Finding help for concerns about pornography use can involve professional care, practical self-help, peer support, or help with relationships and family safety. This directory groups resources by what they do and where they operate. Use it to choose a first contact, then ask that service about eligibility, experience, cost, and privacy.
Several resources cover mental health more broadly. Their inclusion means they can help you find information or a route into care. Ask the individual provider whether it works with problematic pornography use or compulsive sexual behaviour. For a guide to that conversation, see how to seek help.
Choose the kind of help you are looking for
If you want an assessment or treatment, start with a qualified healthcare professional or a professional directory. If you want to hear from people with a shared experience, look at a peer-support group and check its framework. If your immediate task is a safer family device setup, use the parent and technology resources further down this page.
Before sending an enquiry, write one sentence explaining what you need. For example, “I want to find a clinician who can help me with viewing that is disrupting my sleep,” or “I want guidance on responding after my child saw adult material.” A clear request makes it easier to ask whether a service is a suitable starting point.
United States
SAMHSA and FindTreatment.gov
FindTreatment.gov is a federal locator for mental health and substance use services. Use it to investigate options in your area, then check a service’s scope and availability directly. You can also consult SAMHSA’s guidance about locating a professional or programme. Search FindTreatment.gov and read SAMHSA’s care-navigation guide.
AASECT referral directory
The AASECT directory identifies certified sexuality educators, counsellors, and therapists. Select a role appropriate to the support you want, and ask about the professional’s clinical qualifications, licence where applicable, and experience with your concern. Search AASECT’s directory.
NIMH appointment and treatment information
NIMH provides information about psychotherapy and preparing for a conversation with a healthcare provider. These pages can help you draft questions before contacting a practice or attending an appointment. Read about psychotherapy and prepare for a healthcare conversation.
You can also ask your health insurer which local providers participate in your plan. Keep the practice’s fee estimate and your insurer’s explanation of coverage together so you can clarify differences before booking.
United Kingdom
NHS routes into care
A GP can help you discuss a concern and consider an appropriate referral. In England, NHS Talking Therapies includes self-referral for anxiety and depression, with eligibility and availability varying by service. Check the route for your needs and location. Read about accessing NHS mental health care and NHS talking therapies.
BACP therapist directory and register
BACP provides a directory for finding counsellors and psychotherapists and a register for checking membership details. Use both when considering a provider, and contact the person to ask about relevant experience, fees, and appointment arrangements. Search for a BACP therapist and read about the BACP register.
If you live in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland, use your local NHS service or GP for the appropriate care route. The England-specific self-referral information above does not establish eligibility elsewhere.
Canada
Government of Canada mental health resources
The Canadian government’s support page lists provincial, territorial, and national resources. It is a useful starting point for locating a service that operates where you live. Ask a chosen service about the type of support it provides and whether it can direct you to someone with relevant experience. Explore Canada’s mental health support directory.
Professional regulation and funding arrangements vary by province, territory, and profession. When comparing private providers, ask which organisation regulates them and how you can check their standing. If cost is a concern, ask your primary care provider or local service about publicly funded or community options.
Australia
Healthdirect and a GP appointment
Healthdirect explains mental health care options and how a doctor may assess eligibility for a mental health treatment plan. A plan can cover some treatment costs for eligible people. Ask about likely fees and any gap payment when arranging care. Read about mental health treatment plans.
Medicare Mental Health
The government’s Medicare Mental Health website provides information about navigating services. It can help you understand where a GP or another service may fit into your next step. Explore the mental health care-navigation guide.
For concerns involving online safety or intimate images shared without consent, eSafety has separate reporting information. Read its eligibility and reporting guidance for the situation you are dealing with. Explore eSafety reporting options.
Peer support and online meetings
Sex Addicts Anonymous provides a meeting directory with options for online, telephone, and in-person meetings. The directory also identifies meeting access and other group characteristics. SAA uses a twelve-step framework, so read about that approach when deciding whether to attend. Find an SAA meeting.
Before joining any group, check who leads it, who can attend, what participation involves, and how privacy is handled. Ask whether you can attend an introductory meeting or read information first. You can choose a form of support that fits your goals, culture, beliefs, and circumstances.
For an online meeting, use a display name you are comfortable sharing and understand whether the platform shows your account name or email. Find out how the group handles recordings, contact between members, and concerns about conduct. These are practical questions you can ask an organiser before participating.
Family safety and device resources
- NSPCC. Guidance for parents and carers on content filtering across devices and services. Read the parental-controls guide.
- eSafety Commissioner. Parent guidance on responding when a child discovers pornography. Read the parent response guide.
- Apple. Current instructions for content and privacy controls on a child’s iPhone or iPad. Open Apple’s instructions.
- Microsoft. Website and search filtering guidance for Family Safety. Open Microsoft’s instructions.
- Google. Guidance about supervised accounts and Chrome browsing. Open Google’s family guide.
Parents and carers can use our family guide to organise a device review and a follow-up conversation. Use the external provider’s current instructions for the device version you own.
Use a resource and plan the follow-up
Choose one relevant contact rather than opening every resource at once. Record what you asked, the response you received, and any next step. If the service does not offer what you need, ask whether it can suggest a suitable alternative. If you are waiting for a response, set yourself a reminder to follow up.
For today, your next step might be checking a professional register, making an appointment enquiry, reading a group’s participation information, or reviewing one shared device. The healthy-habits guide has a personal planning exercise if you want to work on boundaries while arranging support.
If someone is in immediate danger or needs urgent medical attention, contact local emergency services. Service availability, fees, and eligibility can change, so check the linked organisation’s current information before relying on an option. To report a broken link in this guide, use Contact Us and identify the resource address.