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  • How to Talk to Patients & Couples About Sex--And Why They'll Thank You If You Do

How to Talk to Patients & Couples About Sex--And Why They'll Thank You If You Do

  • Friday, October 25, 2019
  • 11:15 AM - 1:30 PM
  • Los Gatos Lodge, 50 Los Gatos/Saratoga Rd., Los Gatos, CA 95008

Registration is closed

Presented by Marty Klein, LMFT


The subject may be infidelity or desire, or fantasies, medication, secrets, porn, “dysfunction,” performance anxiety, sex workers, fertility, shame, BDSM, or arousal. One way or another, most therapists deal with sexuality every week.

And let’s be honest—our professional training in this area rarely enables us to provide high-quality care. That means we’re left to rely on (1) our own limited sexual experience and (2) cultural beliefs and assumptions about sex.

Unfortunately, almost all of us grew up in a sex-negative culture, which affects our work as much as it affects our clients’ lives. And it means that when assumptions about sexuality, intimacy, and gender are driving clients’ sexual problems, those assumptions may be invisible to us—because we often share them.

Workshop participants, therefore, will learn a compelling new model of sexuality that focuses on its positive aspects; challenges clients’ tendencies to self-identify as inadequate; sees society’s sex-negativity as a source of psycho-sexual pathology; and confronts ways in which psychotherapy and medicine problematize sexuality.

As a result, participants will be able to empower clients to make better sexual choices, function more as they would like to, and better integrate eroticism into their relationships.

Sex is about much more than what bodies do—it’s about how people feel. And so we’ll talk about how both professionals and patients think about sex, and how common concepts about sex can keep both of us stuck. After all, sex is more than an activity—it’s an idea.

Program Goals

  • The goal of this program is for participants to feel more comfortable discussing sexuality-related topics
  • to acquire skill in discussing these topics
  • to enhance their judgement about when and how to raise sexuality-related topics
  • to enhance their ability to facilitate partners' discussions of sexuality, both in the therapy office and at home.  

Learning Objectives

  • Name 3 reasons therapists should raise the issue of sexuality with patients
  • Name 3 sexuality-related topics to discuss with almost every patient

About the Presenter

Dr. Marty Klein has been an MFT and Certified Sex Therapist working with men, women, and couples for 39 years.

Marty is the award-winning author of seven books on sexuality and relationships, including the ground-breaking Sexual Intelligence. Psychology Today simply says “To improve your sex life, buy this book.” Dan Savage says Marty's current book on pornography “makes me feel sane.”

Marty appears frequently in the popular media, such as The New York Times and The New Yorker, National Public Radio and The Daily Show. He recently gave two congressional briefings on evidence-based sex education. Marty’s Sexual Intelligence blog and e-newsletter are frequently cited as sources of innovative thinking about sexuality, culture, politics, and the media.

Each year Marty trains thousands of professionals across the US, Europe, and Asia. He has been an invited Master Presenter at nine state CAMFT conferences. Audiences consistently call his talks thought-provoking, practical, and entertaining.

Walk-ins are welcome.

This is a 1.5 CEU credit presentation.

TARGET AUDIENCE: LCSW, LMFT, LPCC

SCV-CAMFT is a CAMFT-approved Continuing Education Provider (CEPA 052466). This course meets the qualifications of continuing education credit for LMFTs, LPCCs, LEPs and/or LCSWs. SCV-CAMFT maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content.

Event Policy Information

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SCV-CAMFT               P.O. Box 60814, Palo Alto, CA 94306               mail@scv-camft.org             408-721-2010

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