AASECT Sex Therapy Certification Supervision
AASECT Certification Sex Therapy Training Heart Body Mind Spirit Inclusivity Representation Holistic Integrative Interactive Decolonizing Intersectionality Expanding Sex Therapy
“What would happen if we asked different questions of our clients—that encouraged them to address how sex feels and what it means in their lives, not just the goals and activities we can count and measure?”
– Gina Ogden
FOUNDER OF THE 4-D NETWORK & CREATOR OF THE 4-D WHEEL
Individual & Group Supervision
I first became involved in this work because I wanted to help young adults, women, and men who had experienced intergenerational trauma and had been sexually, emotionally, and physically abused.
I worked for many years in community mental health. I loved my work with my clients, hated the focus on productivity, and felt frustrated that treatment focused on reducing symptoms rather than strength-based and helping clients rediscover their genuine selves. Sex positivity was out of the question.
After lots of soul-searching, I decided to pursue sex therapy. I was fortunate to have been mentored by some of the most brilliant sex therapists and sexologists.
Working in the field of sex therapy is one of the greatest blessings I have received. Being a sex therapist means that I help clients bring light to the darkest corners of their being. My clients (and often my supervisees) share things they can finally voice. Being a sex therapist is an act of love. And now, as a therapist, mentor, and supervisor, I am beyond grateful to have what I view as the most extraordinary way of serving others on this beautiful planet.
I provide sex therapy supervision virtually to clinicians and healing art professionals nationally and internationally.
My supervision is eclectic, integrative, and interactive. My theoretical focus as a supervisor is the person of the therapist and the inclusion of various intersectional identities. I interweave spiritual practices and multicultural methods with traditional therapy techniques and theories.
Becoming a sex therapist can be a profound personal journey that may significantly change a clinician’s life.
If you are interested in pursuing AASECT Sex Therapy Certification, reach out. The world is awaiting your unique medicine.
My Supervision Values
The Person of the Therapist Training Model presents a model that prepares therapists to make active and purposeful use of who they are, personally and professionally, in all aspects of the therapeutic process—relationship, assessment and intervention. conscious and planned use of a therapist’s race, gender, culture, values, life experience, and in particular, personal vulnerabilities and struggles in how they relate and help clients.
Clinical supervision can then emphasize the purposeful utilization of self-in the moment—both flaws and strengths —in the therapeutic relationship in combination with the technical interventions with clients.
Intersectionality is a concept for understanding the ways that multiple forms of inequality or disadvantage compound themselves and create obstacles that often are not understood among conventional ways of thinking. Inclusion is critical to the field of sexuality so that sexual minorities, marginalized folx, non-English speakers and those of various cultures can receive good and knowledgeable sex therapy and support.
Equality is about the fair treatment of everyone. seeking mental and sexual health.
Equity creates equal possible outcomes for everyone because, despite effort and merit, people can experience substantial barriers in obtaining mental and sexual health.
Diversity is all the ways in which people differ from one another. This can include race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, socioeconomic status, veteran status, education, marital status, language, age, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, mental or physical ability, and learning styles
Inclusion is the culture in which the mix of people can feel comfortable and confident to be themselves, and seek support in a way that aligns with who they are. Having sex therapists that also reflect the population they are serving is also essential.
Some of the most fundamental understanding of the human condition emerges from the Western understanding of what is considered healthy, normal, and acceptable. The decolonizing perspective calls for action towards social change, inclusion, and validation of the lived experiences of indigenous populations, people of color, and the economically disadvantaged, among others.
I teach my supervisees to address the whole person not just the presenting problem. This includes a person’s physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual well-being. Addressing the whole person in body-mind-heart-spirit can bring out the healthiest, happiest version of ourselves and heal. It also supports clients not to focus only performance and function, and see the whole of their sex and sexuality narrative.
I have presented at various AASECT Conferences about the importance of embodiment techniques, to get clients back in their bodies rather than keeping them sitting while exploring thoughts and feelings. Embodiment or body-focused processes assist our clients in creating a different experience in the moment. Supervisees are guided through different processes to help them connect to their own bodies.
Being a Sex Therapist is a Heart Calling
As a supervisor and mentor, I bring an integrative approach to sexual health and wellness. With decades of serving clients of various religions and cultures, I know how vital an integrative approach is to mental health and sexual functioning. Being a sex therapy supervisor, I intend to support clinicians to be sexually informed and empowered to assist their clients in healing powerfully and creating more connected and pleasure-filled relationships. I bring a solid multi–cultural and spiritual perspective to mental and sexual health.
I mentor my supervisees to view sexual concerns beyond a physical or medical issue. No matter what the presenting problem a client seeks support with, exploring the emotional, mental, psychological, and even spiritual areas of the client’s life is essential.
Multiculturalism & Representation In Sex Therapy
As a member of the greater BIPOC community and a child of immigrants, it has always been vital to honor my roots and find ways to be my Latinidad and biculturalism in mental health and sex therapy.
