Foundations of Sex Therapy | Intermediate Online Course | Transcend Training Institute

Transcend Training Institute

More than an intro.
Less than a certification.

Foundations of Sex Therapy is a 16-hour online course built for regulated health professionals who want substantive clinical grounding in sexual health without the full certification commitment. Eight modules. Two sections. Immediately applicable.

Enrol now View the curriculum
16
Hours of self-paced learning across 8 sequentially structured modules
8
Modules spanning ethics, cultural foundations, sexual response theory, assessment, and evidence-based intervention
2×
The depth of the introductory course, without the 12-module certification commitment
Foundations of Sex Therapy intermediate online course materials and dashboard

Where this fits

Three levels of training.
This is the middle one.

Step 1
Introduction to Sex Therapy
~8 hours · 4 modules
First exposure. Core concepts, clinical language, and orientation to the field. For clinicians entirely new to sexual health content.
You are here
Foundations of Sex Therapy
~16 hours · 8 modules
Substantial clinical grounding across ethics, theory, assessment, and foundational intervention. A complete foundation without the certification pathway.
Step 3
Canadian Certified Sex Therapist
12 modules · Competency evaluated
The full credential pathway. Graduate-level training with cohort consultation and certification as a Canadian Certified Sex Therapist.
Sex therapy training pathway from foundations to certification

What this course is

A complete clinical foundation.
Without the credential commitment.

"A complete clinical foundation. Without the credential commitment."

This course was built for the clinician who wants to practise in this area responsibly, and who wants training that actually reflects what the clinical work requires. It is not an introductory survey and it is not a webinar with a quiz at the end.

Across 16 hours and two structured sections, it builds the ethical foundation, the theoretical grounding, the diagnostic orientation, and the applied clinical skills that regulated health professionals need to engage with sexual health presentations confidently.

Every module includes core reading, embedded video, clinical case illustrations, interactive activities, and explicit scope-of-practice guidance. You will know what falls within foundational scope, what requires specialist referral, and why.

1
Ethical and professional clarity
Scope of practice, regulatory frameworks, clinical language, and the ethical obligations specific to sexual health work, including digital practice and AI tools.
2
Cultural and GSERD competency
How culture, religion, and socialization shape sexual presentations. GSERD framework, minority stress theory, and affirmative clinical practice integrated throughout.
3
Sexual response theory
Masters and Johnson, Kaplan, Basson, and the Dual Control Model taught critically, including their limitations. Responsive desire, arousal non-concordance, and the SES/SIS framework.
4
Trauma-informed practice
The Window of Tolerance, HPA axis dysregulation, polyvagal framework, and the SAMHSA Trauma-Informed Care principles applied specifically to sexual health contexts.
5
Assessment and case formulation
Sexual history taking, the 4Ps formulation framework, validated assessment instruments, differential reasoning, and medical red flags requiring referral.
6
Foundational intervention skills
Psychoeducation, sexual communication facilitation, sensate focus orientation, performance anxiety work, and shame-focused intervention within foundational scope.
Abstract navy and grey divider

The curriculum

Eight modules.
Two sections.

The course is sequentially structured. Section 1 builds the ethical, cultural, developmental, and theoretical foundation. Section 2 applies that foundation to assessment, clinical presentations, and intervention. Complete them in order.

