Dr. Mark Laaser - Sexual Addictions Expert Speaks on the Catholic Sexual Abuse Crisis

"Catholic and Protestant churches need to do a better job of dealing with pastors' sexual proclivities before abuse takes place" says Dr. Mark Laaser, an internationally known author, speaker and theologian.

"Catholic and Protestant churches need to do a better job of dealing with pastors' sexual proclivities before abuse takes place" says Dr. Mark Laaser, an internationally known author, speaker and theologian.

Laaser's book Before the Fall, written with Nils Friberg, outlines ways seminaries can screen for and assess men's vulnerability to commit sexual abuse while they are still in preparation for ministry. The book is recommended reading for leaders in the Catholic Church by the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops and has won awards from the Catholic Press Association.

Laaser notes that sexual abuse by clergy "is a huge betrayal of trust which creates a lot of sadness, a lot of anger, a lot of spiritual questioning. The public needs to deal with the issues of faith created when people in leadership are doing these kinds of things."

Laaser serves on the Interfaith Sexual Trauma Institute (ISTI), a group formed to deal with the crisis of sexual abuse in the Church. It comprises a wide variety of national and international experts on the subject, including those who help victims, those who work with offenders, and priests who have offended. As a therapist, Dr. Laaser has conducted workshops for 8 different Catholic dioceses about the problem of sexual addiction and has worked with a number of sexually addicted priests.

Dr. Laaser has compassionately ministered to hundreds of sex addicts and their families, consulted with numerous churches, and has developed treatment programs for a variety of hospitals. He is a frequent guest on both radio and television and has been a lecturer, workshop leader, seminar designer and presenter both nationally and internationally for the last 25 years.

In addition to Before the Fall, Laaser has published Restoring the Soul of a Church, a collection of articles on what happens to a church when the priest or pastor leaves for reasons of sexual misconduct. His first book, Faithful and True, was the first Christian book to address the issue of sexual addiction. He has since written six other books including, Talking to Your Kids About Sex, and his most recent, The Pornography Trap (with Dr. Ralph Earle).

Dr. Laaser is available for interviews and speaking engagements. For more information, use the contact information above.