The Program | Sex Therapy Certification | Transcend Training Institute

Transcend Training Institute

The sex therapy certification program that closes the gap.

A 12-module sex therapy certification for registered mental health professionals in Canada. Evidence-based. Trauma-informed. Built around what graduate training left out and what clinical practice actually demands.

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12
Sequentially structured modules across two sections, culminating in a consultation-based competency evaluation
15+
Years of specialized clinical practice in sexual health informing every module in this program
CE
Continuing education short courses available post-certification across 20+ specialized clinical topics

What this program is

The clinical education your
graduate program skipped.

Most graduate programs in counselling and psychology touch on human sexuality briefly, if at all. This program addresses that gap directly. Across 12 sequentially structured modules, it delivers the theoretical grounding, diagnostic fluency, clinical skill development, and applied supervision that constitute graduate-level education in sex therapy.

This is not a continuing education workshop or a certificate of participation. It is a structured, competency-based certification that requires demonstrated knowledge across ethical foundations, psychosexual development, neurobiological models, diagnostic reasoning, clinical assessment, interdisciplinary collaboration, and evidence-based intervention. The depth of content is calibrated to match what the field actually requires of a competent sex therapist.

It is designed for clinicians who already hold a master's degree or above in a counselling-related field. You do not need prior training in sexual health. You need the willingness to engage with difficult material and the professional commitment to do it properly.

1
Diagnostic confidence
Fluency in DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 sexual dysfunction classifications across AFAB and AMAB presentations, with primary/secondary and generalized/situational specifiers applied correctly.
2
Clinical language
The vocabulary, psychoeducational tools, and clinical framing to open and sustain a sexual health conversation in any clinical context, without avoidance or ambiguity.
3
Applied intervention
Evidence-based techniques including sensate focus, CBT, ACT, and mindfulness-based approaches, with a clear framework for when each is and is not indicated.
4
Interdisciplinary competency
A working understanding of where psychological treatment intersects with pelvic floor physiotherapy, pharmacological management, and surgical referral, and how to communicate across those boundaries effectively.
5
Ethical and attitudinal foundation
Through the SAR process and foundational ethics training, clinicians examine personal values, biases, and countertransference before engaging clinical content. This is where the program begins because it is where clinical competency actually starts.

Program structure

Three components.
One complete certification.

Section 1
Foundations in ethics and professional identity
Five modules establishing the ethical, attitudinal, and cultural foundation required before clinical content is introduced. Includes the Sexual Attitude Reassessment (SAR) process. Not optional, not abbreviated.
01–05
Section 2
Clinical foundations
Seven modules building the neurobiological, diagnostic, and applied clinical knowledge base required to practise sex therapy competently. Includes interdisciplinary collaboration and evidence-based intervention.
06–12
Component 3
Consultation and competency evaluation
Cohort-based consultation, applied case analysis across dysfunction categories, and a final competency evaluation. Certification is awarded on the basis of demonstrated knowledge, not completion.
✓

Section 1

Foundations in ethics
and professional identity.

Clinicians who move directly into clinical content without this foundation carry unexamined values, biases, and countertransference into the most sensitive work they will ever do. These five modules exist to prevent that. They are sequenced deliberately and completed before any diagnostic or intervention content is introduced.

01
Ethics, professional identity, and regulatory frameworks
Scope of practice in sexual health; professional boundaries and dual relationships; mandatory reporting obligations; informed consent; confidentiality; documentation standards; Canadian regulatory college requirements; the distinct roles of regulatory bodies versus credentialing organizations. Establishes the professional identity of the sex therapist before clinical content is introduced.
Scope of practice Regulatory compliance Canadian credentialing Documentation
Foundation
02
Cultural influences on sexuality
How religion, ethnicity, and cultural context shape sexual beliefs, behaviour, and help-seeking. Implicit bias in clinical assessment and treatment planning. Intersectionality and its effects on diagnostic reasoning. Indigenous perspectives on sexuality. Culturally responsive clinical communication across diverse populations.
Intersectionality Implicit bias Cultural humility Indigenous perspectives
Foundation
03
GSERD — Gender, sexuality, eroticism, and relational diversity
Gender identity and expression across the full spectrum; sexual orientation; erotic diversity; relational structures including consensual non-monogamy; minority stress theory; affirmative clinical practice; inclusive terminology. GSERD competency is integrated throughout the program rather than siloed. This module provides the clinical framework; application continues across all subsequent content.
Gender identity Sexual orientation Minority stress Affirmative practice Relational diversity
Foundation
04
Trauma-informed sexual health practice
ACE framework; complex and sexual trauma; somatic awareness and nervous system regulation; the window of tolerance in clinical practice; creating safety in sexual health encounters; recognizing trauma presentations within sexual dysfunction; avoiding re-traumatization. This module is a prerequisite for all clinical content in Section 2 and is treated as such within the program sequence.
ACE framework Complex trauma Somatic awareness Nervous system regulation
Prerequisite
05
Sexual Attitude Reassessment (SAR)
A structured experiential process for examining personal values, assumptions, and countertransference in relation to human sexuality. Exposure to diverse sexual expression across populations. Facilitated reflective practice. The SAR is a recognized component of sex therapy training internationally, and it is included here because self-awareness is a clinical skill, not a personal preference.
Values clarification Countertransference Reflective practice Clinical self-awareness
Experiential

