The ICASA Ten-Step Sexual Recovery Programme

While fear of intimacy may result from background factors and early life conditioning, the solution and a permanent lifelong recovery does not necessarily come from an exhaustive analysis of the causes. Instead, what has been shown to be most effective is a current, direct experience of the healing power of intimacy in the present.  The ICASA Sexual Recovery Programme has proven efficacy in healing intimacy and sexual problems over the last twenty years in therapeutic practice in the UK.

The ICASA Sexual Recovery Programme provides a methodical path which, if followed, results in healing fear of intimacy, sexual dysfunctions and sexual anxieties. The programme is a transpersonal sexual therapy modality for men, women and couples, many of whom were life-long sufferers from fear of intimacy, performance anxiety, sexual dysfunctions or effects of past sexual trauma.

The programme is designed and constructed on a ten-step basis; every step representing a level of intimacy. Included in the programme are techniques for reducing anxiety, conscious breathing, dealing with negative thoughts, transforming negative emotions and body feelings and practical intimate experiences, or exercises, within an evolving step-by-step process. Every step of the programme has clearly stated boundaries, which are agreed to by rules of consent; this allows students to deepen their personal experience and self-awareness in the intimate experiences with the knowledge that the level of intimacy is contained within the boundary set for each particular step. In cases where the student does not have an intimate partner with whom to practice the intimate experiences, a Sexual Surrogate Partner may be assigned to work through the steps of the ICASA Sexual Recovery Programme with the student in appropriate cases.

• • Step 1: Discover how to consciously let go of controlling patterns and open to trust. This step is foundational and transformative; creating inner mental and emotional changes for eliminating anxiety within the context of intimacy

• • Step 2: Connecting with Love and experiencing the art of the deeper intimate caress. Intimate communication and non-sexual caressing exercises are practised.

• • Step 3: Discovering beauty in the body and healing inhibitive self consciousness. This step is transformative in terms of how the physical body, beauty and pleasure is perceived and expressed. Nudity is experienced at a conscious level and within a safe and deeply honouring environment.

• • Step 4: Expressing intimate pleasure and releasing blocked energy in the body. This step concludes with intimacy practices involving full body caressing excluding breasts and genitals. The energy experienced during this step of the programme may best be described as sensuality as distinct from sexuality.

• • Step 5: Revealing the beauty and the mystery of male and female genitals. Healing past wounds or hurts and eliminating insecurities relating to genitals.

• • Step 6: Connection with sexual energy. Experiencing sexual energy and learning how to let go of the need to control.

• • Step 7: Mutuality. Sharing sexual energy; energising the body; mutuality and outercourse.

• • Step 8: Identifying the desire and level of arousal for lovemaking. Sensuous showering: condom confidence; overcoming problems; lovemaking.

• • Step 9: Lovemaking. Connection; maintaining mutual pleasure, honour and enjoyment; orgasm; afterplay.

• • Step 10: Beyond Therapy. Creating your new life; conscious closure to your healing process; a step of courage into your new future..

Ten separate manuals, or workbooks, written by David L. Brown accompany the ten steps of the programme. It is claimed by The School of ICASA that circa. fifteen hundred students have been treated through The ICASA Ten-Step Sexual Recovery Programme combined with Sexual Surrogate Partner Therapy at The School of Intimacy, Consciousness And Awareness since its inception in 1994.