Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist #53391
Cory AndersonCOUPLES | BETRAYAL TRAUMA | SEX ADDICTION | TRAUMA
“I believe that relationships are life’s greatest gift. That’s why I’ve dedicated myself to this work. ”
My clinical focus is on couples navigating betrayal trauma and addiction, men working to break free from sexual addiction, and trauma work more broadly — because in my experience, the three are almost always connected. Most addictions have trauma underneath them, and most betrayal leaves trauma in its wake.
I take a strengths-based, solutions-focused approach rooted in my training as a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT) and Certified Multiple Addiction Therapist (CMAT). For men working through sexual addiction, we focus on practical, sustainable tools for long-term sobriety — not shame.
Because trauma so often sits underneath addiction, I rely heavily on EMDR to help clients heal traumatic memories so they feel more like a scar than an open wound.
For couples — of any kind, not only those facing betrayal — I draw on Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) to rebuild security and real connection.
My Approach
I often get a tear of joy in my eye when a client walks out of the fog of an addiction for the first time, or when a couple finally understands each other in a new, deep, and vulnerable way. It's an honor to be trusted with those moments.
I've been passionate about this work since I started my career in 2005 — and my own life has shaped that passion as much as my training has. My first marriage lasted 15 years and included real mental health struggles and trauma we both carried into the relationship. Despite the counseling we did together, the marriage ended in divorce — and that season taught me firsthand what it costs to face pain honestly, do the hard work of healing, and still watch something end. It deepened my compassion for every couple who walks into my office wondering if their relationship can make it.
A few years later, I married my wife, Tosha. Rebuilding trust in my own life — learning what it looks like to love well, do my own work, and stay present even when it's hard — has given me a front-row seat to the same restoration I get to walk alongside clients toward every day.
My Story
I speak regularly on the topics I care most about:
For parents, on parenting teens through the challenges of growing up online.
For therapists, on recognizing addiction within relationships and helping clients find real freedom from it.
For pastors and church leaders, on equipping them to support their members facing sexual and pornography addiction.
For churches and community groups, I love doing workshops on marriage enrichment and restoration.
I've spoken at Mission Hills Church, Horizon Church, North Coast Church, and others across San Diego County.
Speaking & Training
Beyond the Practice
This year, I'm running for Trustee Area 5 on the Palomar Community College District Governing Board. I'm running because I want Palomar's students to have real access to mental health resources, career-focused training, and the support that helps them finish school and enter the workforce ready to succeed. I believe community colleges thrive when leadership listens closely to students, faculty, and the community they serve.
My Training
Undergraduate Degree in Psychology, Westmont College
M.S. in Marital and Family Therapy, Fuller Theological Seminary
Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT), IITAP
Certified Multiple Addiction Therapist (CMAT)
Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR)
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)