Section 2

Clinical foundations.

Seven modules that build the knowledge base, diagnostic fluency, and applied clinical skill required to practise sex therapy at a competent level. Content is sequenced to mirror clinical reasoning: from how sexuality develops, to how the sexual body works, to how we classify and assess dysfunction, to how we treat it. Every module is grounded in current peer-reviewed literature and framed around what clinicians actually encounter in session.

06
Sexual development, socialization, and lifespan sexuality
Psychosexual development across the lifespan; puberty and hormonal changes; sexual scripting theory; family-of-origin messaging; religious and cultural influences on sexual meaning-making; adolescent identity development; shame development and its clinical relevance; lifespan transitions and their effects on sexual function and identity. The organizing clinical question: how did this person become the sexual being sitting in front of me?
Psychosexual development Sexual scripting Lifespan sexuality Shame
Clinical
07
Sexual anatomy, physiology, and neurobiology
AFAB and AMAB sexual anatomy in clinical detail; pelvic floor anatomy; neurobiological models of sexual response; hormonal regulation and endocrinology; neurotransmitter function; orgasm physiology; the critical clinical distinction between arousal and desire; impact of health conditions, medications, and aging on sexual function. Clinicians leaving this module can speak credibly with medical providers about the physiology underlying their clients' presentations.
AFAB/AMAB anatomy Endocrinology Neurobiology Arousal vs. desire
Clinical
08
Theories of sexual response and contemporary sexual science
Masters and Johnson (1966) linear model; Kaplan (1979) triphasic model; Basson (2000) circular model of female sexual response; the dual control model of excitation and inhibition (Bancroft & Janssen, 2000); responsive versus spontaneous desire; arousal non-concordance; incentive motivation theory. Theoretical models are taught critically, including their sample biases, heteronormative assumptions, and where current research has moved beyond them.
Masters & Johnson Basson model Dual control model Critical appraisal
Clinical
09
Sexual dysfunctions: diagnosis and clinical foundations
DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 classifications in full; AFAB dysfunctions including FSIAD, FOD, and GPPPD; AMAB dysfunctions including ED, DE, PE, and male hypoactive desire disorder; substance and medication-induced sexual dysfunction; primary versus secondary presentations; generalized versus situational specifiers; distress criteria and their clinical significance. Includes a critical analysis of diagnostic limitations, inconsistencies between classification systems, and the current absence of inclusive diagnostic frameworks.
DSM-5-TR ICD-11 FSIAD / FOD / GPPPD ED / PE / DE
Clinical
10
Sexual assessment and case formulation
Biopsychosocial case conceptualization; sexual history taking in clinical practice; validated assessment instruments including the FSFI, IIEF, and SFQ; screening for trauma, abuse, and intimate partner violence; medication and medical history review; partner and relational context; risk assessment; structuring an initial sexual health session. Clinicians leave this module able to conduct a thorough, clinically sound sexual health assessment.
Sexual history taking Biopsychosocial model Validated measures Case formulation
Clinical
11
Medical and interdisciplinary foundations
Interdisciplinary referral pathways; pelvic floor physiotherapy, what it offers and when to refer; pharmacological treatments including PDE5 inhibitors, hormonal therapy, SSRIs, and topical agents; iatrogenic sexual dysfunction and how to identify when medication is the primary contributor; surgical interventions; menopause and perinatal sexual health medicine; how to communicate across disciplines; collaborative documentation. Clinicians who complete this module can identify where psychological treatment ends and medical management begins, and act accordingly.
Pelvic floor physio Pharmacology Iatrogenic dysfunction Interdisciplinary referral
Clinical
12
Evidence-based sex therapy interventions
Sensate focus, theory and clinical application; cognitive-behavioural therapy for sexual dysfunction; acceptance and commitment therapy; mindfulness-based interventions; psychoeducation frameworks; directed masturbation; couples modalities and systemic approaches; motivational interviewing in sexual health; relapse prevention planning. Each modality is taught with its evidence base, clinical indications, and contraindications. This module does not offer a menu of techniques; it provides a framework for clinical decision-making.
Sensate focus CBT / ACT Mindfulness Couples modalities
Applied

