LONDON 2018-2019 TRAINING WORKSHOPS
What are the objectives of the training?
The training provides clinicians with the requisite clinical tools to carry out concrete, effective and time-efficient sex therapy interventions. The training is essential for all practitioners who want to become more competent when dealing with the sexual problems of their patients.
For how long has the training been offered?
The training has been offered for over 15 years, but almost exclusively in French (in France, Belgium, Canada, Reunion Island, and New Caledonia). Functional Sex Therapy has become widely used in France and Belgium.
For whom is the training intended?
The training is intended for psychologists, sexologists, general practitioner physicians, gynaecologists, psychiatrists, physiotherapists, counsellors, psychotherapists, social workers, nurses, midwives, sex educators and other health professionals. It is also open to graduate students in disciplines related to the fields of health and mental health.
How is the training structured?
The program consists of two four-day sessions, separated by five months. The training is conducted in the form of interactive seminars and includes theoretical content, detailed description of treatments, practical information on how to provide Functional Sex Therapy, exercises, case studies, clinical role-playing, and presentation of research supporting Functional Sex Therapy. Because of the small group interactive aspect, registration is limited to a maximum of 50 participants.
How does it differ from traditional sex therapy?
Functional Sex Therapy treatments are based on the model of sexual functionality developed by Dr François de Carufel. This model offers a clear understanding of the biological, personal, relational and social components involved in adequate sexual functioning. It includes both cognitive and corporeal methods of managing sexual excitement and enhancing emotional and physical connection. The training provides clear guidelines and effective tools to assess and treat the full spectrum of sexual dysfunctions including sexual desire disorders, premature ejaculation, coital anorgasmia, erectile dysfunction, vagnismus, dyspareunia, and delayed ejaculation.
Functional Sex Therapy treatments are structured, and training provides a detailed approach for working with clients. The assessments are comprehensive and encompass the diverse sexological and non-sexological factors involved in the genesis of sexual disorders. At the end of the training, the clinician is equipped with efficient Functional Sex Therapy techniques which are different from the ones used in common psychotherapies, couple therapies, and traditional sex therapy.
The Cochrane review of psychosocial interventions for treating premature ejaculation reported that Functional Sex Therapy was the best empirically supported psychological treatment of premature ejaculation and fully met the criteria of evidence based medicine.
What type of training is provided?
The training provided is twofold. First, the theoretical portion of the training is geared toward acquiring knowledge of the fundamentals of Functional Sex Therapy. Second, the practical portion aims to develop the clinical skills necessary for establishing a diagnosis, planning treatment, and delivering therapy.
Part of the clinical work focuses on changing the way patients think and move their bodies during sexual activities. These ways of thinking – associated with the inadequate use of sexual body movement – influence the course of sexual tension and have a major influence on the origin and course of various female and male sexual dysfunctions.