Supervision Guidelines version: 2025.SG.1

The applicant will be an AASECT member in good standing on the start date of the supervision contract.

A supervision contract must be completed prior to beginning supervision.

The AASECT Certified Supervisors and supervisee are responsible for maintaining contract documents. These documents are listed in Section I Documentation.

Primary Supervisor:

Designation of Primary Supervisor

• Supervisees may work with multiple supervisors throughout their training.
• One supervisor must be formally designated as the primary supervisor.
• The primary supervisor is responsible for overseeing the supervisee's supervision from beginning to end.
• A primary supervisor must meet the minimum number of hours of supervision with the supervisee as outlined on the requirements page.

Role of the Primary Supervisor
The primary supervisor holds key responsibilities in the certification process, including:

• Coordination: Communicates with any additional supervisors involved in the supervisee's training.
• Endorsement: Signs the official endorsement form included in the certification application.
• Recommendation Letter: Writes a recommendation letter, which must detail the supervisee's professional competence and readiness to apply for AASECT Certification.
• Application Review: Reviews the entire certification application thoroughly and signs off on the application once it is deemed complete and ready for submission. See instructions for how to sign off on a Jotform application here [1].

Application Submission Requirements

• The application must not be submitted to AASECT until the primary supervisor has completed their review and provided approval.
• The Jotform application has a designated signature section included with instructions.

 

I. Documentation

 

Certified Sex Therapist
1. The AASECT supervisor will provide the supervisee with the following documents prior to signing the supervision contract:

• A copy of the supervisor's AASECT Sex Therapist Supervisor Certification certificate. 
• A copy of the supervisor's current license with expiration date.
• A copy of the supervisor's current professional liability insurance face sheet.

These documents must be current and valid throughout the supervisory relationship. Any changes in the AASECT supervisor's status must be reported to the supervisee immediately. 

2. The supervisee will provide the AASECT supervisor with the following documents prior to signing the supervision contract:

• A copy of the supervisee's curriculum vita (CV).
• A copy of the supervisee's current license with expiration date or equivalent document that allows them to practice in their state or province.
• A copy of the supervisee's professional liability insurance face sheet. If the supervisee is insured through their place of employment or university and not named on the policy, please include a letter from the organization named on the policy to prove coverage.
• Proof of AASECT membership (welcome letter confirmation or email from AASECT office confirming join date). 

These documents must be current and valid throughout the supervisory relationship. Any changes in the supervisee's status must be reported to the supervisor immediately.

Certified Sexuality Counselor
1. The AASECT supervisor will provide the supervisee with the following documents prior to signing the supervision contract:

• A copy of the supervisor's AASECT Sexuality Counselor or Therapist Supervisor Certification certificate.
• A copy of the supervisor's current license (if applicable) with expiration date.
• A copy of the supervisor's current professional liability insurance face sheet.

These documents must be current and valid throughout the supervisory relationship. Any changes in the AASECT supervisor's status must be reported to the supervisee immediately.

2. The supervisee will provide the AASECT supervisor with the following documents prior to signing the supervision contract:

• A copy of the supervisee's curriculum vita (CV).
• A copy of the supervisee's current license with expiration date or equivalent document that allows them to practice in their state or province.
• A copy of the supervisee's professional liability insurance face sheet. If the supervisee is insured through their place of employment or university and not named on the policy, please include a letter from the organization named on the policy to prove coverage. 
• Proof of AASECT membership (welcome letter confirmation or email from AASECT office confirming join date). 

These documents must be current and valid throughout the supervisory relationship. Any changes in the supervisee's status must be reported to the supervisor immediately.

Certified Sexuality Educator
1. The AASECT supervisor will provide the supervisee with the following documents prior to signing the supervision contract:

• A copy of the supervisor's AASECT Sexuality Educator Supervisor Certification certificate.

This document must be current and valid throughout the supervisory relationship. Any changes in the AASECT supervisor's status must be reported to the supervisee immediately.

2. The supervisee will provide the AASECT supervisor with the following documents prior to signing the supervision contract:

• A copy of the supervisee's academic transcript(s).
• A copy of the supervisee's curriculum vita (CV). 
• Proof of AASECT membership (welcome letter confirmation or email from AASECT office confirming join date).

These documents must be current and valid throughout the supervisory relationship. Any changes in the supervisee's status must be reported to the supervisor immediately.

Supervisors-in-Training (SIT)
Please note - Supervisors-in-Training (SITs) cannot supervise other people working toward becoming supervisors. Additionally, SITs cannot lead group supervision alone.

