How to become a sex therapist

Creating this space to safely hold a client's vulnerable experience and to support their healing journey is an incredibly meaningful and rewarding professional focus.

There are different pathways to becoming a sex therapist that offer practical advantages and disadvantages and will also offer different frameworks for treatment and professional practice. When you are starting out on your journey and trying to figure out what pathways are right for you, it is helpful to be armed with information to make informed decisions about your future career.

I am a psychologist, so I am going to share information from that perspective. I will focus on psychology as a pathway (because this is what I am familiar with), but there are many other professional pathways including social work and counselling that may be helpful to explore if psychology isn't for you. First, I will outline a few common terms, so this can be differentiated from the work of a psychologist.

Here are some reflective questions to consider as you are reading this information and considering what might be right for you.

How much time am I willing/able to put into study?
What type of therapy do I want to deliver to clients?
Do you want to be a healthcare professional?
What are my salary/earning expectations?

‘Sex therapist’
A Sex Therapist is an umbrella term which refers to a professional who treats sexual issues. A Sex Therapist's approach to treatment and support varies based on profession and training. GPs, physiotherapists, counsellors, psychiatrists, sexologists, and psychologists can call themselves ‘sex therapists’ if this is their area of professional practice.

In Australia, a ‘Sex Therapist’ is not a regulated term, (meaning that anyone can use this term to describe their work) and there is no professional body that governs the practice of sex therapy. Sex Therapists, depending on their qualifications, may also not be registered health practitioners (AHPRA registered), so there may or may not be health laws and professional bodies that govern their practice and protect the rights of their client/patients.

‘Sexologist’
Someone who has completed sexology training or qualifications. They may research sexual behaviour or work in capacities that do not involve therapeutic intervention.

Curtin University and the University of Sydney offer Master Courses or Certificate qualifications (1-2 years). This means that you need to have completed an undergraduate qualification, however, there is no requirement for this degree to involve a therapy-relevant qualification/degree (e.g., counselling).

In Australia, the Society of Australian Sexologists offers memberships to those who work and study in this field. Clinical supervision pathways are offered as well as professional development and supervision.

A ‘Sexologist’ is also not a regulated term in Australia, meaning that anyone can use this term to describe their work. A ‘sexologist’ may not be a registered health practitioner, so there are health laws that may not govern their practice and protect the rights of their clients/patients.

Pathways to becoming a psychologist who is a sex therapist/sexual health psychologist

To become a psychologist, there are different study pathways. At a minimum, registration involves the completion of undergraduate study in psychology, completion of honours or graduate diploma, followed by 1 or 2 years of internship (4+2 or 5+1 pathway) where study and criteria must be followed by an examination. Instead of an internship, psychologists may also complete postgraduate degrees including a Master's Degree (some specific masters include counselling psychology, professional psychology, and clinical psychology), a Professional or Clinical Doctorate, or a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

To work in the area of sexual health/sex therapy as a psychologist, you must have completed relevant professional development. This can include the sexology courses above, specific professional development courses or SHIPS training. SHIPS training, as opposed to sexology or sexual science courses, teaches practitioners and students to utilise the psychology evidence-based models (learnt during their training as psychologists) to treat sexual issues.

In addition to initial training, Sexual Health Psychologists are required to engage in ongoing supervision to support their professional practice in this area. At SHIPS, we offer psychologists all of the above - supervision and training.

Time required for qualifications: 6 - 9 years

Some pros to consider:

Psychologists and clinical psychologists are eligible for Medicare numbers, so clients can receive a rebate on their sessions. This can help make the session more affordable for clients and increases the earning capacity of the psychologists.
Psychologists learn evidence-based treatment modalities so that when a client presents with sexual issues, they can treat the whole person, including any underlying traumas or comorbid psychological disorders that may be contributing the symptoms (and there usually are)
Psychologists have learnt the skills to treat complex presentations such as personality disorders, psychotic symptoms, self-harm and suicidal ideation.
Psychologists are required to engage in ongoing professional development to ensure the quality of their practice.
A Sexual Health Psychologist is registered with AHPRA which means they are required to adhere to health laws. The work that psychologists do is regulated and there are standards of practice and professional development that psychologists must meet in order to maintain their registration.

Cons:

The study period is longer (costs more)
Entry into postgraduate courses is competitive and there are limited spots available
The study involves learning statistics and academic writing (which is not for everyone!)