AASECT Sex & Couples Therapy Training Program

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Explore a diverse range of offerings—from foundational frameworks in couples therapy to advanced seminars in psychosexual assessment, trauma-informed care, and integrating cultural and religious sensitivity into intimacy work.

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All courses can be taken online at your own pace, with options for live webinars, recorded modules, and interactive case consultations.

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Join our global learning community and gain access to world-class instructors dedicated to supporting your growth as a therapist.

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Search inside our course listing for courses that are:

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• ASWB ACE Approved – Approved for social work continuing education credit.

• NY Board of Social Work Approved

• AASECT Approved – Meets requirements toward AASECT Certification in Sex Therapy or Sexuality Education

• IAPST Approved – Recognized by the International Association of Psychosexual Therapy.

• APA Approved – Approved for continuing education for psychologists.

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Summary of Requirements for AASECT Certification:

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1. Membership in AASECT

2. Sign the Code of Conduct

3. Academic Experience: The applicant will have earned an advanced clinical degree that included psychotherapy training from an accredited college or university and the following clinical experience:. Master’s degree plus two years of post-degree clinical experience. Master's Degree -OR- A doctoral degree plus one year of post-degree clinical experience.

4. Professional Sex Therapy Experience: Applicants with a master’s degree must have two (2) years of professional experience at the time of application. Applicants with a doctoral degree must have at least one (1) year of clinical experience at the time of application.

5. Clinical Certification and Licensure: The applicant will hold a valid state regulatory license or certificate for the jurisdiction(s) in which the applicant practices, and be able to practice psychotherapy independently in one of the following disciplines: psychology, medicine, social work, counseling, nursing, or marriage and family therapy.

6. Human Sexuality Education in Core Knowledge Areas: The applicant will have completed a minimum of ninety (90) clock hours of academic coursework in sexuality education, covering general knowledge in the Core Knowledge Areas (CKAs) listed below. Of these ninety (90) clock hours of Core Knowledge, fifteen (15) hours must be earned through synchronous (in person or virtual) education. The remaining seventy-five (75) hours can be earned asynchronously. Education should be from an accredited university or college, may include some AASECT CE credits, or be a combination of both academic coursework and AASECT CE credits. When documenting the ninety (90) hours, it is expected that the applicant will document at least three (3) clock hours per CKA (one (1) clock hour = sixty (60) minutes). The remaining hours can be spread as desired among the CKAs, with a maximum of twenty (20) hours in any one area.

7. Sex Therapy Skills Training: The applicant will have completed a minimum of sixty (60) clock hours of training how to effectively carry out (do) sex therapy with patients/clients whose diagnoses include the “Psychosexual Disorders” described in the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistics Manual (DSM) of the American Psychiatric Association. Of these sixty (60) hours, it is required that thirty (30) hours be completed synchronously (in person or virtually) through an academic (college or university) program in sex therapy, a comprehensive sex therapy program, or AASECT approved sex therapy training. The remaining thirty (30) hours can be earned asynchronously. Applicants are required to document at least three (3) hours in each content area listed below, with a maximum of twenty (20) hours in any one content area A – F below.

8. SAR: The applicant will have participated in a minimum of fourteen (14) clock hours of structured group experience in which the major focus is on a process-oriented exploration of the applicant's own feelings, attitudes, values and beliefs regarding human sexuality and sexual behavior (e.g., a Sexuality Attitude Reassessment [SAR]).

9. Supervision: The applicant will have completed a minimum of fifty (50) hours of supervision with an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist Supervisor. Of those fifty (50) hours, a minimum of twenty-five (25) must be individual (one-to-one) supervision, with twenty (20) hours being completed with a Primary Supervisor. The remaining 25 hours of supervision may be acquired in an individual or group context. The applicant will have been in supervision at least 18 months.

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For more information about AASECT and AASECT Requirements for Sex Therapist Certification