Robert Weiss LCSW

In the real world, tens of thousands of men and women daily voluntarily choose to attend sexual addiction 12 step programs and related therapies. Yet in the clinical world, the DSM 5 does not acknowledge the issue (Hypersexual Disorder), while many consider it a joke, a form of social control or simply “an excuse” for bad behavior. This talk is designed to offer realistic, useful insight into the problem of compulsive/addictive porn use, infidelities and other sexual acting out (on and offline). The talk will provide insight into the process addictions, their treatment and the empathic insight required to view this problem for what it is—the adult expression of early complex trauma and attachment loss.

What defines cheating today in our age of webcams, online porn and “adult friend finder apps”? “Sadly, those who repeatedly betray their deepest relationship commitments (online and in-person) are often both intimacy- and empathy-challenged, lacking the mature concrete insight and the related skills needed to help revitalize a wounded relationship. These tools are especially important, “after the affair” when anger and emotional instability tend to rule the roost. This talk provides a reset for professionals working with those acting out their needs and desires in a digital world, while offering new views toward addressing sexual and romantic acting out- via social media and the web. With new clarity regarding what defines ‘cheating’ today, we can help couples find the empathy, honesty and lasting behavior change required to grow relationship intimacy. This discussion will offer an overview of the problem along with specific empathy, and relationship rebuilding skills

While much fear and hype has been created in the past decade by well-meaning clinicians and the media, the actual role and effect of digital media on American family life has yet to be fully understood and researched. So, what can a useful, caring counselor or therapist offer today to families struggling with issues such as digital boundaries, cyberbullying and tech stressors, as well as problems like online gaming, gambling and sexuality? This timely, engaging talk, by a clinical thought leader and author of several books related to our evolving digital world and its’ effect on the therapy space, gives attendees a chance to revisit, reshape and challenge their beliefs about how digital technology is affecting family life, relationships, school and the workplace. Blending current research with historical references, this talk will provide clarity in an area where we clinicians sometimes feel under-informed or even downright confused.