Sex Addiction Therapist in Marbella: In-Person and Online Therapy Across Spain

A sex addiction therapist in Marbella helps you understand and change compulsive sexual behaviour, including porn use, in a confidential space without judgement. At Intimaddict you can start with a private assessment and then work in person in Marbella or online from anywhere in the world, in English, Spanish, French or Italian. The World Health Organization recognises compulsive sexual behaviour disorder in ICD-11 (6C72).

It is late. You have typed something like ‘therapist for sex addiction near me’ into your phone, looked at three results and closed the tab, because choosing one feels like admitting something you have not said out loud yet. If that is where you are, you are not the only one, and this page was written for you. There is one question to ask any therapist before you book that most people never think of. You will find it near the end, once you have the full picture.

Who looks for a sex addiction therapist, and what do they have in common?

People come from very different places: someone whose partner found out, someone who has tried to cut down many times, someone who simply wants to stop living a double life. What most share is a pattern of trying to stop and not managing, followed by guilt and secrecy.

Do you recognise yourself in these situations?

•  You have tried to stop or cut down and returned more times than you would like to admit.
•  You spend more time or energy on sexual behaviour or porn than you intend to.
•  You keep going despite consequences for your relationship, work or sleep.
•  You use it to stop feeling something: stress, loneliness, boredom, anxiety.
•  You hide it or lie about it.
•  Guilt or emptiness follows.

If several of these resonate, that does not mean you have a disorder. It does mean it is worth looking at more closely. This private assessment takes a few minutes and is not a diagnosis.

Is porn your main concern? Take the private Porn Addiction Assessment instead, or read how to stop watching porn

Is it an addiction? What the WHO says

You may be wondering whether what is happening to you ‘counts’. The World Health Organization’s ICD-11 describes compulsive sexual behaviour disorder (6C72) as a persistent pattern of failing to control intense, repetitive sexual impulses, usually lasting around six months or more and causing marked distress or impairment in important areas of life. It specifies that distress that comes entirely from moral judgements and disapproval does not meet the criteria. ‘Sex addiction’ and ‘porn addiction’ are popular terms rather than formal diagnoses, and the field still debates the best way to classify them.

The practical point is simple. You do not have to settle the debate before asking for support. If you cannot control the behaviour and it is costing you something, that is a good enough reason to talk to a professional. For more on this, see Is sex addiction real? or what sex addiction is.

What the figures say

• A survey of 2,325 US adults aged 18 to 50 found that 8.6% scored above a clinically relevant threshold for distress about difficulty controlling sexual urges, feelings and behaviours (10.3% of men and 7.0% of women), according to Dickenson, Gleason, Coleman and Miner at the University of Minnesota (JAMA Network Open, 2018). The study looked at sexual behaviour in general, not only porn.
• In Spain, the national drugs plan run by the Ministry of Health (Plan Nacional sobre Drogas) reports that 63.8% of people aged 15 to 64 have used pornography at some point, 29.0% in the last 12 months and 18.2% in the last month (EDADES 2024 survey, in its Behavioural Addictions Report 2025, published in February 2026). Using porn is common. Having a problem with it is a different question.
• The same body reports that in 2022, 4,650 people started treatment for behavioural addictions in Spain, and 2.9% of them for sex-related addictions; 86.3% were men (press release of 27 January 2025). The report does not explain why so few reach treatment, but it fits what many people tell us: shame and not knowing where to go.

In short, it is more common than it feels, and still very little talked about.

What therapy for sex and porn addiction looks like

Therapy is not about being told what to do with your sex life. It is about understanding the pattern and building tools to change it, at your pace. At Intimaddict we work with psychotherapy, somatic work, trauma, relationships and intimacy, not only with the behaviour.

The approaches with the best research support are cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). In the 2025 meta-analysis mentioned above, people who received psychotherapy improved significantly more than controls on problematic porn use, frequency of use and sexual compulsivity (large effects), with smaller effects on cravings and moderate effects on depression (López-Pinar, Esparza-Reig and Bőthe, Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 2025). Two honest limits: the authors noted a high risk of bias in the studies, and most of the evidence is about porn use rather than all compulsive sexual behaviour. No therapist can promise a cure.

What happens in your first session

1. You book a private assessment (online, around 60 minutes) and choose a time.
2. You talk about what has brought you here: what you have noticed, what you have tried and what you would like to change. You are not labelled, and you do not have to say more than you wish to.
3. You leave with a plan for next steps. Some people continue with individual sessions, some add a group, and some work on a specific issue such as the impact on a relationship. You decide the pace.

In person in Marbella or online from anywhere in the world?

Both options exist, and the best one is the one you will actually keep going to.

