Do your couples get “entrained” during sex? Does their relationship have an “erotic thread”? Do they engage sexually within a “shared desire framework?” Are they integrating “psychological stimuli” into their sexual experiences?
So Tell Me about the Last Time You Had Sex is the title of Dr. Kerner’s most recent book and a question he regularly asks couples during an initial sex therapy session. Every sexual event tells a story that has a beginning, middle and end, and includes a sequence of interactions (physical, emotional, psychological) that constitute what Dr. Kerner calls the “sex script.”
In this presentation, Dr. Kerner will demonstrate the art and science of a “sex script analysis” and how this iterative approach can be instrumental in both assessing a case and generating an initial formulation, as well as yielding a diagnostic through-line from session to session that often includes homework assignments. Blending science, research and clinical examples, Dr. Kerner will demonstrate how sexual impasses are often embedded in the sex script and how he helps couples rewrite those scripts from “problem” to “pleasure” in a solutions-oriented manner.
Learning Objectives:
- To assess sexual problems through the lens of a sex script analysis
- To introduce an “intersectional lens” to a biopsychosocial model
- To describe the component parts of the sexual response cycle and the characteristics of each phase
- To help couples get “entrained” during sex and also develop an “erotic thread” throughout their relationship
- To identify multiples behavioral intervention using psychogenic stimulation to explore core erotic themes and address arousal discrepancy
- To describe the role that developmental trauma can play in impacting sexual function
- To identify trauma-processing modalities that integrate with a sex therapy treatment plan
Presenter:
Ian Kerner, PhD, LMFT is the co-Director of the sex therapy program at the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy and contributes regularly on the topic of sexual health for CNN. He is the New York Times best-selling author of She Comes First (Harper Collins) which has been translated into more than a dozen languages and he maintains a private practice in NYC dedicated to honoring the centrality of sexuality in his patients’ lives.
AASECT Continuing Education Information
This program meets the requirements of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT) and is approved for 5 CE credits. These CE credits may be applied toward AASECT certification and renewal of certification. Completion of this program does not ensure or guarantee AASECT certification. For further information please contact info@assect.org.
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Sex in Action: Assessing and Rewriting a Couple’s Sex Script in Real-Time
April 4, 2025
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Ian Kerner, PhD, LMFT
5 CE Contact Hours
In-Person at Ackerman Institute for the Family