How to Become a Certified Sex Coach

Meeting client needs is a constant challenge for healthcare providers and clinicians. Each person who seeks out help and guidance from a trained professional comes with an entire lifetime of experiences behind them. Those experiences shape the issues they present. Often, an “issue” is really a jumble of interwoven experiences and, as a clinician, coach, or counselor, it is our job to unravel these pieces to reveal their importance to the client. As professionals, it is our responsibility to address the areas where we feel we can do the most good and, at times, refer out when an issue is beyond our scope of expertise.

When it comes to client issues related to sex, practitioners of all kinds may feel daunted by the ins and outs of sexual concerns, or they may feel limited by the resources available to them to refer out to competent professionals. That is why sex coaching certification can be a very useful tool for meeting clients’ needs. While coaching must be offered as a separate service to clients, many have found addressing their client’s sexual concerns within the framework of a coaching session quite helpful.

The roots of a sexual concern can run quite deep and can range from physical to emotional and psychological. Each field has its own way of addressing these concerns, however without holistically evaluating a sexual concern and working with the client from a perspective that is meaningful to them, there is a risk that the solution provided could only be a quick fix. If you want to feel more confident in your interactions with clients and gain competency in the field of sexology, a sex coaching certification could be a great addition to the services you already provide.

Why Sex Coaching?

Sex coaching is a blend of coaching and sexology. You do not need to be a licensed clinician to become a certified sex coach, but many people who are medical and mental health practitioners feel that an added sex coaching credential allows them to address sexual issues with their clients when appropriate. If you are not a licensed clinician, for example perhaps you are already a wellness coach, you may benefit from adding a certification to expand your services with individuals and couples. As sex coaching is not currently subject to licensure, all you really need is a genuine desire to help people explore their own sexual selves and the willingness to learn the fundamentals of both sexology and coaching.

Sex coaching is a field that is growing rapidly. The goal of sex coaching is to help clients identify the ways in which they can address and move past sexual concerns. Sex coaches work directly with clients, engage them in life changing conversations about their sex lives, provide a permissive space to discuss the complexities of sexuality and educate clients who are in need of sexual information they may have never had the opportunity to learn.

Some of the common sexual concerns that sex coaches address overlap with mental health and physiological concerns. For instance, low libido that can result from antidepressant medication and changes in arousal response for both men and women as they age. For clinicians, adding a sex coaching credential could allow for more comprehensive discussions with clients regarding their health and overall wellbeing.

Why Get Certified?

Currently, the only certifying body for sex coaches worldwide is the World Association of Sex Coaches (WASC). The primary role of WASC is to ensure high standards are met by sex coaches in both sexology and coaching competencies. Sex coaching is a very new field and, prior to WASC, there was no way to show clients that a sex coach had achieved a recognized level of knowledge and practice. According to the World Association of Sex Coaches, in order to make sure sex coaches have the skills and training they claim to have, WASC is “dedicated to preserving and upholding the quality of professional standards and ethics for sex coaching worldwide”. By obtaining a credential through WASC, talented professionals can be confident that the training they received reflects the rigorous expectations of the field.

WASC is also a global professional network of sex coaches and allied professionals who support the Code of Ethics of the Association, championing the sexual rights of all people. Members of WASC and the Advisory Board are trained professionals with a wide range of backgrounds and expertise. They have either received direct training for sex coaching or acquired skills and experience through their professional development that qualified them to apply for sex coach certification.

The Necessary Training

Whether you are a seasoned health educator, new graduate or mid-career in an unrelated field, there are training options that will allow you to demonstrate the required competencies for WASC certification. When selecting an option for training, you must realistically assess where there may be gaps in your knowledge and experience. The below options will help to identify ways to fill these gaps and prepare you to apply for a credential through WASC.

