Congressman Weiner was forced to go into therapy as “damage control” given the timing of colleagues calling for his stepping down from office he insisted he would not leave. He had no choice.
But he really needs treatment. While he hasn't said what that rehab will be, it undoubtedly will address his sexual behavior.
Like similar bad boys caught in reviling sex scandals -- Arnold, Tiger Woods, Spitzer -- going to rehab for a short time for “sex addiction” is just a band aid, giving in to public pressure demanding some responsibility and response, garnering sympathy. In reality, the problems underlying these lewd and inappropriate acts are deep and require much more intensive therapy.
Therapy for Weiner himself: (1) Sexual problems and sex addiction evidenced in his inability to control sexting to multiple women who are strangers and the latest scandal about one of these women being 17 years old; (2) deeper psychological problems, evidenced in his personality traits of narcissism and arrogance; exhibitionism, (exposing his naked body parts and bringing attention to his genitalia); poor judgment and low self-esteem underlying his arrogance; character flaws (evidenced in sexting on his personal couch with cats and family photos behind him); chronic infidelity and inability to maintain healthy intimacy in his relationship (reaching out to women on ‘lower’ levels than his Alpha female wife). To become a better father (as his statement said), he needs to explore his fears of fatherhood and “growing up” since his teenage-like behavior reveals immaturity (evidenced in his sexting to a teen who was a fan following him on twiiter and in using an adolescent and derogatory word for female private parts when referring to his cats). All this will require exploring the patterns while he was growing up and his relationship with his own father.
Therapy for Huma: She needs to address a likely conflict in her roles as a wife (marrying a man even after he told her about his cybersex behavior, as he admitted) distinct from her career role as an Alpha woman (Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s right hand aide). This can involve soul-searching about how she could be so close to Hillary and repeat Clinton’s own marital trials (given that Clinton has referred to her as her second daughter). Therapy should explore influences on her choice of partner including her cultural background and family dynamics, for example, her father died when she was a teen, and had established an interfaith institute (which coincides with her interfaith marriage).
Marriage counseling and sex therapy for Weiner and his wife. Huma needs to express her anger towards her husband for this scandal in their marriage and also for tainting her reputation and career, as well as her fears about motherhood and their future. He needs to make new promises to her and new commitments. They need to explore what was missing in their intimate life that allowed his behavior to go on, unchecked. Then they need to make new agreements and set up monitoring to insure commitment.