AASECT REQUIREMENTS FOR SEXUALITY COUNSELOR CERTIFICATION

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The American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT) has established that the following education and experiential activities will meet the requirements for certification as a Sexuality Counselor.

I.          Membership in AASECT

The applicant may hold Full, Institutional, Retired or Life Membership in AASECT.

II.         AASECT Code of Ethics

The applicant will have read the AASECT Code of Ethics.  By signing the certification application form, the applicant agrees to be bound by the AASECT Code of Ethics.

III.        Academic and Counseling Experience

The applicant shall have earned an academic degree in a human service program from an accredited college or university recognized by the Council on Post‑Secondary Accreditation and acquired professional experience as follows:

A.       A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree plus two (2) years of professional counseling experience (1,000 hours per year).

B.       Applicants from outside the United States must document equivalent certification of training experience.

IV.       General Eligibility

A.       No clinical certification is required.

B.       Applicants with a Master’s or Doctoral degree who hold valid state regulatory licenses or certificates in a discipline that provides psychotherapy will not be eligible for certification as a sexuality counselor, but are encouraged to apply for sex therapist certification.

V.        Human Sexuality Education

The applicant shall have completed a minimum of ninety (90) clock hours of education covering general knowledge in the following core areas.  This knowledge may have been gained through academic courses and training workshops.

A.     Sexual and reproductive anatomy and physiology.

B.     Developmental sexuality (from conception to old age) from a psychobiological perspective.

C.    Dynamics of interpersonal relationships.

D.    Socio-cultural factors (ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic status) in sexual values and behavior.

E.   Medical factors that may influence sexuality including illness, disability, drugs, pregnancy and pregnancy termination, contraception and fertility.

F.   Knowledge of sexually transmitted infections and safer sex practices.

G.   Sexual abuse.

H.   Varieties of sexual orientation and gender identities.

I.    Atypical sexual behavior, hyper-sexuality, and sexual dysfunctions.

J.   Substance abuse and sexuality.

K.   History of the discipline of sexology.

It is expected that the applicant document at least three (3) clock hours (1 clock hour = 60 minutes) per content area listed above (A-K).  The remaining hours can be spread as desired amongst the core areas, with a maximum of twenty (20) hours in any one area.

Education should be from accredited university or college, may include AASECT CE credits, or be a combination of both.

VI.       Sexuality Counseling Training

The applicant shall have completed a minimum of sixty (60) clock hours of training in how to do counseling with patients/clients.  A portion of these hours in counseling training may be in general counseling (e.g., undergraduate or graduate courses in counseling), but at least thirty (30) hours must be in sexuality counseling.  Sexuality counseling training may have been obtained through credit courses, tutorials, workshops, practicum experiences, etc.  Counseling training is to include the following:

A.      Theory and methods of personal counseling.

B.      Theory and methods of sexuality counseling.

C.      Theory and methods of approach to intervention in relationship systems.

D.      Theory and methods of decision-making concerning sexually related medical interventions.

E.    Ethical issues in sexuality counseling.

F.    Theory and practice of consultation, collaboration, and referral.

Note:              The difference between the requirements in Human Sexuality Education (V) and Sexuality Counseling Training (VI) is that the education requirement in V is directed at general knowledge about human sexuality, while the training requirements in VI are directed at specific skills in sexuality counseling.  The two overlap, but they are sufficiently different.  Therefore, documentation is necessary in each.

VII.      Attitudes and Values Training Experience

The applicant shall have participated in a minimum of ten (10) hours of structural group experience (e.g., SAR) consisting of a process‑oriented exploration of the applicant's own feelings, attitudes, values, and beliefs regarding human sexuality and sexual behavior.  Such training is not to be construed as personal psychotherapy or as an academic experience in which the primary emphasis is on cognitive information.  It is strongly recommended that this experience occur early in the applicant's training.

It is preferred that the SAR be AASECT sponsored or approved.

B. The applicant will submit a one page comprehensive statement of his/her professional philosophy and goals of sex counseling including how the SAR affected that philosophy.