1. The AASECT supervisor will provide the SIT with the following documents prior to signing the supervision contract:

• A copy of the supervisor's AASECT Sexuality Educator/Counselor/Therapist Supervisor Certification certificate.
• A copy of the supervisor's curriculum vita (CV).
• A copy of the supervisor's current license with expiration date (therapists and counselors).
• A copy of the supervisor's current professional liability insurance face sheet (therapists and counselors).

These documents must be current and valid throughout the supervisory relationship. Any changes in the AASECT supervisor's status must be reported to the SIT immediately.

2. Instruct the SIT's supervisees to gather the following: 

Therapists/Counselors:

• A copy of the supervisee's curriculum vita (CV). 
• A copy of the supervisee's professional license if they have one (if not, please note why) with expiration date.
• A copy of the supervisee's professional liability insurance face sheet. If the supervisee is insured through their place of employment or university and not named on the policy, please include a letter from the organization named on the policy to prove coverage. 
• Proof of AASECT membership (welcome letter confirmation or email from AASECT office confirming join date).

Educators:

• A copy of the supervisee's academic transcript(s). 
• Proof of AASECT membership (welcome letter confirmation or email from AASECT office confirming join date). 

Please note: Electronic signatures will be permitted; however, the signature must appear as an actual signature and not as a typed font. Electronic images, such as .jpeg or .pdf of an actual signature will be acceptable.

Dual Certifications
If you already have certification in one category and are submitting a supervision contract for another, please attach a copy of your existing certificate with the contract materials. 

 

II. Individual and Group Supervision Guidelines

 

Individual Supervision
A supervisee may have a maximum of four (4) AASECT Certified Supervisors during the supervisory period but is asked to designate one of the supervisor's as their primary supervisor. The primary supervisor will follow the course of the supervisee's application from beginning to end and is responsible for talking with any other of the supervisee's supervisors during the course of supervision.

The primary supervisor will:

• Complete and sign the endorsement form for the supervisee's certification application.
• Write and sign a letter of recommendation detailing the readiness and competence of the supervisee.
• Sign off on the entire application after having reviewed it thoroughly and in its entirety, attesting to the accuracy of the contents. (There is a signature section in the Jotform version of the applications with instructions for supervisor approval.)

Number of Supervisors
A supervisee may have a maximum of four (4) 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 of Endorsement - Professional Supervisor [2] and does not need to attach a letter of recommendation. All supervisors must complete the Certificate of Endorsement - Professional Supervisor 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 their supervisee so that when they are reviewing the certification application before it is submitted, they are completely knowledgeable of the supervisee's path towards AASECT Certification.

Group Supervision
A supervisee may seek group supervision for up to twenty (20) hours of sexuality educator supervision, up to fifteen (15) hours of sexuality counselor supervision, or up to twentyfive (25) hours of sex therapist supervision.

The Certification Steering Committee recognizes that 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 will utilize a group in the same way. AASECT supervisors facilitating group supervision prioritize cohesive group dynamics, shared learning, and modeling of discipline specific behavior and boundaries.

• A supervisor providing group supervision for a supervisee must fill out the Certificate of Endorsement - Professional Supervisor [2]. If supervision with the same supervisor is more than 6 hours the supervisor must 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) supervisees.
  • Maximum group size is four (4) supervisees (see Co-Supervision Guidelines below). 
  • Group supervision must provide the equivalent of 30 minutes per supervisee in the group. Therefore, a group with two (2) supervisees can be no shorter than one (1) hour. A group with three (3) supervisees an be no shorter than 90 minutes. And a group with four (4) supervisees 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. 
• Group supervision guidelines for Educators:
  • Educators supervisors may have a maximum of eight (8) supervisees in group supervision.
  • Minimum group size is two (2) supervisees.
  • Maximum group size is eight (8) supervisees. 
  • The minimum group supervision length for Educator Supervision groups with four to eight (4-8) supervisees is two (2) hours.
  • The maximum group supervision length for one (1) educator supervisor with four to eight (4-8) supervisees is three (3) hours.

Note: Both individual and group supervisors are responsible for attesting to the supervisee's readiness to apply for AASECT Certification. 

AASECT Annual Conference Pre-Conference Workshop Group Supervision
Group supervision during the AASECT Annual Conference may be longer than four (4) hours.

• All AASECT pre-conference workshop group supervision hours will be accepted as part of a supervisee's supervisory experience.
• The supervisee must supply all supporing documentation for a supervision agreement immediately upon registering for the pre-conference workshop(s), so that the supervisor has sufficient time to get the required approval prior to the start of the conference.
• AASECT pre-conference workshop group supervisors must fill out the Certificate of Endorsement - Professional Supervisor [2]. 

Cross Discipline Supervision
Certified Sexuality Counselor Supervisees may complete their supervision hours with either a Certified Sexuality Counselor Supervisor (CSC-S) or a Certified Sex Therapist Supervisor (CST-S).

