What Is a MAWASI?

The MAWASI (Multi-Assessment for Whole-Addiction, Shame & Intimacy) is a specialized evaluation tool used in the field of sex addiction, compulsive sexual behavior, and pornography addiction treatment. Its purpose is to provide a comprehensive, 360-degree picture of an individual’s sexual behaviors, the emotional drivers beneath those behaviors, and the broader impact on relationships, mental health, and daily functioning.

Rather than looking only at the behaviors themselves, the MAWASI helps uncover the root causes—including trauma histories, attachment patterns, shame cycles, and emotional regulation difficulties. This is essential because sex-related compulsivity rarely exists in isolation. It typically develops as a strategy for coping with unresolved emotional pain, loneliness, stress, or fear of intimacy. Without understanding the deeper origins, long-term recovery becomes much harder to achieve.

What the MAWASI Measures

The MAWASI assessment examines several interconnected domains:

• Behavioral Patterns: Frequency, intensity, secrecy, and progression of compulsive or addictive sexual behaviors, including pornography use.

• Emotional Triggers: Shame, stress, boredom, rejection sensitivity, trauma cueing, and other internal states that drive compulsive acting out.

• Trauma & Attachment: Early life experiences, relational wounds, and family-of-origin patterns that shape intimacy and coping strategies.

• Impact on Life & Relationships: Consequences on work, self-esteem, mood, romantic relationships, and sexual functioning.

• Current Supports & Barriers: Strengths, motivations, resilience factors, and obstacles to change.

This multi-domain approach helps clinicians identify not only what is happening, but why it is happening — and what steps are needed to restore healthy sexuality and emotional stability.

Who Administers and Interprets the MAWASI?

For clients completing the MAWASI through Eliminating Porn, the assessment is interpreted by Maxim Arbuzov, LICSW, a psychotherapist and porn-addiction specialist who works exclusively with men experiencing pornography addiction, sex addiction, and intimacy-related concerns.

Maxim’s interpretation goes far beyond reading scores. The goal is to help each client understand how trauma, unresolved emotional wounds, and learned survival strategies have shaped their current patterns. Many men feel relieved during this process—finally seeing their behaviors not as “failures,” but as adaptations to past pain that can now be unlearned and healed.

Why the MAWASI Matters

The MAWASI helps:

• Identify the origin story behind porn use, sexual behavior patterns, or compulsive tendencies

• Clarify the role of trauma and how it shows up in adult sexual functioning

• Reveal shame cycles that keep individuals stuck

• Define clear, tailored treatment goals

• Offer insight into emotional blind spots that traditional assessments often miss

Most importantly, the MAWASI becomes a map for recovery. Once the underlying patterns are visible, men can begin doing targeted work—healing trauma, rebuilding healthy attachment, strengthening emotional regulation, and redefining sexuality in a way that aligns with their values.

A Tool for Insight, Healing, and Change

Completing a MAWASI is often a turning point. For many men, it’s the first time they see the full picture of how their behaviors, emotions, relationships, and past experiences intersect. With skilled guidance from Maxim Arbuzov and the structured support of Eliminating Porn, clients gain clarity, direction, and a concrete pathway toward long-term healing and freedom from compulsive behaviors.