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The Science of Sexual Fantasy: What Do We Want, and What Do Our Fantasies Say About Us?
Title of Event:
The Science of Sexual Fantasy: What Do We Want, and What Do Our Fantasies Say About Us?
Description of Event:
Almost everyone has sexual fantasies, and those fantasies serve a number of important functions. Despite the vital role they play in our lives, fantasies are all too often a potent source of shame, embarrassment, and anxiety. A big part of the reason for this is that fantasies remain poorly understood. The goal of this training is therefore to offer an in-depth exploration of the science of sexual fantasy. Dr. Justin Lehmiller, a Research Fellow at The Kinsey Institute, will synthesize the latest research on this subject and present the key takeaways for sex therapists. Attendees will not just learn about the immense content and variability that exists in our sexual fantasies, but also what we know about where our fantasies come from, how they are connected to our own unique personality profiles and sexual histories, as well as how and why fantasies vary across different demographic groups.
Learning Objectives:
At the conclusion of this workshop, participants will be able to:
- List the seven most common types of sexual fantasies
- Explain which paraphiliac fantasies are truly rare and which are not
- Describe the difference between a sexual fantasy and a sexual desire, as well as how these constructs overlap
- Describe at least two factors that contribute to fantasy content and variation
- Explain how our personalities and sexual histories are connected to the content of our sexual fantasies
- Describe how sexual fantasies vary across different segments of the population (e.g., gender, age, sexual orientation)
Activity Schedule:
1 Hour Overview & Types of Sexual Fantasies
1 Hour Research on sexual fantasies and overlap with sexual desire
1 Hour Personalities and sexual histories with regards to fantasy content
1 Hour Sexual Fantasies across different segments of the population
Speaker Bio:
Dr. Justin J. Lehmiller, received his Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Purdue University. He is a Research Fellow at The Kinsey Institute and author of the book Tell Me What You Want: The Science of Sexual Desire and How It Can Help You Improve Your Sex Life. Dr. Lehmiller is an award-winning educator, having been honored three times with the Certificate of Teaching Excellence from Harvard University, where he taught for several years. He is also a prolific researcher and scholar who has published more than 40 pieces of academic writing to date, including a textbook entitled The Psychology of Human Sexuality (now in its second edition) that is used in college classrooms around the world. Dr. Lehmiller’s research focuses on topics including casual sex, sexual fantasy, sexual health, and friends with benefits. His studies have appeared in all of the leading journals on human sexuality, including the Journal of Sex Research, Archives of Sexual Behavior, and The Journal of Sexual Medicine.
Date of Event: Friday, December 5, 2025
Time of Event: 2PM - 6PM EST
Location: Online Synchronous or Online Asynchronous following the live webinar
Presenter/Speaker: Justin J. Lehmiller, Ph.D.
Company/Organization Sponsor: Modern Sex Therapy Institutes (MSTI)
Contact Name: Rachel Needle
Contact Telephone Number: (561) 379-7207
Contact Email: info@modernsextherapy.com
AASECT Approved CEs: 4