WHAT IS A SEX THERAPIST, AND WHAT KIND OF TRAINING DO YOU NEED TO BE ONE?

A sex therapist is a specialist in the diagnosis and treatment of sexual issues. A forensic (criminal) sex therapist deals with sexual behaviors that are against the law.

In order to call yourself a sex therapist in Florida you must be a current state licensed professional in a medical or mental health field. You must have taken approved training in the following areas:

• Sexual and reproductive anatomy and physiology – the sexual parts of the body and how they work.
• Developmental sexuality – how our sexuality develops from birth to old age.
• Gender identity issues – what in our body and in our culture makes a “boy” or a “girl,” and how we feel about that.
• Socio-cultural factors in sexual values and behavior – how we are affected by what our society and culture thinks is important.
• Medical factors related to sexuality and sexual functioning.
• Interaction between sexuality and dynamics of interpersonal and family relationships – how sexual issues affect our relationships.
• Sexual offender treatment of people with sexual dysfunctions, disorders and deviancy – identifying and naming sexual problems.
• Legal, ethical and forensic issues in sex therapy.
• Sexually transmitted diseases.
• Risk assessment of sex offenders – determining whether someone who has committed a sexual crime will do it again.
• Psychopharmacological therapy with sexual dysfunction, disorders and deviancy – medicine that can help with sexual problems.
• Research on sexual dysfunction, disorders and deviancy
• Sexual abuse treatment
• Victimology – why someone is a victim and how to help the person.
• Group therapy in treatment of sexual dysfunctions, disorders and deviancy.

After you finish that training, you must be supervised by an experienced and qualified sex therapist supervisor for a minimum of one year. To become a forensic sex therapist, additional training is required.

After you finish the training, supervision and so forth, continuing classes will be needed to keep your credentials.