VIII.     Clinical, Field Work, or Practicum Training Experience

Supervised sex counseling experience is the crux of certification.  It is the counseling milieu where competence is demonstrated.  The applicant shall have completed a minimum of one hundred (100) hours of supervised sex counseling.  Sexuality Counseling shall have been conducted in one or more various settings such as the following: medical offices and clinics, human service agencies, community and public health clinics, family planning centers, rape crisis centers, college and universities, schools, professional schools and religious institutions.  This experience will have included observation, demonstrations of counseling techniques, role-playing and the development of communication skills.  The applicant will have been exposed to a variety of human sexuality issues.  This supervised experience may have been obtained prior to or following the receipt of the terminal degree.

IX.       Supervision

The applicant shall have completed a minimum of thirty (30) hours of supervision with an AASECT Certified Sexuality Counselor.  The supervisory process will have been conducted face to face, have had continuity, and be a systematic learning experience.  The goal of supervision will have been directed toward the further development of professionalism by the emphasis upon the enhancement of counseling skills and the continuation of the educative process.  Supervision should also encourage the further development of the applicant's body of knowledge, community resources for information and referral networking, and experience in short term counseling. 

A supervision contract, signed by both the proposed supervisor and the supervisee, will be submitted to and approved by the Supervision Certification Committee prior to the commencement of the supervision.  The proposed supervisor is responsible for formulating and submitting the contract/plan.  (See: AASECT Supervision Designate Endorsement Form.)  Minimum duration of supervision shall have been at least six (6) months.

Supervision can take place in either an individual or group context, with group supervision accounting for no more than 50% of the supervision hours. 

Group supervision, to be most effective, should contain no more than 4 supervisees per individual supervisor and, where possible, should be extended beyond one hour.  If two supervisors meet together to do group supervision, they may have 5-8 supervisees in the group.  The time that each group meets should be equivalent to one hour per each supervisee.  (If there are 4 supervisees, the group should then meet for four hours).  Each supervisee will be awarded how ever many hours the group meets as that many hours of GROUP supervision. (If the group meets for 3 hours with 3 supervisees, each supervisee will be credited with 3 hours of group supervision time). Supervision sessions are not permitted to last for more than 4 hours pers session. Supervision must occur over a period of no less than six (6) months and it is strongly suggested that it be longer.

Creative plans and uses of supervision will be considered.  If an AASECT certified professional is unavailable (i.e., due to geographic location) or otherwise inappropriate (see below), approval of any substitution or special arrangements must be made by the AASECT Sexuality Counselor Certification Committee PRIOR to the applicant's supervision experience.   Questions about supervision arrangements should be directed to the Sexuality Counselor Certification Committee via the AASECT office.  (Please see appendix for examples of how to plan for creative supervision.)

The following DO NOT meet the supervision requirements of AASECT:

A.       Personal psychotherapy or counseling.

B.        A process that is primarily didactic, such as a workshop or seminar, where teaching is focused on material other than the raw data of the supervisor's clinical practice.

C.       Management and/or administrative meetings with an organizational director or executive.

D.       Peer supervision

E.       Co‑therapist supervision.

F.       Supervision from a family member or significant-other person.

G.       Supervision from a colleague with whom one is involved in a partnership.

X.        Application and Approval Process                  
 

Application

In addition to the appropriate application fee ($250), which is non-refundable, the candidate will submit one copy, one sided with no binding or staples, of the following:

A.   Completed formal application for AASECT Certified Sexuality Counselor, signed and dated.

B.    An official transcript from program(s) where degree(s) were earned (Item III).

C.   Official transcripts, attendance certificates, syllabi, etc., documenting sixty (60) hours of education in the designated core areas of human sexuality (Item V).

D.        Official transcripts, attendance certificates, syllabi, and other credible evidence documenting sixty (60) hours of training in sexuality counseling that includes the designated areas of focus (Item VI). 

E.        Official documentation of participation in a structured group experience focusing on sexual attitudes and values e.g., a SAR (Item VII).

F.        Letter(s) from employers and/or supervisor(s) certifying a minimum of one hundred (100) hours of sexuality counseling experience (Item VIII).

