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 Sex Therapist.
 
 
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 Psychotherapy Experience:
 The applicant will have earned an academic degree in a human service program that included psychotherapy training from an accredited college or university, and the following clinical experience as follows:
 
A. Master's degree plus two years of post-degree clinical experience or as a psychotherapist (20 hours/week x 50 weeks/year = 1,000 hours/year).
 OR
B. A Doctorate degree plus one year of post-degree clinical experience as a psychotherapist (1000 hours/year).
  
IV. Clinical Certification:
 A. The applicant will hold a valid state regulatory license or certificate in one of the following disciplines: psychology, medicine, social work, counseling, nursing, or marriage and family therapy.
 OR
 B. If such regulatory system is not in effect in the state where the applicant practices, one of the following criteria will be met:
 
1. Listing in the National Register of Health Science Providers in Psychology.
2. Certification by the Academy of Certified Social Workers (or other recognized accrediting bodies in social work).
3. Clinical Membership in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.
4. Certification by the American Nursing Association as a Clinical Specialist or Nurse Practitioner in Adult Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Clinical Specialist or Nurse Practitioner in Child and Adolescent Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing.
5. Certification by the National Board of Certified Counselors.
 
C. Applicants from outside the United States will document how their equivalent certification meets or compares to the AASECT requirements for certification.
 
V. Human Sexuality Education:
The applicant will have completed a minimum of ninety (90) clock hours of education covering general knowledge in the following core areas. Education should be from an accredited university or college, may include AASECT CE credits, or be a combination of both.

  
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. Gender‑related issues.
E. Socio-cultural (ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic status) factors in sexual values and behavior.
F. Marital Partnering and family dynamics.
G. Medical factors that may influence sexuality including illness, disability, drugs, pregnancy and pregnancy termination, contraception and fertility, sexually transmitted diseases.
H. Knowledge of sexually transmitted infections and safer sex practices.
I. Sex research/literature.
J. Sexual abuse.
K. Varieties of sexual orientation and gender identities.
L. Atypical sexual behavior, hyper-sexuality, and sexual dysfunction.
M. Substance abuse and sexuality.
N. 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-N).  The remaining hours can be spread as desired amongst the thirteen core areas, with a maximum of twenty (20) hours in any one area.

 

 
VI. Sex Therapy Training:
The applicant will have completed a minimum of (60) clock hours of training in how to do therapy with patients/clients whose diagnoses include the Psychosexual Disorders described in the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistics Manual of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM IV). Sex therapy training may have been obtained through credit courses, tutorials, workshop, etc. The following must have been included:
 
A. Theory and methods of sex-related psychotherapy, including several different models.
B. Techniques of sex-related assessment and diagnosis of the Psychosexual Disorders described in the current edition of the DSM IV.
C. Theory and methods of approach to intervention in relationship systems experiencing sex and intimacy problems.
D. Theory and method of approach to medical intervention in the evaluation and treatment of psychosexual disorders.
E. Principles of consultation, collaboration, and referral.
F. Techniques for evaluating clinical outcomes.
G. Practicum experience, i.e. exposure to treatment of clinical cases through observation, demonstration, videotape presentation, role-playing, etc.
 
Note: The difference between the requirements V and VI is that the education requirements in V are directed at general knowledge about human sexuality, while the training requirements in VI are directed at specific skills in sex therapy. The two overlap, but they are sufficiently different that documentation is necessary in each.
 
VII. Attitudes/Values Training Experience:
The applicant will have participated in a minimum of ten (10) clock hours of structured group experience consisting of a process‑oriented exploration of the applicant's own feelings, attitudes, values, and beliefs regarding human sexuality and sexual behavior (e.g., a SAR). Such training may not be personal psychotherapy or 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 to be most beneficial.

 

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

The applicant will submit a one page comprehensive statement of his/her professional philosophy and goals of sex therapy including how the SAR affected that philosophy.
 
VIII. Clinical Experience:
The applicant will have completed a minimum of two hundred fifty (250) hours of supervised clinical treatment of patients/clients who present with sexual concerns. Clinical experience will include, but not be limited to, the diagnosis and treatment of psychosexual dysfunctions (diagnoses included in the Psychosexual Disorders of the DSM IV). It is expected that the applicant will function as the sole or primary therapist with patients/clients. This clinical experience will have exposed the applicant to a variety of the listed psychosexual disorders and will have included therapy with patients/clients of both genders and with couples. This supervised experience must be started only after the applicant has completed the terminal degree.
    Note: Supervised clinical work is the crux of certification. It is in the therapy milieu in which competency is demonstrated.
 
IX. Supervision:
 The applicant shall have completed a minimum of fifty (50) hours of individual supervision with an AASECT Certified Supervisor or AASECT Certified Sex Therapist. Where such supervision is not feasible or possible, supervision can be arranged, with prior approval, from an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist who has been certified for a minimum of 3 years.
 
Only current, certified members of AASECT can provide supervision or consultation for applicants seeking certification.

 

All individuals beginning individual supervision toward AASECT sex therapy certification must be members of the organization at the time the supervision contract begins.

