About the CIC

A treatment and outcomes programme to inform research and policy frameworks.

Time To Talk About Sex offers up to 100 free places over 12 months through a Community Interest Company, under the clinical leadership of Dr Michael Yates. It is designed to deliver Compassion Focused Therapy for compulsive sexual behaviour to the men who cannot otherwise access it, and to measure the outcomes of that care. The evidence it produces is designed to inform clinical guidance, service design and policy frameworks for the field.

How it is funded

Up to 100 free places. Here's how.

The CIC is fully funded for up to 100 free places. They are offered through Men’s Mental Health Clinical Outcomes CIC (company number 17521198), a Community Interest Company set up for community benefit, on a first come, first served basis to men for whom the programme is clinically appropriate.

A new programme

In its own right.

Time To Talk About Sex offers an intensive, in-depth programme designed specifically for men with compulsive sexual behaviour.

It responds to what has been out of reach for too many men in the UK: limited access to specialist care, long waits, and no dedicated programme built for men with this problem.

The clinical model has evolved. The programme carries forward what has worked, and goes further.

Outcomes

Measuring what works.

The programme measures outcomes carefully from the first cohort onwards. That data helps us understand what works, how well it works, and how to keep improving the programme over time.

What we measure

Participants complete a set of standard, well-tested questionnaires at the start of the twenty-four-session programme, at its midpoint, at the end of the programme, and at follow-up. Measures cover compulsive sexual behaviour, sexual shame, self-criticism, self-compassion, and general psychological wellbeing. Individual data is treated as clinical record and never disclosed without explicit consent.

Who leads it

The clinical outcomes review is designed and led by Dr Michael Yates, Clinical Lead.

Reporting

Anonymised outcome data is analysed, and the intention is to publish it, including in peer-reviewed journals. It may also be shared with referrers, clinicians and the public in a way that respects participant confidentiality.

The evidence base

A model built on published research.

The therapeutic model at the heart of the programme is grounded in Dr Michael Yates's previously published peer-reviewed research in Sexual and Relationship Therapy, which reported a large reduction in compulsive sexual behaviour among the men who took part.

Read Dr Michael Yates in Attitude on the success of his previous work with gay and bi men. Time To Talk About Sex builds on that model, and includes a programme specifically designed for straight men.

Full details on the evidence page.