Clinical Sexologist Certification
STTI Certification serves the purpose of:
♦ Protecting the public.
♦ Assuring consumers that practitioners have met standards of practice.
♦ Meeting the requirements of professional boards and other certifying bodies.
♦ Advancing the profession.
♦ Enhancing a professional’s practice and developing a marketing niche.
♦ Demonstrating an individual’s commitment to their profession.
STTI credentials human sexuality professionals according to high standards of academic instruction, supervised training and consultation, and applied skills in field settings.
STTI offers three levels of certification:
- Sex Therapist
- Clinical Sexologist
- Human Sexuality Professional
Requirements for each certification include education in specific core areas and supervised work experience, as described below.
Applicants for certification will submit proof of attainment of all requirements to the STTI Board for approval.
Education in the form of academic degrees, specialized programs in sexology, and conferences/workshops are applied towards the certification requirements.
Certification also requires work in the particular field in which the aspirant wants to specialize. This work needs to be supervised by trained and credentialed professionals who will assess and strengthen the skills needed for practical application.
STTI Membership
Certified professionals may hold a Full or Student membership for as long as they comply with requirements for their specific certification.
Code of Ethics
Members will adhere to the Code of Ethics for their particular field (i.e.: Clinical Social Work, Psychology, Nursing, etc.) including, but not limited to, the following:
- American Mental Health Counselors Association (http://www.amhca.org/assets/content/CodeofEthics1.pdf)
- The Association for Addiction Professionals (http://www.naadac.org/resources/codeofethics)
- American Nurses Association (http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/EthicsStandards/CodeofEthicsforNurses)
- Association of American Educators (http://www.aaeteachers.org/index.php/about-us/aae-code-of-ethics)
- American Psychological Association (http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx)
- National Association of Social Workers (http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp)
Human Sexuality Education
All applicants shall have completed a minimum of 120 hours of human sexuality education in the following areas (10 hours each):
- Sexual and reproductive anatomy and
- Developmental
- Gender Identity
- Socio-cultural factors in sexual values and
- Interaction between sexuality and dynamics of interpersonal and family
- Diagnosis of sexual dysfunctions, disorders, and
- Treatment of sexual dysfunctions, disorders, and
- Risk assessment with sex
- Sexual abuse
- Sexually Transmitted
- Legal, ethical, and forensic issues in sex
- Victimology and Victim Therapy
All courses incorporate Theory, Method, Technique and Principles into the content.
Education credits may be accepted from other institutions and will be reviewed upon application to the STTI program.
Each class provides practicum experience by exposure to treatment of clinical cases through observation, demonstration, video presentation and role-playing.
Supervision
All applicants shall participate in thirty (30) hours of group supervision and case study and complete ten (10) hours of individual supervision with an STTI approved supervisor.
Supervision is the relationship between the qualified supervisor and intern that promotes the development of
- responsibility,
- skills,
- knowledge,
- attitudes and
- adherence to
- •ethical,
- •legal and
- •regulatory standard
Supervisees will sign a contract with the supervisor, in which the duties, responsibilities, and expectations will be clearly delineated.
Group supervision will be provided at the end of each class period and will be open to all class attendees. Individual supervision may include two supervisees and include work products such as process notes, videos, workshop presentations, or other demonstrations of the applicant’s skills, knowledge, and abilities.
Application and Approval Process
There is no membership application fee for STTI students. Non-STTI applicants shall pay a non-refundable fee of $300.
Applications shall include the following:
- Completed STTI application form
- Copies of licenses, certifications, or degrees
- Copies of educational certificates
- Documentation attesting to work experience
- Written recommendation from STTI approved supervisor
- One personal and one professional endorsement
Upon receipt of the application package, the STTI Board will review all documentation and approve or deny the application for certification. A denial may be appealed with a request in writing within ten (10) calendar days and a date for a personal appeal to the Board will be scheduled.
Applicants approved for certification will receive a certificate effective for two (2) years. Renewal of Human Sexuality Professional and Clinical Sexologist certification will be subject to completion of ten (10) continuing education hours in a relevant subject area. Sex Therapists and Psychologists shall complete an additional 30 hours of education in the following content areas within two (2) years after the initial certification for renewal and continued membership and ten (10) hours during each subsequent two-year renewal period.
- 1.Research on sexual dysfunctions, disorders, and
- 2.Sexual offender
- 3.Medical factors related to sexuality and sexual
Students may substitute content areas if requested and approved by the STTI Board.
Renewal fee is $100.
All certified professionals will be listed in the STTI Membership Directory and their information will be available online.
Individuals from a variety of fields take the STTI training in order to enhance the work they do:
- Physicians
- Nurses
- Professors
- Therapeutic sex-aid consultants
- Christian counselors
- Addiction counselors
- Physical therapists
- Writers
- Actors
Some individuals simply want a better understanding of human sexuality and all that encompasses.
Those eligible for certification include:
- educators who want to include human sexuality in their programs
- business entrepreneurs who want to include sex education in their provision of goods and services
- coaches who want to help encompass sex coaching in their practices
- healthcare providers who want to enhance their knowledge of sexual behavior
Academic and Credentialing Requirements
Applicants shall have earned one of the following:
- 1.Master’s degree or higher in a human service field, including, but not limited to,
- Psychology
- Mental Health Counseling
- Marriage and Family Counseling
- Nursing
- Nutrition and Dietetics
- Midwifery
- Education
- Theology
- Pastoral Counseling
- Addictions Counseling
- Medicine or Osteopathy
- 1.Certification or license in a human service related area, including, but not limited to
- Nursing
- Addictions
- Behavioral Management
- Education
- Transgender Care
- Life Coaching
- Pastoral Care
Education credits may be accepted from other institutions and will be reviewed upon application to the STTI program.
Clinical, Field Work, or Practicum Training
Competence in an applicant’s area of interest and specialty will be gained and demonstrated through actual work experience. The applicant will complete eighty hours (80) of work under the guidance and supervision of a Board approved supervisor. The work will take place in a setting appropriate for the particular specialty area in which the applicant intends to practice.
Work experience may encompass the following:
- Supportive counseling in an agency setting
- Supportive counseling to individuals and their families dealing with such concerns as transgender or orientation.
- Counseling in a religious or pastoral setting
- Education in a professional setting
Workshop or seminar presentations
