The Summit Group

For people whose public life makes ordinary recovery impossible.

For some people, recovery from sex addiction carries a second problem stacked on the first. Their name, their position, or their public profile means walking into a local meeting is not a safe option. The room that helps everyone else becomes a risk they cannot take.

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The Summit Group exists for those people. It is a confidential recovery community for individuals whose visibility has kept them from the peer support recovery requires.

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Developed by Dr. Patrick Carnes and facilitated by Tim Stein and Michael Lazar, experts in sex addiction, the program welcomes people at every stage, from those new to sobriety to those with years of recovery behind them.

The problem we solve

Peer connection is one of the most important parts of recovery from sex addiction. For a public figure, it is also the hardest to get. You cannot share honestly in a room where you might be recognized. You cannot be one voice among many when your name changes how people hear you. So you go without the one thing recovery depends on, or you isolate inside it.

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The Summit Group gives you a true peer group, people who carry the same weight of visibility, in a space built for confidentiality from the ground up.

Why the group works at every stage

The mix of experience is the point. Members newer to recovery receive the wisdom and guidance of people who have walked the path ahead of them. Members with years behind them are reminded, by those just starting, of why the continued application of boundaries, recovery patterns, and sobriety tools matters. No one in recovery is ever past needing that reminder. Everyone gives something, and everyone gets something back.

What the program includes

• Four online 2-day retreats each year, facilitated by Tim Stein and Michael Lazar

• Regular check-ins between retreats

• A small, closed cohort of genuine peers

• Ongoing guidance from experts in sex addiction recovery

Inside each retreat

Each 2-day retreat includes:

• Checking in with the group

• Presentations by leading experts in addiction and mental health, with time for Q&A

• Education on sobriety and recovery

• Peer accountability

• Identifying the individual work you will focus on until the next retreat

Who it's for

• You have a public profile (celebrity, notoriety, or a profession) that makes local meetings unsafe or unwise.

• You are working on your recovery, whether you are newly sober or years into the work.

• You have your own therapist and keep that support in place while you are a member.

• You are ready to show up honestly and support others doing the same.

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The Summit Group is where you find sobriety support, expert guidance, and peers who understand what you carry, with additional options for healing as you need them.

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Questions people ask

Do I need to be established in recovery to join?
No. The Summit Group is for people new to sobriety and for those with years of recovery behind them. Newer members gain from the experience of those further along, and seasoned members are kept sharp by the reminders that come from those just starting. The group gives you sobriety support, guidance, and connection through every stage.

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Do I need my own therapist?
Yes. Every member keeps their own therapist while in the program. That is where your clinical work happens. The Summit Group is peer support, guidance, and connection, facilitated by experts in sex addiction recovery. The two work best side by side.

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Who facilitates the group?
Tim Stein and Michael Lazar, two experts in sex addiction recovery, using a program developed by Dr. Patrick Carnes.

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How confidential is it?
Confidentiality is the reason this program exists. The cohort is small and closed, retreats are online, and everyone in the room is there for the same reason and carries the same exposure.

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Can my partner take part?
Not at this time. The Summit Group is currently for the individual in recovery.

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What happens at a retreat?
Two focused days among peers who understand your situation without needing it explained. See "Inside each retreat" above for the full structure.