Addressing Sexual Addiction with Linda Shevkenek, MA
LICENSED COUNSELOR, EMDR SPECIALIST
There will be couples who see a counselor for the issues surrounding sexual addiction within marriage, but many other couples will not. Linda Shevkenek, an MA licensed counselor from Canada, has focused the last decade of her practice on helping couples and individuals address sexual addiction. From the safety and convenience of personal viewing space, this conversation will give words to wives preparing for brave conversations addressing sexual addiction. Linda explains the arousal template. Understanding of this often brings relief to couples who have misplaced their blame and shame. Sexual addiction is not particular to gender, religion, culture, or status. It usually begins early in life and, if not addressed, causes devastating results throughout adulthood. She shares the real work of crisis management and building back bridges of trust. She talks about what a lifetime of hiding does to a person's heart, mind, and soul, explaining how brain chemistry and bio neuro- pathways shape our habits, fears, and conversations. Addressing suspicious behavior, gaslighting, and trying to control a situation are realities addressed in this conversation as well. Betrayal, pain, fear, and shame are real parts of the journey. But there is also space for courage, restoration and freedom. There is nothing easy about addressing sexual addiction, but there is hope when we make space to begin the conversations towards help, health, and wholeness.
SPEAKER BIO:
Linda has been a licensed counselor in Canada for over two decades and started working at There is Hope Counseling Center Kelowna, British Columbia in 2006. She is a trained EMDR specialist and, in the last decade, has focused on helping couples and individuals address sexual addiction. She is a mother, grandmother, and wife who lost her husband to cancer in 2009. She staffs the YWAM school of counseling at University of the Nations in Kona, HI, and churches and counseling centers in Canada.