In all other cases, applicants seeking certification in any discipline may contract for five (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 Certificate of Endorsement - Professional Supervisor [2] to attest to the hours. 

Co-Supervision
Co-supervision is allowed when a supervisor is under contract to supervisor a Supervisor-in-Training (SIT) or if two (2) AASECT Certified Supervisors choose to run a supervision session together. The same standard of a maximum of four (4) supervisees per supervisor; groups with two (2) co-supervisors may have a maximum of eight (8) supervisees applies. A larger number of supervisees necessitates longer group sessions using the formula 'one (1) supervisee = 30 minutes.'

 

III. Interrupting Supervision

 

With Notification - When a supervisee who is under contract with an AASECT Certified Supervisor for AASECT supervision hours finds it necessary to interrupt supervision, the supervisee must notify their supervisor(s) in writing. The start date of the interruption, the reason for the interruption, and the estimated length of the interruption must be included. Upon receipt, the supervisor will supply the supervisee with a letter that includes the start date of supervision, the end date of supervision, the number of supervision hours provided, and a comprehensive list of skills demonstrated and skills to be demonstrated prior to the supervisee submitting their application. 

When the supervisee resumes supervision, the criteria that were in effect at the time the original supervision contract was approved will still apply. If supervision does not resume within two (2) years, a new supervision contract is required, and the supervisee will have to meet the AASECT Certification criteria in effect at the time of the new contract(s). 

Without Notification - If a supervisee pauses supervision without providing written notice to their AASECT Certified Supervisor and resumes within one (1) year, they must initiate a new supervision contract. In this case, the supervisee will be held to the AASECT Certification criteria in effect at the time of the original contract(s). 

If more than one (1) year has passed since the interruption, a new contract must still be initiated, but the supervisee will be required to meet the AASECT Certification criteria in effect at the time of the new contract(s). 

 

IV. Supervision Endorsement

 

AASECT Supervisors are asked to complete the Certificate of Endorsement and include it in their supervisee's application packet.

The Certificate of Endorsement for a Supervisor-in-Training (SIT) includes the start and end date of the supervisory relationship, number of hours, type of supervision, supervision setting, and the type of services provided by the supervisee. 

The Certificate of Endorsement for Certification includes the length of time the supervisor has known the applicant and acts as a coversheet for the Endorsement Letter. The Endorsement Letter highlights the supervisor's experience as a professional colleague of the applicant, the nature of the collegial relationship, and the overall impressions of the applicant's strengths, competence, and readiness to be certified, as well as any challenges that may impair competence.

If, after hours of supervision, a supervisor feels they cannot recommend a supervisee for certification, the supervisor should offer a letter with the following information:

• An outline of when supervision took place and how many hours have been accrued.
• An outline of the concerns that the supervisor has with the supervisee.
• Explicit areas in which the supervisee should receive further supervision.

After receiving supervision in those areas and gaining approval from a supervisor (the one who wrote the non-endorsement letter or another supervisor), the applicant then must submit the letter of non-endorsement along with a letter of endorsement identifying how those areas of concern have been addressed in the supervision process. 

 

V. Helpful Tips

1. From the start of the process, supervisors should have supervisees organize their materials into folders that follow the categories outlined on the certification application forms located on the AASECT website. 

2. Save and document every class, in-service, workshop, seminar, conference, etc. Have supervisees carefully review the requirements outlined in detail on the AASECT website as to what may be counted and for how much.

3. Undergraduate classes may count towards AASECT Certification no matter how long ago. The supervisee must have official copies of all college transcripts. 

Coursework listed must be accompanied by the course syllabus. If the applicant no longer has the course syllabus, it is their responsibility to contact the institution where they took the course and request an updated version of the course syllabus or an equivalent syllabus for a similar course. The applicant should highlight those areas in the syllabus that explain the course's relationship to the Core Knowledge Areas required for AASECT Certification.

4. As a supervisor of therapists or counselors, you need to hear how the supervisee will work the whole course of a case as they go. Supervisees should have some cases that include medical complications, disease complications, and dual diagnosis complications so you can assess their ability to deal with how those issues impact sexuality.

5. The need for extra vigorous ethical standards for sex therapists needs to be explored thoroughly. Talk about boundary issues exhaustively. Explain what can happen if a patient accuses a therapist of inappropriate sexual behavior even where there is no ground for it.

 

Any inquiries about supervision can be directed to the Supervision Committee Chair at supervision@aasect.org [3]. 

 

Helpful Links

Certificate of Endorsement - Professional Supervisor [2]

Certificate of Endorsement - Professional Supervisor for Supervisor-In-Training [4]

Certificate of Endorsement - Professional Colleague [5]

See below for downloadable PDF versions of these forms.