September 11, 2026 | 9:30AM - 3:00PM Eastern Time

Divorce and Separation: A Sex Therapy Approach

The purpose of this course is to provide an orientation and framework for clinicians who are interested in working with clients, both individuals and families, who are going through all stages of separation and divorce.

Course Description:

 This one-day workshop prepares therapists to work with couples and individuals moving through separation and divorce, with a focus most trainings leave out: the sexual and intimate life of the people ending a relationship. Participants will learn to understand divorce as a multi-stage process, recognize its most common causes, and work skillfully with the ambivalence so many clients carry even after the decision seems made. The course covers assessment and safety screening, the multiple losses of divorce, co-parenting and blended families, recovery from infidelity, and the renegotiation of sexual identity and confidence after a defining relationship ends. Every topic is applied to both heterosexual and LGBTQ+ clients, and the day closes with the ethical foundations of affirmative, non-biased divorce work. Clinicians will leave with a clear framework and concrete tools they can use immediately in practice.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will be able to:

• Explain divorce as a multi-stage process and summarize its most common causes.
• Apply a non-directive stance to clients who are ambivalent about divorcing.
• Screen for intimate partner violence and select an appropriate treatment frame.
• Assess sexual and intimacy factors as both causes and consequences of separation.
• Guide clients through losses, co-parenting, and post-divorce sexual recovery.
• Apply core ethical standards, including affirmative practice with LGBTQ+ clients, across all cases.