Certificate in Sex Therapy
From the School of Sex Therapy
Certificate in Sex Therapy
A rigorous, systematic thirty-two week program in psychosexual therapy, taught live online. The Certificate in Sex Therapy fulfills the education requirement for certification as an IAPST Certified Psychosexual Therapist.
At a glance
| Format | Live online on Zoom, with readings, videos, and assignments in the online classroom |
|---|---|
| Length | 32 weeks |
| Next cohort | January 5 to August 24, 2027 |
| Live classes | Tuesdays, 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time |
| Accreditation | Accredited by the International Association of Psychosexual Therapists (IAPST) |
| Tuition | $3,500$2,500 |
About the program
The Certificate in Sex Therapy takes you from the foundations of human sexuality to the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of sexual concerns. The first half of the program builds the knowledge every sex therapist works from: anatomy, neurology, psychology, development, diversity, ethics, and the sexual history. The second half applies it to clinical practice, including the diagnosis and treatment of sexual concerns in individuals and couples and work with complex presentations such as sexual trauma, pelvic floor conditions, compulsive sexual behavior, kink, and minor attraction.
Every week follows the same pattern. You read current research, watch a selected lecture or clinical demonstration, pass a quiz on both, and bring it to a three-hour live class with your cohort.
What the program includes
- 96 hours of live teaching in thirty-two three-hour classes. Classes are live and are not recorded.
- More than 1,300 pages of current peer-reviewed research and clinical chapters, all provided.
- 32 module quizzes, each of which must be passed at 80 percent or higher.
- 10 written clinical assignments and 8 discussion boards.
- The Student Handbook & Workbook, a private weekly self-of-the-therapist journal, and a Final Reflective Paper.
Curriculum
Foundations, Modules 1 to 16
- Foundations of Sex Therapy
- A History of Psychosexual Therapy
- Anatomy of Sex
- Contraception and STIs
- The Neurology of Sex
- Psychology of Sex
- Sexuality through the Lifespan
- Sexual and Gender Diversity
- Relationship Diversity
- Establishing Your Clinical Identity
- Building Clinical Infrastructure in Psychosexual Therapy
- Ethical Theory for Psychosexual Therapy
- Applied Clinical Ethics in Sex Therapy Practice
- Sexual History Intake and the PLISSIT Model
- Treatment Modalities in Psychosexual Therapy
- Sensate Focus in Sex Therapy
Clinical Application, Modules 17 to 32
- Psychopharmacology and Psychosexual Therapy
- Issues in Individual Sex Therapy
- Diagnosis Criteria for Male Sexual Issues
- Clinical Treatment of Male Sexual Issues
- Diagnosis Criteria for Female Sexual Issues
- Clinical Treatment for Female Sexual Issues
- Issues in Couples Sex Therapy
- Addressing Sexual Trauma and Abuse
- Pelvic Floor
- Rare Sexual Issues
- Working with Sexual Compulsions, Addictions, and Out of Control Sexual Behavior
- BDSM and Kink
- Introduction to Working with MAPs
- Expanding Psychosexual Therapy Practice to Marginalized Communities
- Using Sexual Health Aids in Psychosexual and Relationship Therapy
- The Future of Sex Therapy
Certification
The Certificate in Sex Therapy is the education requirement for certification as an IAPST Certified Psychosexual Therapist (C-PST). Completing the program earns the Certificate.
Certification also has a clinical requirement: 300 hours of clinical work with patients, including 50 hours of supervision with a qualified supervisor. You complete the clinical requirement alongside or after the program, and you choose where you receive supervision. How the clinical requirement works, and how to log your hours, is explained in detail during the program. The clinical requirement is not included in tuition.
Who can apply
The program is for clinicians qualified to practice in a mental or behavioral health profession, and for graduate students in a program leading to one.
Requirements
- Attendance at least 26 of the 32 live classes, with your camera on, from a private space.
- A score of 80 percent or higher on every quiz, and at least 80 percent overall.
- The required textbook, Becoming a Sex Therapist: Everything You Need to Know by Dr. Caleb Jacobson (SoST Academic Press, 2026), which students purchase.
- Membership in the International Association of Psychosexual Therapists as a Student Member for the duration of the program.
- Completion of the Final Reflective Paper and the Pre-Course and End-of-Course Surveys.
Tuition
$3,500$2,500. Tuition covers the full program, all live classes, all readings except the textbook, and the Student Handbook & Workbook. It does not include the textbook, IAPST Student Membership, or the clinical requirement for certification.
Frequently asked questions
Tuition for the full 32-week program, January 5 to August 24, 2027.
Tuition is collected manually after admission.
This Program Includes
- 96 hours of live teaching
- Readings, except the textbook
- Student Handbook & Workbook
- Classes are live and are not recorded