Component 3

Consultation-based. Evaluated.
Certified.

Completion of 12 modules does not constitute certification. Certification is earned through demonstrated clinical knowledge, applied diagnostic reasoning, and structured case review under consultation. That process happens here.

Consultation
Cohort-based clinical consultation
Group consultation on clinical cases, ethical dilemmas, differential diagnosis, and treatment planning. Participants bring cases from their own practice and work through them collectively under instructor facilitation. This is where theoretical knowledge meets clinical reality.
Case studies
Applied clinical scenarios
Written and discusssed case scenarios spanning all dysfunction categories and populations covered in the curriculum. Differential diagnosis, biopsychosocial conceptualization, and treatment planning are evaluated, not assumed.
Final evaluation
Competency assessment
A final evaluation across the core competency domains of the program. Knowledge, clinical reasoning, and applied judgment. Certification as a Canadian Certified Sex Therapist is awarded upon successful completion.

Continuing education

After certification,
keep going.

The CE short course library allows certified clinicians to deepen competency in specialized areas at their own pace. Courses are available individually and are designed to count toward professional development requirements. New topics are added on an ongoing basis.

This program is designed in alignment with the proposed competency standards of the Canadian College of Sex Therapy, currently in development as Canada's national credentialing body for sex therapists.

Dysfunction and clinical presentations
  • Premature and delayed ejaculation
  • Erectile dysfunction
  • Sexual pain
  • Low desire
  • Orgasmic disorders
  • AFAB-specific genital conditions
  • Iatrogenic dysfunction
Relational and contextual
  • Couples and intimacy
  • Infidelity
  • Consensual non-monogamy and kink
  • Heteroromantic identity and bisexuality
  • Advanced consent frameworks
Trauma and special populations
  • Trauma and sexual abuse
  • Perinatal and postpartum sexuality
  • Sexuality across the lifespan
  • Disability and sexuality
  • Culturally specific sexual harm
Health, medical, and emerging topics
  • STIs in clinical practice
  • Reproductive health
  • Compulsive sexual behaviour
  • Technology, sex, and digisexuality
  • Telehealth ethics in sex therapy
  • Pleasure enhancement and adjunct tools

Who this is for

This program has prerequisites.

This is graduate-level clinical training. It presupposes foundational knowledge in psychopathology, counselling theory, ethics, and professional practice. It is built for registered clinicians who are already working with clients and want to extend their competency into sexual health.

This program is for you if…
  • You hold or are completing a minimum of a master's degree in a field that qualifies you for registration as a regulated mental health professional
  • You are a registered psychologist, social worker, counsellor, or marriage and family therapist
  • You are currently seeing clients and want to integrate sexual health competency into your existing practice
  • You want structured, sequenced, competency-based training rather than a fragmented collection of CE workshops
  • You are a psychiatrist or physician seeking rigorous psychological framing for sexual health presentations
  • You are a registered graduate student or practicum student working toward registration as a regulated health professional
This program is not for you if…
  • You do not hold or are not actively completing a graduate-level degree in a counselling-related field
  • You are looking for personal development or self-help content rather than clinical training
  • You are not registered or working toward registration as a regulated health professional
  • You are seeking a certificate of attendance or completion rather than a competency-based credential

This is the training
the field has been missing.

The program is in final development. Join the waitlist to receive founding member pricing, early access to the free clinical resource library, and first notification when enrollment opens. The first cohort is small by design.

Enrollment is limited. Cohort size is deliberately restricted to support meaningful consultation and peer review. Waitlist members receive priority access and founding member rates.

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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.

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