01
Section 1 — Foundations of Sexual Health Practice
Modules 1–5 · Approximately 7–8 hours
01
Ethics, Scope, and Professional Practice
Clinical language and its ethical stakes; scope of practice within Canadian regulatory frameworks; informed consent as a process; boundary maintenance and erotic countertransference; the CPA ethical decision-making framework; digital ethics, AI in clinical documentation, and telehealth obligations; sexual rights frameworks and interprofessional communication.
Scope of practiceRegulatory frameworksInformed consentCountertransferenceDigital ethics
~2 hrs
02
Culture, Sexual Diversity, and Inclusive Practice
Sexual Scripts Theory and Social Constructionism; socialization agents including family systems, religion, purity culture, and media; the GSERD framework applied to clinical assessment; minority stress theory; intersectionality; inclusive history taking and affirmative practice. Conversion therapy in Canadian law.
GSERDSexual scriptingMinority stressIntersectionalityAffirmative practice
~2 hrs
03
Lifespan Sexual Development and Clinician Self-Awareness
Sexuality as a developmental process; biopsychosocial-ecological framework; normative childhood sexual development; consent as a developmental task; attachment and relational templates; adolescent development, puberty, and pornography's role in script formation; shame development and intergenerational transmission; professional use of self and reflective practice.
Developmental frameworkAttachmentSexual shameReflective practice
1.5–2 hrs
04
Sexual Response Theory and Human Sexual Functioning
Sexual anatomy in clinical detail including full clitoral structure and pelvic floor function; Masters and Johnson, Kaplan, Basson's circular model, and the Dual Control Model taught critically; responsive versus spontaneous versus contextual desire; arousal non-concordance and its implications for trauma presentations; performance anxiety, spectatoring, and shame as inhibitory mechanisms.
Dual control modelResponsive desireArousal non-concordanceAnatomy
~2 hrs
05
Trauma, Shame, and Sexual Functioning
Trauma as predisposing, perpetuating, and contextual factor in sexual health presentations; HPA axis dysregulation; the Window of Tolerance; polyvagal framework; the six SAMHSA Trauma-Informed Care principles applied to sexual health; shame as a transdiagnostic mechanism; the shame-SIS-avoidance cycle; phase-based treatment and scope-appropriate application.
Trauma-informed careWindow of tolerancePolyvagal theorySexual shame
~2 hrs
Abstract navy and grey divider
02
Section 2 — Assessment and Intervention
Modules 6–8 · Approximately 6.5–7.5 hours
06
Sexual Health Assessment and Case Formulation
The three orienting clinical questions; the distress criterion and its application; collaborative assessment; trauma-informed history taking as the standard approach; biopsychosocial assessment domains; validated instruments including the FSFI, IIEF, and FSDS-R; the 4Ps formulation framework; differential reasoning; medical red flags and referral indicators; assessment synthesis and documentation.
Sexual history4Ps formulationValidated measuresDifferential reasoning
~2 hrs
07
Sexual Difficulties Across Presenting Problems
A transdiagnostic framework for clinical formulation; desire difficulties and desire discrepancy; erectile difficulties; orgasm difficulties including anatomy-based psychoeducation; genito-pelvic pain and the fear-avoidance cycle; ejaculatory difficulties; compulsive sexual behaviour disorder; paraphilias versus paraphilic disorders. Medical and medication contributors with referral guidance across all presentations.
Desire disordersErectile difficultyOrgasm disordersSexual painReferral pathways
2–2.5 hrs
08
Foundational Sexual Health Interventions
Psychoeducation as primary intervention; responsive desire, the Dual Control Model, and arousal non-concordance as clinical frameworks; sexual communication facilitation; sensate focus rationale and orientation; attentional retraining and mindfulness for performance anxiety; shame-focused intervention; treatment planning from the 4Ps formulation. Capstone case integrating the full curriculum.
PsychoeducationSensate focusMindfulnessShame interventionTreatment planning
2.5–3 hrs

What's included

Each module includes
everything you need.

Structured course materials with video lesson, worksheets, and clinical tools
Core content
In-depth reading
The primary learning material for each topic, written to clinical depth. Not bullet points. Not slides. Substantive content that builds a real knowledge base.
Video
Embedded video segments
Short video segments from the program instructors embedded at pedagogically relevant points. Orientation, deepening content, and clinical illustration throughout.
Application
Interactive activities
Applied learning exercises, formulation tasks, and case-based activities throughout. The bridge between content and clinical application.
Reflection
Reflective prompts
Structured reflection questions for clinicians who want to integrate the material into their own clinical identity and practice. Engaging, not performative.
Reference
Glossaries and APA references
Core terminology defined at each module's close. Full APA 7th edition references for all sources cited, so you can trace any claim back to its source.
Scope clarity
Scope-of-practice reminders
Throughout the program, scope reminders identify what falls within foundational practice and what requires specialist referral. Core clinical content, not fine print.

Who this is for

This course has
a clear audience.

This is substantive clinical training for regulated health professionals. It requires a working clinical context to be meaningful. If you are already registered and working with clients, this course gives you a foundation you can use immediately.

This course is for you if…
  • You are a registered psychologist, counsellor, social worker, marriage and family therapist, physician, or nurse practitioner
  • You currently see clients and want a substantive foundation in sexual health that goes beyond an introductory overview
  • You want clinical grounding you can apply immediately, without a multi-year certification commitment
  • You are building toward the full certification but want to begin with a structured foundation first
  • You are a registered graduate student or practicum student working toward regulated professional status
This course is not for you if…
  • You are looking for personal development content or general sexual health literacy rather than clinical training
  • You are not registered or actively working toward registration as a regulated health professional
  • You want a certificate of attendance rather than substantive clinical education
  • You need specialist sex therapy certification -- this course provides a foundation, not a credential

The training pathway

This course is a step,
not a ceiling.

If you complete this course and want to move further, the full certification pathway is the next step. The foundations built here translate directly into the clinical certification.

Step 1
Introduction to Sex Therapy
~8 hours · Self-paced
First exposure. Core concepts, clinical language, and orientation to the field. For clinicians entirely new to sexual health content.
You are here
Step 2
Foundations of Sex Therapy
~16 hours · 8 modules · Self-paced
Substantive clinical foundation. Ethics, theory, assessment, and foundational intervention. Complete clinical grounding without the certification commitment.
Step 3
Canadian Certified Sex Therapist
12 modules · Cohort consultation · Competency evaluated
The full credential pathway. Graduate-level clinical training with cohort consultation and certification as a Canadian Certified Sex Therapist.

Ready for deeper
clinical grounding?

Build the assessment, formulation, and foundational intervention skills needed to engage sexual health presentations with confidence.

Completion of this course does not confer specialist sex therapy certification. It provides foundational sexual health competency for regulated health professionals working within their existing authorized scope. Clear scope reminders are integrated throughout.

Enrol now View the full certification

Big Ideas,
Real Impact.

Driven by curiosity and built on purpose, this is where bold thinking meets thoughtful execution. Let’s create something meaningful together.

SHOP NOW