If you live outside the Costa del Sol, in Spain or in any other country, online therapy is a perfectly valid option. Sessions are available in English, Spanish, French and Italian. Tell us your preferred language when you book.

How to choose a sex addiction therapist

Here is what it is worth checking, whoever you choose:

1. Registration and training. In Spain, practising as a health psychologist requires an official qualification, the legal authorisation and registration with a professional college. Ask for the registration number and check it with the college. Note that a title such as ‘sexologist’ on its own is not a regulated health profession in Spain, so also ask about the underlying qualification.
2. Specific experience with compulsive sexual behaviour and porn, not only general therapy. Directories list professionals with prices, but it is not always clear from a profile whether they treat this, so ask directly.
3. An approach that goes beyond blocking the behaviour: emotion regulation, trauma, relationships and intimacy.
4. A clear explanation of the method (CBT, ACT and others) and its limits, without promises of a cure.
5. Confidentiality in writing: who sees your information, how it is stored and what professional secrecy covers.
6. Clear prices, session length and cancellation policy before the first session.
7. Experience with partners and couples, in case this affects your relationship.
8. Your language: sessions are available in English, Spanish, French and Italian.

And here is the question that most people never ask: ‘Do you work only on the behaviour, or also on what is driving it, and what happens if I slip?’ A therapist who answers calmly, explains their approach and treats a slip as information rather than failure is probably one who can help. You now know what to listen for.

Confidentiality and privacy: what to expect

Talking about this is hard, so privacy matters. In Spain, psychologists are bound by professional secrecy, and health information is a special category of personal data under data protection law.  In practice, ask about: where your records are kept, whether sessions are recorded (they should not be unless you agree), and what happens to your data if you stop. .

How much does therapy cost?

These are the prices currently published on our site.

For context, first visits listed in the online directories we consulted vary widely, roughly €50 to €90 depending on the professional and the format [VERIFICAR: precios de terceros; en el análisis, €50-€90 son de Madrid y Marbella desde ~€70; no atribuir a Marbella]. Price alone says little: what matters is what the session includes, how long it lasts and whether the therapist has experience with this problem. If you are unsure, the assessment is a lower-commitment way to find out whether we are the right fit.

If your partner knows, or you are worried they will find out

The secrecy is often harder to live with than the behaviour itself. Telling a partner is a decision best made calmly and with support. If your partner has already found out, this guide for partners explains what they may be going through, and we also work with couples.

‘But…’ and other doubts

‘It is not really an addiction.’ You do not need a label to ask for help. The assessment is a private way to find out.

‘I can do it on my own.’ You can start on your own. If you have tried and keep returning, that is useful information, not a failing.

‘I am too ashamed.’ Shame is the most common reason people wait years. A good therapist has heard this many times and does not judge.

‘Nobody can find out.’ Privacy matters. Ask exactly how your information is handled.

‘What if I slip?’ Slips are expected and treated as information, not as the end.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a sex addiction therapist in Marbella?

Intimaddict offers in-person sessions in Marbella and online sessions anywhere in the world.

Do I need a diagnosis to start therapy?

No. You can start with a private assessment, which describes your pattern and does not diagnose. Distress that comes only from moral judgements does not meet ICD-11 criteria for compulsive sexual behaviour disorder, but support can still help.

Is therapy for sex addiction effective?

A 2025 meta-analysis of 20 studies found large improvements in problematic porn use and sexual compulsivity with psychotherapy, mainly CBT and ACT, while noting a high risk of bias in the studies (López-Pinar et al., Journal of Behavioral Addictions). No therapist can promise a cure.

Can I do it online?

Yes. For guided CBT, a 2018 meta-analysis found equivalent overall effects for online and face-to-face formats (Carlbring et al.).

Do you see people in English?

Yes. Sessions are available in English, Spanish, French and Italian. Tell us your preferred language when you book.

How much does it cost?

The assessment is €150 and individual sessions are €145 (or €520 for a package of 4). See the price table above.

Your first step

Looking for a therapist is already a step, and a harder one than it seems. You do not have to have everything worked out, or be in crisis, to ask. Remember the question from the start: ‘Do you work only on the behaviour, or also on what is driving it, and what happens if I slip?’ Now you know what a good answer sounds like.

Imagine finishing a week without the sense of having something to hide. Looking at the people around you without a conversation waiting in your head. Nobody can promise that, but it is the kind of change this work aims for.

Not ready yet? Take the private Sex Addiction Assessment or read how treatment works in Spain.

If you need immediate help: in Spain, call 112 in an emergency, 024 for suicidal crisis support, or 016 if you are experiencing violence from a partner. If you live outside Spain, call your local emergency number.

This article is for information only and does not replace a professional assessment.