International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals (IITAP)

In the early 1980s, Dr. Patrick Carnes published Out of the Shadows, raising awareness about sexual compulsivity and addiction; earning himself a reputation as the leading expert in his field. As Dr. Carnes’ popularity grew, addiction practitioners began associating their business practices with him — whether they were qualified to treat sex addiction or not. It became apparent that a standard of training and certification was necessary; thereby creating a unified group of certified professionals that would preserve the quality of Dr. Carnes’ work.

This led to the creation of the Certified Sex Addiction Therapist, or CSAT®, program, a cutting-edge training and certification program built around academic study, experiential training, supervision and assessment competence. As the program grew, so did the number of candidates, requiring the formation of an “institute” to handle the administrative duties and related tasks. Hence, the International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals (IITAP) was born.

As IITAP continued to grow and expand, the certification programs offered also expanded. Previously, the CSAT certification was limited to specific therapists; however, with the growing need for qualified help, additional certification options were created to encompass professionals across a multitude of diverse settings: Associate Sex Addiction Therapist (ASAT) and Pastoral Sex Addiction Professional (PSAP). Training opportunities expanding the 30 task model to other addictions, such as financial and work disorders and chemical dependency, were also created. To this day, IITAP continues to develop more programming applying the task model approach to various addictions and/or populations and tools to assist therapists in providing the highest level of quality care possible.

Vision:
IITAP’s vision is to be a premier training resource for therapists specializing in the areas of addiction recovery and trauma.

Goals:
• Set the standard of excellence in sexual addiction education and treatment
• Promote professional training and knowledge about sexual addiction and compulsive behaviors, in addition to related addictions and deprivations
• Encourage communication and collaboration among treatment professionals and provide resources for them
• Support our professional community of treatment providers
• Provide continuing educational opportunities to professionals through training and newsletters
• Research and implement a task-centered approach to treatment