Divisions of ICP
ICP Home

Sex Therapy Training

Certificate in Sex Therapy

About
Approach
Certificate Requirements
Faculty and Speakers
Cost & Application Process

ABOUT

ICP has inaugurated a certificate program in sex therapy as part of its ongoing Sex Therapy Collaborative, which offers sex therapy training as a joint endeavor between PCGS (Psychotherapy Center for Gender and Sexuality) and FACTS (Family and Couples Treatment Services) – divisions of the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy.

Founded in 1971, The Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy (ICP) is one of the oldest and most respected not-for-profit mental health training and treatment facilities in New York City. ICP established its 4-year psychoanalytic program under an Absolute Charter from the NY State Board of Regents, and our certificate in sex therapy joins ICP’s other highly regarded training programs. The Institute is composed of a diverse group of over 200 therapists and is the only institute in NYC to offer sliding-scale sex therapy. It accepts a number of health insurance plans.

ICP welcomes patients of all sexual orientations and takes a sex-positive stance. ICP therapists use a biopsychosocial approach to explore sexual issues, integrating both psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral perspectives. ICP’s services are aimed at helping diverse people across age, racial/ethnic identity, creed, color, sexual orientations, gender identity/expression, disability, and marital or relationship status/form.

APPROACH

Incorporating the latest science-based research, sex therapists at ICP are trained to work with both individuals and couples on common sexual challenges such as:

  • Lack of sexual interest, low desire, sexual incompatibility
  • Premature ejaculation, erectile disorder, delayed ejaculation
  • Painful sex, inhibited arousal, orgasm issues
  • Problematic sexual urges, thoughts and behaviors
  • Impulsive/compulsive use of porn
  • Sex after infidelity
  • Opening up a relationship, navigating consensual non-monogamy and polyamory
  • Integrating kink, eroticized power play, and other forms of sexual adventure into one’s sex life
  • Special issues related to LGBTQ sexualities
  • Sex therapy with trans and gender non-conforming patients
  • Working on relationship issues within which sexual problems are often embedded

Our certificate in sex therapy combines didactic and clinical training and covers a wide range of topics that span assessment, case formulation and treatment planning. Close attention is paid to the development and deepening of the therapeutic alliance and the processing of clinical material that happens both in the room and connected to homework assignments completed in between sessions.

CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS

Applicants to the certificate program in sex therapy are required to complete:

  • A 10-week course, Principles and Practices of Sex Therapy taught by Ian Kerner, which is offered every Fall and Winter (20 hours)
  • A 4-week course, The Summer Sexuality Series (special topic TBD yearly) taught by Suzanne Iasenza, which is offered every June (6 hours).
  • 20 hours of additional modules, ten hours of which must be from the sex therapy collaborative. The other ten hours may be taken from relevant workshops offered by FACTS or PCGS. For a list of previous speakers, see below.
  • Two year-long Group Seminars in sex therapy training, which meet weekly for 2 hours from September through June. All participants must carry 2-3 sex therapy cases from ICP’s clinic and have available hours to see patients that include daytime and evening hours. These Groups offer case-supervision and also cover didactic material (separate from the aforementioned didactic requirements). Therapists are expected to continue with patients through the summer, on a limited basis, even when Group is not meeting. Patients using insurance must be seen at ICP (subject to ICP’s overall COVID-19 policy and return to in-office sessions). Patients not using insurances accepted by ICP can be seen in the private office of the therapist or at ICP. Please note that you must have taken the 10-week course on Principles and Practices of Sex Therapy in order to enter a supervision group and officially join the certificate program. Depending upon when you take the 10-week course (Fall or Winter), you may enter a clinical group in either January or September. Upon completion of the certificate program, graduates are invited to participate in an ongoing supervised ICP staff therapy group.

Most of ICP’s sex therapy courses offer AASECT (American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists) CE credits that can be used toward AASECT certification or renewal of AASECT certification. Most courses also offer NYS CE credits. 

FACULTY AND SPEAKERS:

The sex therapy certificate program at ICP is co-led by Suzanne Iasenza and Ian Kerner and faculty supervisors include Bruce Berman,   Samantha Lutz and Mike Moran amongst others. Previous speakers at the Sex Therapy Collaborative have included:

For more information about the specific content offered by these speakers please click here.

COST AND APPLICATION PROCESS

ICP’s certificate in sex therapy may be completed over the course of four academic years, or in as little as two academic years, and the fee is per component. ICP offers the yearly Jocelyn Elders Honorary Scholarship to encourage and nurture diversity within our Sex Therapy Collaborative as well as the field of sex therapy.

If you have already taken one or more sex therapy trainings at ICP as of September of 2016, those trainings may be used towards ICP’s certificate in sex therapy pending a planning session about your overall timeline for completing the certificate program requirements.

If you are interested in applying to the certificate program, please plan to enroll in the 10-week course on Principles and Practices of Sex Therapy, which is a requirement for joining the program’s clinical groups and seeing patients. Upon completion of the 10-week course, you will be interviewed by our faculty for admission into the certificate program. At the interview, we will discuss your interest in the program and overall clinical experience, as well as your availability and commitment to see ICP sex therapy patients. Enrolling in the 10 week course does not guarantee admission into the certificate program.

For more information about the certificate program in sex therapy, please contact Tobin Berliner, program manager, at pcgs@icpnyc.org