long term abstinence. It is relatively easy to get the sexually compulsive behaviour stopped in the clinical environment. What is more difficult, is for the client to keep it stopped when he or she returns home.

Aftercare can include a mentor or therapist returning home with the client. The purpose is the support the client’s re-engagement with their home, family, work, society and friends. And as importantly help the client adapt their lifestyle to their recovery program.

Additional components of our aftercare approach includes daily skype or telephone calls, return visits to the clinic, short term visits by various treatment team members to the client’s home and whatever other support is required.

Aftercare support can last from days to years and combined with 12-Step support groups can lead to long term abstinence.

• Detoxing the body from the toxicity it has accumulated from our environment, food, water and drugs that we ingest helps stop craving. We use saunas, special detox agents, diet, exercise, fasting and colonic irrigation.
• Testing and laboratory work to determine the nutritional needs of each client and based on the results our medical director, nutritionist, traditional Chinese medicine doctor and chef develop a plan of action. Biochemical restoration of the brain and central nervous system stops craving and is a treatment priority for every client. This may include amino acid therapy.
• Stopping the behaviour
• Identifying and treating cross addictions like alcohol and drugs
• Erasing triggers and stressors using EMDR
• Massage, Reiki and Reflexology
• Meditation
• Yoga
• Art and/or music therapy
• Gym and outdoor training program
• Treating trauma using EMDR and Hypnotherapy
• Identifying and treating co-occurring psychiatric and personality disorders. Treatment includes hypnotherapy, cognitive therapies, EMDR, traditional Chinese medicine, and herbal medicines
• An intensive psycho-educational program including a custom made book tailor made for each client and each family member involved in the treatment program
• Complete some or all of the 12-Steps
• Attend support groups
• Spiritual counselling
• Life counselling and life performance enhancement
• An extensive family program that involves, when appropriate, family members living with the client during some or all of the treatment program
• An intensive after care program for the client and family members. It involves daily telephone calls for the first critical period of time, connecting with other people in the client's home community when appropriate, return visits or a Küsnacht Practice team member visiting the client monthly and then quarterly for the first year and then on a declining frequency until the end of year three.