Petition to Psychology Today

The SASH Campaign to Encourage Psychology Today to have a more inclusive editorial policy towards problematic sexual behaviors

Ardmore, PA (October 26, 2016)   Why is Psychology Today refusing to publish articles related to sexual addiction, pornography addiction and other out-of-control sexual behaviors?

The Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health (SASH) and the International Institute on Trauma and Addiction Professionals (IITAP) have just sent a petition with some 735 signatures and additional letters and other supporting items to the officers and editors of Psychology Today. The petition requests them to reconsider their editorial stance against discussing and naming issues directly related to sexual addiction, pornography addiction, sexual compulsivity, hypersexual disorder and out-of-control sexual behavior. The supporting materials and the first supporting letter contain an excellent summary of the extensive research that supports the existence of these disorders as well as diagnostic codes that can already be used for reimbursable diagnosis.

We believe that the field of study and our members as individual treatment providers are experiencing a form of persistent editorial discrimination both in Psychology Today magazine’s feature articles and restrictions on bloggers. Such discrimination serves neither our profession as a whole nor those troubled individuals whom we all seek to help.

Our work does not discriminate against anyone due to sexual orientation, gender identity, offending or individual patterns of sexual arousal, even if those concerns conflict with a client's ideal self-image (ego- dystonic). It is not in our interest, nor in our clients’ interests, for us to bring our own cultural, religious or ethical biases to our clinical work. The petition acknowledges that attempted discussions with individual editors and multiple “letters to the editor” have met with a wall of silence.

Psychology Today is a for-profit business. We want its officers and editors to be aware of our size and influence. SASH and IITAP, collectively with around 2,150 members, are the largest organized providers of treatment and education about problematic sexual behavior in the United States.

You can read the text of the petition here... The supporting material and the first supporting letter contain what is in effect a master class or crash course in understanding the latest research into sexual addictions.

SASH also sent another 7 letters of support to Psychology Today.

• Letter 2
• Letter 3
• Letter 4
• Letter 5
• Letter 6
• Letter 7
• Letter 8

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

Download PDF: Press Release about the SASH Petition to Psychology Today

For more information contact:

Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health

P.O. Box 566, Ardmore, PA 19003

Press Committee Chair:   Mary Sharpe

Email:                               [email protected]

Phone:                              610-348-4783

Website:                           www.sash.net
The Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health (SASH) is a nonprofit multidisciplinary organization founded in 1987, dedicated to scholarship, clinical training, and resources for promoting sexual health and overcoming problematic sexual behaviors such as sex/porn addiction, hypersexual disorder, out of control sexual behavior, sexual impulsivity, and sexual abuse. Visit www.sash.net for more.

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