G.       Endorsements must be received from the following persons on the appropriate forms:

1.  A supervisor attesting to the applicant's supervised counseling experience.

2.  A professional colleague who can comment on the applicant's professional ethics and overall ability as a sexuality counselor.

3.  A character reference from outside the applicant's immediate work setting.

Each document should be clearly marked to identify the certification requirement to which it applies.  All documentation will become the property of AASECT. 

Approval

Upon receipt of a complete application package, AASECT will forward the application to the Sexuality Counselor Certification Committee for action and approval.

XI.       Miscellaneous           

A.       All certified members are required to comply with the ethical standards established by AASECT as expressed in the AASECT Code of Ethics.

B.       Upon approval of the Sexuality Counselor Certification Committee, the successful applicant will receive a certificate in recognition of having met AASECT requirements for certification in the area of sexuality counseling.  This initial certificate shall be subject to renewal in three years and every five (5) years after initial re-certification.

C.       Each AASECT Certified Sexuality Counselor will be listed in the AASECT Membership Directory.

Membership in AASECT shall be maintained on an annual basis to retain the AASECT certification status.  If membership in AASECT lapses, certification will also lapse.

 WHAT COUNTS AS CE CREDITS TOWARDS AASECT  CERTIFICATION

 

The minimum requirement for certification as a Certified Professional is:

10 CEs (hours) of SAR 90 CEs (hours) of human sexuality education
60 CEs (hours) of training specific to sexuality counseling.
 

SAR (10 CEs)
It is preferred that the  SAR  be AASECT sponsored or approved CEs.
 
Human Sexuality Education (90 CEs)
It is preferred that the 90 CEs (hours) of human sexuality education be acquired via university coursework.   However, in some instances where attendance at university courses is impossible or creates undue hardship, AASECT will consider recognizing a combination of the following alternate mechanisms for accruing  CEs.

NB:  Of the 90 CEs (hours) of human sexuality education, distance learning  (such as the inserts in Contemporary Sexuality) can only count for a maximum of 30 CEs.

The applicant must have at least 30 hours of AASECT sponsored or approved and 60 hours of a combination of the following:

 
1. Tutorials by an AASECT Certified Sexuality Counselor (various reading requirements and extensive discussion/dialogue, verified by a letter from the tutor).  Up to a maximum of 30 AASECT credits.  Certified professionals should have their tutorials approved by AASECT in advance.  In unusual circumstances, 60 AASECT credits may be awarded, if this was approved in advance by AASECT. 

 2. Non-AASECT sponsored or approved sexuality education (2 hours = 1 AASECT credit).  This does not apply to courses taken at a university or college.  Distance learning in this category can only count for a maximum of 20 AASECT credits.

 3. Publication of a sexually related book.  The book must meet AASECT criteria as determined by the Certification Committee.  Each book = up to 10 credits, depending on the subject, content, and length of the book, as determined by the Certification Committee.  If there is more than one book, each book has to be about a completely different sexually related topic.

4. Publication of a paper in a professional journal or a chapter in a text book.  The content must be about some aspect of human sexuality, and the journal or book must meet AASECT criteria as determined by the certification committee.  Each article or chapter = up to 5 AASECT credits.  If there is more than one paper or chapter, each of them has to be about a completely different sexually related topic.

 5. Editing of collected works, books, or journals about sexually related issues.  The Certification Committee will determine if the edited work meets AASECT criteria.  Each edited work = up to 10 AASECT credits.  If there is more than one edited work, each work has to be about a completely different sexually related topic.

6. Master’s thesis about some aspect of human sexuality.  Up to 5 AASECT credits.

 7. Doctoral dissertation about some aspect of human sexuality.  Up to 15 AASECT credits.

8. Designing and conducting a sexually related training or sexual enrichment program for AASECT members (sponsored or approved by AASECT).  Up to a maximum of 15 hours of presentation.

9.  Designing and conducting a sexually related training or sexual enrichment program for a non-AASECT setting, or one not sponsored by AASECT.  The Certification Committee will determine whether the teaching experience meets AASECT criteria.  Up to a maximum of 10 hours of presentation.