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Sensate Focus in Sex Therapy: Unlocking Pleasure, Safety, and Connection

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2027   12:00 PM EST -3:00 PM EST
Paula Leech
$59.99

This class provides IAPST credits which are eligible for credits toward Certification as a Sex Therapist.  See iapst.org/certification

See complete list of certificates available in the Accreditation tab

How do we treat erectile dysfunction, sexual pain, vaginismus, rapid or “premature” ejaculation, low desire and difficulties with arousal and orgasm, among others? How do we bring our patients out of performance narratives and into their bodies, into pleasure? How do we unravel our patients from sexual trauma, bringing them into a greater sense of emotional and physical safety, embodiment, and freedom? 
 
When training to become a Sex Therapist, we are learning how to work with the intimate relationship between the body and the mind. Emotional states (some from the present, others carried from the past) follow us into the bedroom and play themselves out in our physiology. Day-to-day stress, deep trauma, attachment wounds, sociocultural factors, feelings of insecurity, “performance pressure,” and/or relational discord can all interfere with the unfolding of the arousal process and, in some cases, can lead to sexual discomfort, avoidance, or dysfunction. Sensate Focus aids the clinician in identifying these barriers to intimacy and embodiment, and then engages them via touch exercises that are prescribed for the patient to do at home. Each exercise builds on the next, bringing the patients into closer contact with themselves, their partner(s) if present, sensation, learning, and possibility.  
 
In this course, students will not only come to understand the origins of Sensate Focus as a game-changing sex therapy technique and treatment modality from Masters and Johnson but will also gain an in-depth understanding of it’s conceptual underpinnings and usefulness as a diagnostic tool. Students will leave the course equipped with a sense for how it might fit into their practice and where to begin in effectively prescribing the exercises it provides.
 
To register or access the part 2 asynchronous/self study click -> HERE <-

About the Presenter

Paula is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a certified Sex Therapist and Supervisor of Sex Therapy, practicing out of Massachusetts and Oregon. She is the author of Overcoming Anxiety in Sex and Relationships: A comprehensive guide to intimate and emotional freedom, and has contributed chapters to sex therapy manuals and pop-culture magazines, including Women's Health and CNN Health. She regularly presents at various training institutes as well as universities and therapy agencies across the US and Canada.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Describe the origins of Sensate Focus.
  2. Define natural functions in relationship to sexual arousal.
  3. Cite examples highlighting the importance of language when prescribing the exercises.

Agenda:

Sensate Focus Fundamentals

 

15 Minutes

a.     Intros – name, where you are, what you hope to get out of the course.

                                               i.     Confidentiality, assume good will, self-care.

                                             ii.     My approach to SF – feel free to disagree, challenge, filter out what doesn’t fit.

                                            iii.     Goals and learning objectives.

45 Minutes

a.     M & J – Origins of Sensate Focus

                                               i.     Natural Functions

b.     Parasympathetic vs. Sympathetic Nervous System

c.     Defining Sensate Focus

d.     SF Broken Down

                                               i.     Touching for Interest vs. Pleasure

                                             ii.     Touching for Self

                                            iii.     Mindfulness

35 Minutes

a.     SF Set-up

                                                        i.     Active & passive roles

                                                      ii.     Debrief post

                                                     iii.     Language

                                                     iv.     Tone, pace, rhythm

b.     Example

 

15 Minutes BREAK

 

IV.            20 Minutes

a.     Anxiety Basics

V.             20 Minutes

a.     Review progressions

                                               i.     Narrating Touch

                                             ii.     Mutual Touch

b.     Peaking

c.     Plateauing

VI.          40 Minutes

a.     Wrap-up

                                               i.     Sensate Focus Progress

                                             ii.     Making it Yours

                                            iii.     Practice (pairs) – Prescribe front caress to your partner – don’t worry about tone, pace, rhythm – just relaying the info.

                                                        i.     Ask questions of prescribing partner as if real patient.

                                                      ii.     Will challenge you both to dig deep into your understanding of the approach.

                                                     iii.     Expect mistakes! They’ll help you learn.

                                                     iv.     Do as many times as you’d like to fill the time allotted.

 

This workshop offers 3 Live Interactive Continuing Education Credits

This presentation is open to:
  • Social Workers
  • Professional Counselors
  • Therapists
  • Psychologists
  • Licensed Mental Health Practitioners
  • Medical Doctors and Other Health Professionals
  • Other professionals interacting with populations engaged in mental health based services
Course Level: intermediate
Level of Clinician: beginner
  • New practitioners who wish to gain enhanced insight surrounding the topic
  • Experienced practitioners who seek to increase and expand fundamental knowledge surrounding the subject matter
  • Advanced practitioners seeking to review concepts and reinforce practice skills and/or access additional consultation
  • Managers seeking to broaden micro and/or macro perspectives

Participants will receive their certificate electronically upon completion of the webinar and course evaluation form.

Disability Access - If you require ADA accommodations, please contact our office 30 days or more before the event. We cannot ensure accommodations without adequate prior notification. Please Note: Licensing Boards change regulations often, and while we attempt to stay abreast of their most recent changes, if you have questions or concerns about this course meeting your specific board’s approval, we recommend you contact your board directly to obtain a ruling. The grievance policy for trainings provided by NEFESH INTERNATIONAL is available here Satisfactory Completion Participants must have paid the tuition fee, logged in and out each day, attended the entire workshop, and completed an evaluation to receive a certificate (If this is a pre-recorded program, a post-test with a passing grade of 80% to receive a certificate.) Failure to log in or out will result in forfeiture of credit for the entire course. No exceptions will be made. Partial credit is not available. Certificates are available after satisfactory course completion by clicking here.
There is no conflict of interest or commercial support for this program.
  • The American Psychological Association approves the School of Sex Therapy to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The School of Sex Therapy maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
    The School of Sex Therapy is an approved continued education provider for the International Association of Psychosexual Therapists. The School of Sex Therapy maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed creative arts therapists. #CAT-0122.
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0129.
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0325.
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0275.
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0129.
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0325.
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0774.
Refund Policy:
Full Refund until 48 hours before scheduled date.
48 hours before: full refund less $5.00 processing fee. After event no refund will be given.
*exclusions apply for reasonable need and cause.