6 “Must Do” Ideas to Improve Your Marriage in the New Year

2019-08-07T16:39:31-06:00January 22nd, 2016|Marriage|

A New Year is here and, with the fresh start, many people have set their personal goals and resolutions for the year. We all have areas in our lives we’d like to improve, things we’d like to accomplish, and a bucket list of places to see. But what about your relationship with your spouse?

We all have hectic lives and finding time to reconnect with your spouse may not always be on your mind. This year, take some time to set goals to reconnect and improve your relationship with your spouse. Through setting goals […]

Why You Should Talk With Your Children While Dealing With Conflict In Marriage

2019-08-07T11:50:20-06:00November 10th, 2015|Marriage|

We want to keep our children safe and do everything in our power to make sure they feel safe and secure. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, things can come in a marriage that can tear a family apart and leave children feeling scared and vulnerable.

Relationships go through their ups and downs. Even the best marriages can have some bumpy roads, but when there are children involved, it is important they know this is not their fault and are loved by both parents. Help your kids better cope with the situation […]

Is Pornography Addiction Affecting Your Relationship?

2019-05-03T15:01:13-06:00October 9th, 2015|Pornography Addiction, Sexual Addiction|

Challenges can arise in a marriage and to discover a spouse’s pornography and sexual addiction can have a devastating effect on a relationship. According to Covenant Eyes, 56% of divorce cases involved one party having an obsessive interest in pornographic websites.

If you suspect your spouse is addicted to pornography, how do you ask the difficult questions? Recognize the warning signs? There is no simple answer. However, we’ve created a quiz to help ask the difficult questions when looking at the potential problem areas in a relationship.

When taking the quiz, please remember this should NOT be taken as a sign of proof that your […]

Fifty Shades of Grey: Why Unhealthy Sexual Addictions Hurt Both Men & Women

2019-08-07T11:45:33-06:00February 12th, 2015|Sexual Addiction|

There has been a lot of buzz around Fifty Shades of Grey. With the release of the movie, it poses the question; why is the series so popular? The writing is mediocre, the author hits every cliché, and then there are the over the top sex scenes.

However, sex in books is not new, nor is the classic bad boy stereotype. But for centuries, books have been written about these abusive men–think of Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights–and the women they seek to dominate.

Like most relationships, not everything is black and white and there […]

Reaching Higher in Recovery: A Therapist’s Point of View

2019-08-07T11:54:55-06:00October 10th, 2014|Uncategorized|

The benefit of exercise and “self-care” as a boost to recovery from addictions, particularly sexual addictions, is absolutely true. When was the last time you experienced moose, deer or mountain sheep as part of your exercise program? In mountainous Utah, all things are possible!

As I stepped briskly down and rounded the steep, granite covered slope I was startled to see a beautiful mountain goat less than 10 yards away from me. I had my camera in hand and immediately powered it up to grab a rare picture of these elusive animals. He […]

What Your Brain Looks Like on Pornography

2019-08-07T16:31:07-06:00May 7th, 2014|Pornography Addiction|

Less than 3 years ago the Surgical Neurology International Journal published the article, “Pornography Addiction: A Neuroscience Perspective.” Take a look at some of the main points of the article in our summary below.

The Nature of Addiction

Addictions don’t only create chemical changes in the brain; they also create anatomical and pathological changes in the brain. Come again? That’s right, addictions physically change the brain. Simply put, the frontal area of the brain (where the “braking system” is located) becomes damaged.

Typically, hypofrontal syndromes are seen as a result of […]

Sexual Addiction: A New Ball Game in the Information Age

2019-08-07T16:40:10-06:00April 29th, 2014|Uncategorized|

High speed internet browser connection

“Three to six percent of the population is believed to suffer from sexual addiction, but, due to the stigma and people not seeking treatment, this statistic may be an underestimate,” says Ronald Frederick, LP, PhD, a psychologist practicing in Minneapolis and the founder of the Center for Courageous Living.

In other words, according to this estimate, about 200,000 Americans are struggling with sexual addiction.

But CNN reported otherwise. In the CNN article “When Sex Becomes an Addiction” by Elizabeth Landau, it is stated that “millions” […]

Trauma for Partners

2019-08-07T16:33:52-06:00April 23rd, 2014|Uncategorized|

Those on the receiving end of addiction are often left dealing with a sense of betrayal, hurt, and uncertainty. Addiction hits at the core of a woman’s relationship and often at the center of her soul. After learning of a partner’s addiction many women report that the relationship now feels false and empty. The partner of the addict is often left feeling vulnerable and disoriented. She will naturally ask, “Who can I trust? Who will be there for me now?”

The betrayed spouse does not know where to turn and will often […]

Pornography Addiction Treatment: The Strength in Recognizing your Addiction

2019-08-07T16:31:51-06:00April 22nd, 2014|Pornography Addiction|

Happy Young man on sunset background

Why can it be difficult for people with a pornography addiction to recognize that they do, in fact, have an addiction?

With a substance addiction like alcoholism, it is pretty easy to assess when an addiction has set in. The physical evidence alone (number of bottles consumed, liquor store bills, etc.) can be tell-tale signs that alcoholism has developed.

However, pornography addiction is a behavioral rather than substance addiction. It is harder to “measure” so to speak, especially because many people feel that using pornography on occasion is normal […]

Sexual Addiction Treatment: A Summary of LifeStar’s Intensive Outpatient Sexual Addiction Treatment Program

2019-08-07T16:32:30-06:00April 17th, 2014|Sexual Addiction|

Who Are We?

For more than 20 years LifeStar has offered intensive outpatient program for pornography and sexual addiction. We have helped hundreds of people escape from the bonds of their addiction with our proven sexual addiction treatment program

We are located in Salt Lake City, Utah, but we also work with non-residents all over the United States and Canada.

 About our Sexual Addiction Treatment Program

LifeStar’s intensive outpatient program was developed by highly trained and licensed therapists Todd Olson (LCSW, CSAT) and Dan Gray (LCSW, CSAT). The sexual addiction treatment program consists of […]