Preferred registration deadline: April 4th

3 CEs

This workshop will explore and challenge clinicians’ beliefs about sex and coupling, specifically what is ‘perversion’ and what is ‘healthy’ coupling. Most of us have come of age and been trained to still consider kink as deviant and as deriving from early childhood trauma or exposure to overt sex. Most of us think of multiple partners, open relationships, and group marriages as resulting from overly sexual men.

This workshop will challenge all of that and more as we explore the reality that kink is just as valid an expression of healthy sexuality as the missionary position between a male and a female and that polyamory is also a deeply embedded aspect of identity for many, just as monogamy is for some. With more of our patients opening up to all aspects of their identity and sexuality, it's crucial for healthcare providers to be inclusive and understanding of all patients.

This is an in-person workshop that will be held on Washington University’s Danforth Campus. The exact location and direction will be emailed to registered participants before the course date.

This workshop meets the licensure requirement for 3 hours of continuing education in diversity/cultural competency/humility.

General Admission: $65**
**Eligible discounts can be applied during checkout.

Class size is limited to 45.

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Course Outline

Content Level: Beginner

Target Audiences: Therapists and/or other mental health providers (Social workers, counselors, psychologists, etc.)

Agenda:

• Introductions (10 min)
• Introduction to Kink and Polyamory (45 min)
• Dispelling Perversion: Becoming Kink Aware (50 min)
• Understanding BDSM and how to guide patients (50 min)
• Wrap up (10 min)

*A 5-minute break will occur approximately halfway through the workshop.  

Learner Outcomes

• Define kinky sexual practices.
• Explain the basic guidelines of engaging in safe and consensual kink sex.
• Explore power and privilege in the context of sexual relationships and coupling.
• Examine the history of perversion in clinical thought and its impact on therapists’ ability to work effectively in these areas.
• Describe and develop an expanded understanding of relationships, sexuality, and coupling.

Course Completion Requirements:

• The Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, Professional Development, provider #2130, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 9/24/2024 – 9/24/2025. Social workers completing this course receive 3 cultural competence continuing education credits.

• The Brown School is also an approved provider of Social Work CEs in Missouri and Illinois.

• To earn ACE credit, attendees must arrive at the scheduled time, attend the entire course, and complete an online course evaluation. ACE credit is not provided for partial attendance.  However, you may still qualify for partial Social Work Missouri and Illinois CEs provided by the Brown School.

• Brown School CE Certificates will be available online within 10 business days of course completion by visiting your learner profile at https://ce.wustl.edu/portal/logon.do?method=load&parentSite=brown. You will receive an email notification with specific instructions for accessing the online certificate when it is available. ACE CE Certificates, if requested in your evaluation survey, will be emailed within 10 business days of course completion.

• For more information about CEs, accessibility, refund/cancelation policy, our grievance policy, or other inquiries please visit our About Us page or email brownprofdev@wustl.edu.