                     

All supervisors must prepare and submit a supervision contract for each sex therapy supervisee prior to commencing individual supervision, in order to open a file for the supervisee. Contracts between a supervisee and a non-certified AASECT supervisor must be pre-approved by the Practitioner Supervisor committee, which also requires review of the proposed supervisor's curriculum vita. Contracts of certified AASECT supervisors need not be formally approved by the Practitioner Supervisor committee. All contracts should follow the format presented under “AASECT Guidelines for Supervision.”

 

Supervision hours accrued prior to or without a contract on file will NOT count toward certification. Applicants who do not submit supervision contracts in advance to open a file and, for those receiving supervision from an AASECT certified therapist, do not obtain advanced approval of the contract, will have their applications rejected.

The proposed supervisor is responsible for formulating and submitting the contract/plan. (See: AASECT Supervision Designate Endorsement Form.)
 
The goal of supervision will have been directed toward the improvement of professionalism by emphasis upon the enhancement of clinical skills and the continuation of the educative process. The presentation of sex-related case materials utilizing direct observation or audio/video is encouraged. Cases selected for supervision should be, as much as possible, followed from the beginning to the end of the clinical process.
 

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 however 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 per session. Supervision must occur over a period of no less than six (6) months and it is strongly suggested that it be longer.

An applicant with a minimum of fifteen (15) years of post-degree clinical experience (including working with couples), will require twenty-five (25) hours of supervision (50% percent of which is individual supervision) and an endorsement of clinical skill history by an AASECT certified sex therapist.
  
Creative plans and uses of supervision will be considered. Questions about supervision arrangements should be directed to the Supervision Certification Committee via the AASECT office.

 
The following do not meet the supervision requirements:
 
A. Personal psychotherapy or counseling.
B. A process that is primarily didactic, such as a workshop or seminar, in which the primary focus is teaching rather than the raw data of the supervisee’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 Sex Therapist, signed and dated.
 
B. An official transcript from program(s) where degree(s) were earned (Item III).
 
C. Copy of license, certification, or proof of membership in one of the approved disciplines or professional organizations (Item IV).
 
D. Official transcripts, attendance certificates, syllabi, etc, documenting ninety (90) hours of education in the designated core areas of human sexuality (Item V).
 
E. Official transcripts, attendance certificates, syllabi and other credible evidence documenting 60 hours of training in sex therapy that includes the designated areas of focus (Item VI).
 
F. Official documentation of participation in a structured group experience focusing on sexual attitudes and values e.g., a SAR (Item VII).
 
G. Letter(s) from employers and/or supervisor(s) certifying a minimum of two hundred fifty (250) hours of clinical experience services as the sole or primary therapist for patients/clients with diagnosed Psychosexual Disorders (DSM IV) (Item VIII).
 
H. Endorsements must be received from the following persons on the appropriate forms:
1. A clinical supervisor attesting to the applicant's supervised clinical work.
2. A professional colleague who can comment on the applicant's professional responsibilities, professional ethics and overall ability as a sex therapist.
3. A character reference from a professional psychotherapist outside the applicant's immediate work setting.
 
The applicant should clearly mark each document in their application so that the document can easily be matched with 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 Sex Therapist 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 Committee on Sex Therapists, the successful applicant will receive a certificate in recognition of having met AASECT requirements for certification in the area of sex therapy. This certificate will be subject to renewal every three (3) years.
 
C. Each AASECT Certified Sex Therapist will be listed in the National Register of AASECT Membership Directory and will be eligible to receive referrals from the National Office and AASECT website.
 

D. Membership in AASECT will 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 sex therapy.
 

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 supervisor or sex therapist (various reading requirements and extensive discussion/dialogue, verified by a letter from the tutor).  Up to a maximum of 30 AASECT credits.  Certified sex therapists who are not certified supervisors, 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 theses 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.

 

Sex Therapy Training (60 CEs)

 

A. All 60 hours AASECT sponsored or approved CEs. Distance learning (like the inserts in CS), however, can only count for a maximum of 20 CEs.

 

OR

 

B. At least 20 hours AASECT sponsored or approved CEs (in that case, distance learning can only count for a maximum of 7 CEs) and 40 hours of a combination of the following:

 

1.    Tutorials by an AASECT certified Supervisor or Sex Therapist (various reading requirements and extensive discussion/dialogue, verified by a letter from the tutor).  Up to a maximum of 20 AASECT credits.  Certified Sex Therapists who are not Certified Supervisors, should have their tutorials approved by AASECT in advance.  Under unusual circumstances, 40 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 case, can only count for a maximum of 13 AASECT credits.

 

3.   Publication of a sex therapy 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 sexual 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 sex therapy, 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 sexualyl related topic.

 

5.   Editing of collected works, books, or journals about sex therapy.  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 sexual related topic. The maximum number of credits available for editing is 10 credits.

 

6.   Masters theses specifically written about some aspect of sex therapy.  Up to 5 AASECT credits.

 

7.   Doctoral dissertation specifically written about some aspect of sex therapy.  Up to 15 AASECT credits.

 

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

 

9.   Designing and conducting a sex therapy related training or sexually 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.