When: Friday, Nov 10, 1pm to 4:15pm
Where: Online (live and interactive webinar)
Speakers: Sarah Levinson, LMSW, Esq. and Mark Sisti, PhD
Course Description:
Why is raising the topic of sex with clients important? What makes these exchanges challenging and sometimes uncomfortable for therapists? Let’s explore how to talk about sexuality and what to do with the wide range of topics that emerge. For many, sex is an uncomfortable topic. The therapy process creates an invaluable opportunity to model talking about sexuality with openness and curiosity. As therapists, we can utilize conversations about sex to model stepping into discomfort and simultaneously maintaining a sense of safety, rather than colluding with our clients to avoid uncertainty and discomfort.
If we don’t ask, clients may conclude that talking about sex in the therapy room is inappropriate or unwelcomed. We must ask ourselves: How do we do good work with clients on relational and communication challenges without including sexuality and sensuality?
The workshop will focus on contextual factors that influence therapist and client behaviors in and out of session that are related to sex and views about sex. We will explore what makes these conversations challenging for us as therapists and how to craft specific phrasing that feels organic and consistent with your personal speaking style. We will do small group work to explore challenges and benefits of this work as well as demonstration and role-play to practice related skills.
This workshop is a live, interactive webinar. We will begin with a didactic overview of clinical issues but our focus will be on experiential exercises designed to increase participant skills (e.g., assessing client concerns, exploring goals). Participants will be encouraged to engage in large group discussions as well as small group and dyadic exercises.
Target audience: This workshop is for beginning to advanced therapists who are not trained in sex therapy.
Cost:
Early Registration (by Oct 20th, 2023) | $85 |
Standard Registration | $100 |
Students | $50 |
CE certificate (3 hours) | $15 |
Registration fee covers instruction.
CE Credits:
- This activity has approval for 3 CE credits for psychologists, counselors and social workers.
- The Association for Contextual Behavioral Science is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Association for Contextual Behavioral Science maintains responsibility for this program and its content
- Let’s Talk About Sex! How to Talk with Clients About Sex and Intimacy When You Aren’t a Sex Therapist, course # 4936, is approved by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program to be offered by True North Therapy and Training as an individual course. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE course approval period: 4/26/2023 to 4/26/2025. Social workers completing this course receive 3 Clinical continuing education credits.
- You must attend the course in its entirety in order to receive continuing education credits. CE credits are not given for the 2:30 to 2:45 pm break
Course Agenda:
12:45-1:00 pm | Check in |
1:00-2:00 pm | Why talk about sex? |
2:00-2:30 pm | Why and how we avoid this conversation |
2:30-2:45 pm | Break |
2:45-3:45 pm | How to talk about sex with clients |
3:45-4:15 pm | Knowing when to refer to a sex therapist |
Learning Objectives
After attending this training you will be able to:
- Identify at least 2 therapist challenges in discussing sexuality with clients.
- Identify and explain two ways to begin a conversation about sex with a client.
- Explain where to start with conducting a sexual history.
- Describe at least one at-home client exercise to explore intimacy.
Cancellation and Refund Policy: You may cancel your registration, but please note that a $25 processing fee will be charged for registration refunds up to May 15th. We regret that after May 15th, refunds cannot be made, but you may request credit toward a future program. If you need a refund, please contact us via email at Admin@TrueNorthACT.com
ADA Accommodations: This workshop will be closed captioned in English. If there are additional ADA accommodations that you require, please contact us at Admin@TrueNorthACT.com
Instructor Bios:
Sarah Levinson, LMSW, Esq. (she/her/hers)
Sarah received her JD from Columbia University School of Law and her MSW from SUNY Buffalo. She specializes in culturally aware sexuality and relationship dynamics across a wide variety of relationship structures, with extensive experience in consensual non-monogamy (CNM). Her work focuses on communication, intimacy, sexuality, kink, consent and infertility for individuals, couples and moresomes.
Sarah has led monthly women’s CNM discussion groups for ten years in NYC. She has also created and facilitated various workshops, panel discussions and podcasts on consent, sexuality and CNM. She works with adults of all ages and adolescents, and is experienced with NYC CNM, kink, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, asexual and neurodivergent communities. Sarah has extensive training through the Institute of Contemporary Psychotherapy in both the sex therapy (STP) and gender and sexuality (PCGS) divisions. More recently, Sarah has developed a specialty in ACT and CBT for anxiety and mood challenges.
In her prior life as an attorney and legal recruiter, Sarah developed career counseling expertise, with a focus on professional decisions and transitions, office politics, and executive-level management strategy. She understands difficult personalities, high stress environments and hierarchical power dynamics.
Sarah’s passions include knitting, Burning Man, backpacking and kundalini yoga.
Mark Sisti, PhD
Mark is the founder and director of NYC Cognitive Behavioral, PLLC. He is a graduate of Hofstra University, a licensed psychologist and an adjunct professor at Yeshiva— Ferkauf University, Department of Clinical Psychology. Mark is a Diplomate, Certified Cognitive Therapist & Trainer within The Academy of Cognitive Therapy. He is also a peer-reviewed trainer in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). He has given numerous seminars and trainings on ACT and other mindfulness based CBTs and is a published author on cognitive therapy, mindfulness, ACT, and Compassion Based Therapy, and Functional Analytic Therapy (FAP). He has given workshops in “interpersonal” CBTs such as FAP with Drs. Mavis Tsai & Bob Kohlenberg, along with completing a one year relational psychoanalytic training at the Mitchell Institute for Relational Psychoanalysis.
For More Information or for Questions or Grievances: Please email Admin@truenorthact.com or DrMirandaMorris@gmail.com
No commercial support was obtained for this CE program or for the instruction content that could be construed as a conflict of interest. No commercial support is being sought for an endorsement of any product (e.g., books, programs, etc.).
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