Religion can distort many things in our lives that are natural, including sex!  Have you been taught that sex is only permitted in the context of marriage or procreation? Or that anything other than a monogamous heterosexual relationship will lead to damnation? That porn is addictive and will lead to a degenerate behavior? Do you struggle with guilt because you masturbate? We’ll be tackling these questions and more along with providing some helpful tools for those of us who are struggling with these issues.

Praia Westerband-Otero, LMHC, CASAC is a licensed mental health counselor and a credentialed alcohol and substance use counselor with experience providing individual psychotherapy, relationship counseling and sex therapy. She is in the process of becoming an AASECT certified sex therapist with an emphasis on alternative relationships. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling.  More about Praia Westerband-Otero: https://remotementalhealth.net/ny/praia by MyTherapist New York  Dr. Darrel Ray is the Founder & President of Recovering from Religion. He has been a psychologist for over thirty years and is the author of four books: including "The God Virus-How Religion Infects Our Lives and Culture" and "Sex and God-How Religion Distorts Sexuality". Dr. Ray has been a student of religion most of his life and holds a Masters Degree in religion as well as a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology/Anthropology with a Doctorate in Psychology. He has lectured around the world on sexuality and the myth of sex and porn addiction.  This discussion is hosted by Eric Wells, the RfR Support Group Director, and Todd Yoder, the RfR Helpline Director.  RfR has an immense collection of well-curated resources available as you go through your journey, including resources for mental and physical crises, working with relationships, issues stemming from specific religions, coming out stories, and much more.

For RfRx comments, inquiries & topical questions, email us at [email protected].

Any time you are struggling with religious doubts or fears you can connect with a trained RfR Helpline agent 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To chat online go to http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org.

To talk over the phone, dial:

(844) 368-2848 in the US & Canada

If you are in need of professional help, we can offer the Secular Therapy Project to provide options to connect with a professional therapist. All therapists have been thoroughly vetted by our organization and offer only evidence-based and non-religious treatment. Connect with them at http://www.seculartherapy.org.

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