Decolonizing Sexual Functioning

Title of Event: Decolonizing Sexual Functioning

Description of Event:

Contemporary sexual medicine and psychotherapy often conceptualize sexual health through diagnostic and performance-oriented frameworks. Sexual functioning is commonly evaluated through measures such as erection, orgasm, and levels of sexual desire, with deviations from these norms frequently classified as sexual dysfunction within clinical diagnostic systems (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Classic models of sexual response (Masters & Johnson, 1966; Kaplan, 1979) have significantly shaped clinical practice but also reflect culturally specific assumptions about sexuality, embodiment, and relational intimacy. Increasingly, scholars in sexuality studies have questioned whether these frameworks universalize Western norms regarding sexual behavior, gender, and bodily functioning
(Fausto-Sterling, 2008; Lugones, 2007).

This presentation introduces a decolonizing perspective on sexual functioning and explores alternative ways clinicians may conceptualize sexual distress. Drawing on existential psychotherapy and trauma-informed care, the session reframes sexual concerns as experiences shaped by relational context, cultural narratives, and embodied responses to stress rather than solely physiological dysfunction. Participants will examine how pluralistic and culturally responsive frameworks can expand clinical understanding of sexual well-being and will explore implications for therapeutic practice and counselor education.

Date of Event: Friday, April 17, 2026

Time of Event: 8am-10am PT / 10am-12pm CT / 11am-1pm ET

Location: Online- Synchronous and Asynchronous

Sexuality Counseling (SC) Training: 
SC1. Theory and methods of personal/individual counseling.

Sex Therapy (ST) Training: 
ST1. Theory and methods of sex-related psychotherapy, including several different models.
ST2. Techniques of sex-related assessment and diagnosis of the Psychosexual Disorders described in the current edition of the DSM.

Presenter/Speaker: Chelsea (Zhe) Yang, LCPC (Maryland), AASECT Certified Sex Therapist

Company/Organization Sponsor:Association of Counseling Sexology and Sexual Wellness

Contact Name: Office of CE at The Chicago School

Contact Email: officeofce@thechicagoschool.edu

Event Website: https://tcsppofficeofce.com/april_17_2026-2/

AASECT Approved CEs: 2.0