Option 1: For career-changers and those new to the field

If you have no prior background in either sexology or coaching and are considering becoming a certified sex coach, an excellent place to seek training is Sex Coach University. Sex Coach University uniquely offers in-depth training in both sexology and coaching under one roof, and is considered the gold standard of sex coach training by WASC. It is the most convenient way to study as the coursework is primarily done online and at your own pace. The program now has students in thirty countries because of this. The co-founders of Sex Coach University, Dr. Patti Britton andDr. Robert Dunlap, have created an in depth program covering key core knowledge in sexology and coaching skills, and which is both theoretical and experiential, asking students to closely examine their own values, attitudes, and beliefs. The coursework is largely informed by the co-founders’ training from the Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Sexuality in San Francisco, California and Dr. Britton’s prior coaching training through world-renowned Coach U.

Option 2: For Coaches

You may be interested in becoming a certified sex coach because your current work with clients has shown you the need for additional knowledge and skills in the area of sexuality. You most likely will need training in sexology which can take many forms. In the near future, the founders of Sex Coach University plan to offer courses that are aimed specifically at clinicians who want to gain expertise in the field of sexology. If you’d like to begin your studies immediately, below is a list of institutions that currently offer training in sexology and sexual health.

• California Institute for Integral Studies — Offers a doctoral program in Human Sexuality.
• Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Sexuality — Offers certificate and doctoral programs.
• San Francisco State University — Offers graduate study at the masters level.
• Widener University’s Center for Human Sexuality Studies — Offers masters and doctoral programs.

Option 3: For those with a sexological background

If you are an allied professional who has been working with individuals and couples regarding their sexual and relationship wellness or you already have a degree in human sexuality or sexology, you can seek out training as a coach through many different programs. The best way to ensure that you have all of the educational pieces necessary for sex coaching is to pursue Sex Expert coursework through Sex Coach University. Like Sex Coach University, most coaching programs are offered online and can be completed at your own pace. A good place to start researching coaching-only programs is the International Coach Federationwebsite. They are the certifying body for coaching credential programs and offer a useful training search service.

As someone who has a background in sexual health, you may have already been working as a sex coach and have the required sexology and coaching skills necessary but never considered getting an official credential. If this is the case, getting certified is quite simple.

Getting Certified

Once you have completed the training option that is right for you, you can become a certified sex coach through WASC. Graduates of Sex Coach University automatically receive WASC certification and are listed on International Directory of Sex Coacheswhich is the first of its kind. If you have met the sexology and coaching requirements through other programs and work experience, you must apply through the WASC website. You will need to submit an online application and conduct an application interview with a member of the WASC staff. Once your application has been thoroughly reviewed, the required competencies have been proven, and the membership dues paid, you will be able to take part in all of the benefits of being WASC certified.

The Executive Director of WASC, Sarah Martin, states in her welcome letter on the WASC website that, “Sex coaching is an incredible new option, for people seeking help with their sexual concerns and for helping professionals searching for a new way to help clients achieve profound results. As the Executive Director of the World Association of Sex Coaches, my mission is to make sure people know that sex coaches are available to meet a variety of clients’ needs, we’re well trained, we’re accessible worldwide, and we can help deliver results for better sex lives.”

Other Credentialing Options

If a sex coaching certification doesn’t seem like the best fit for you, but you would like to add a credential that promotes your knowledge and expertise in sexuality to clients, there are other options you might consider. With the recent boom in sexuality professions, you can find a certification that is right for your background and experience. For instance, the American Association for Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT) provides opportunities to become a Certified Sexuality Educator, Certified Sexuality Counselor, Certified Sex Therapist, and Supervisor. TheAmerican College of Sexologists also offers certification as a Sex Educator as well as Somatic Sexuality Specialist, and Sexual Health Specialist. These certifications will allow you to capitalize on the skills you may already have. You may also want to become a member of these organizations to take advantage of periodic workshops, conferences and extended educational opportunities they offer members. You may also benefit from becoming a part of a robust network of like-minded professionals.

If you feel that sexology and coaching is where you can see yourself expanding your knowledge and expertise, a sex coaching credential through WASC is a fantastic place to start.

Originally published at www.linkedin.com.