Being one of the few Latinx and Spanish–speaking AASECT Certified Sex Therapy Supervisors, it is a heartfelt intention to mentor more sex therapists of color.
Being one of the few bicultural–bilingual AASECT Sex Therapy Supervisors, I am a fierce advocate for more Spanish-speaking/Latinx/Latine and POC clinicians to begin their journey as sex therapists.
– Jacqueline Mendez
Why is certification so important when it comes to sex therapy?
No aspect of the human experience is more intimate and vulnerable than that of sex and sexuality. AASECT Certified Sex Therapists are licensed mental health professionals trained to assess, diagnose, and provide in-depth psychotherapy far beyond the requirements in most psychology programs.
Sex therapists work with sexual concerns, including, but not limited to, sexual function and dysfunction; sexual pleasure; sexual variation; sexuality and disability; sexuality and chronic illness; sexual development across the lifespan; sexual abuse, assault, and coercion; and sexuality across cultures, identity, expression, lifestyle, and gender.
In addition, they are knowledgeable in providing comprehensive and intensive psychotherapy over an extended period in more complex cases. In addition, they go through their own bias and sensitivity training. They are supervised for an additional minimum of 18 months to ensure the ethical and clinically indicated application of what they learn.
Because the title Certified Sex Therapist is not a protected or monitored title in every state, some people may use the title without having done such intensive training. Given the sensitive nature of sexual health, it is best to entrust your sexual concerns to a certified professional.
All our clinicians are members of professional organizations at the intersection of mental health and sexuality. Our therapists receive supervision, training, and mentoring in holistic mental health, relationship dynamics, and sexuality.
Supervision & Training Events
Individual Supervision
A supervisee is permitted to have more than one AASECT Certified Supervisor during the supervisory period but is asked to designate one of the supervisors as their primary supervisor. The primary supervisor will follow the course of the supervisee’s supervision from beginning to end and is responsible for talking with any other of the supervisee’s supervisors during the course of supervision.
- This designated primary supervisor will not only sign the endorsement form for the supervisee’s certification application, but they must also write a letter of recommendation detailing the competence of the supervisee, as well as stating their thoughts on the readiness of the supervisee with regard to their quest for applying for AASECT Certification.
- The primary supervisor will sign off on the entire application after having reviewed it thoroughly and in its entirety. Please note that on the front page of the certification application, just below where the applicant signature appears, there is now a supervisory sign-off box. The application should not be submitted to AASECT until the primary supervisor has reviewed everything and believes it is ready to be submitted.
A supervisee may have multiple supervisors, but only one can be designated as their primary supervisor.
- A supervisee may seek several hours of supervision (group or individual), and if that supervision is six (6) hours or shorter, the supervisor providing that supervision only fills out the Certificate for Supervisory Activity of Short Duration and does not need to attach a letter of recommendation (though they need not be dissuaded from submitting a letter if they wish to do so). All supervisors must contribute one of the two forms regardless of the length of supervision.
- A supervisee must identify their primary supervisor and maintain contact with that individual, as well as update them about any additional supervision. The primary supervisor is required to be in contact with all other supervisors for the supervisee so that when they are reviewing the certification application before it is submitted, they are completely knowledgeable of the supervisee’s path toward AASECT Certification.
A supervisee may seek group supervision for up to 20 hours of sexuality educator supervision, up to 15 hours of sexuality counselor supervision or up to 25 hours of sex therapist supervision.
- A supervisor providing group supervision for a supervisee must fill out an Endorsement Form for Group Supervisory Activity and attach a letter of recommendation including a statement about the applicant’s use of group supervision, as well as their thoughts on the readiness and competence of the supervisee and their ability to practice as an AASECT Certified Sexuality Educator/Counselor/ Therapist.
- Group supervision guidelines, single supervisor – Therapists and Counselors:
- Minimum group size is two (2) individuals. Maximum group size is four (4) individuals.
- Group supervision is different from individual supervision, allowing growth and skill development in ways that are different from each other.
- Group supervision is a shared experience, and not every person in any given group necessarily speaks for the exact same amount of time.
- Group supervision must provide the equivalent of 30 minutes per individual in the group. Therefore a group with two (2) individuals can be no shorter than one (1) hour. A group with three (3) individuals can be no shorter than 90 minutes. And a group with four (4) individuals can be no shorter than two (2) hours.
- The maximum group supervision length for one (1) supervisor with four (4) supervisees is four (4) hours.
Applicants seeking certification in any discipline may contract for 5 hours only for supervision from a supervisor of other disciplines (Educator, Counselor, Therapist). For those applicants seeking dual certification, these hours may not be “double-dipped.” Use the Supervision Form for Supervision of Short Duration to attest to the hours.
Sex therapy supervision takes place over a minimum of 18 months. The maximum number of supervisory hours in a month is six (6).
Online Group Offerings
AASECT Sex Therapy Supervision Bilingual Group
Individual Supervision
In-Person
Mentoring | No Supervising or CES
The Support Club
Employment Opportunities
