Helping Clients Recover Sexual and Relational Health After Sexual Trauma
The word “survivor” has emerged strongly within our cultural lexicon due to more forward-facing, high-profile cases of sexual perpetration, thus establishing a social declaration for sexual healing and empowerment. Sexual abuse, assault, harassment and rape happen to one out of every six women, one out of every thirty-three men, and a disproportionately higher percentage (66% higher) of non-binary and transgender identified people in the United States (rainn.org). The aftermath of these traumas include the burden of belief in addition to survivors’ often solitary journey toward mind/body health. Repairing what has been lost to sexual trauma is necessary, even vital to the process of recovery, but it’s not enough. Surviving is the beginning though certainly not a sufficient or acceptable end.
This course explores what comes next as clients move toward sexual and relational health. Practitioners will learn how to help clients shift from surviving to thriving—from merely existing to fully living—by reimagining what their individual and relational evolutions entail. This seminar not only draws from contemporary research in sex therapy and somatic psychology, offering theories and tools to ground survivors in concepts of safety, security and trust, but it also reaches further into the realm of vitality, freedom, healthy relationships and great sex. Through specific somatic sex therapy protocols and case studies, practitioners will learn to guide clients on a holistic journey toward the rediscovery of desire, both for themselves and in their intimate relationships.
Based on the book Reclaiming Pleasure: A Sex-Positive Guide for Moving Past Sexual Trauma and Living a Passionate Life
Learning Objectives:
This training will provide participants clinical knowledge and tools to:
a). Understand the different types of sexual trauma including abuse, assault, rape and harassment.
b). Understand and gain awareness of the psychophysiology of sexual trauma response.
c). Name and discuss at least three clinical examples of ways to help clients reclaim sexual and relational health.
d). State what is meant by embodiment and empowerment through a trauma-informed somatic sex therapy lens.
e). Describe how concepts of eroticism are linked to integrated sexual and relational health.
CPD Information For Mental Health Professionals
Enjoy complete flexibility with 100% self-paced learning you can access anytime, anywhere, and on any device. Pay once for lifetime access.
Course Duration: 3.5 learning hours
Certificate and CPD hours: On completion you’ll receive a Certificate of Completion to support your CPD records.
Assessment: Complete a short quiz at the end (80% pass mark), which you can resit as many times as needed.
Lifetime Access: Your access to the course does not expire, so you can revisit key concepts anytime you want a refresher for practice.
CPD Eligibility: This program may be suitable for CPD for professionals such as:
- Psychologists
- Counsellors and Psychotherapists
- Social Workers
- Community Workers
- Mental Health Nurses
- General Practitioners (GPs)
- Occupational Therapists
CPD requirements vary between professional bodies, so please check with your association or credentialing body to confirm you can claim CPD hours/OPD points for this program and what evidence they require.
Course Content
Meet Your Instructor
Sexual trauma survivors who struggle to reclaim pleasure and intimacy - or couples trapped in sexless relationships - can need more than traditional talk therapy to heal the complex intersection of mind, body, and sexuality. Holly Richmond has spent over 16 years pioneering somatic approaches to sex therapy, becoming one of North America's leading experts in helping clients recover their full sexual potential through body-based healing.
As Associate Director of Modern Sex Therapy Institutes and author of the groundbreaking book Reclaiming Pleasure: A Sex-Positive Guide for Moving Past Sexual Trauma and Living a Passionate Life (New Harbinger, 2021), Dr. Richmond represents the cutting edge of trauma-informed sex therapy. Her unique Ph.D. in Somatic Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, combined with AASECT certification as a sex therapist, gives her rare expertise in addressing both the psychological and physiological aspects of sexual healing. With over 14,000 hours working specifically with sexual trauma survivors, she has helped thousands of individuals and couples move from sexual dysfunction to passionate, pleasure-filled lives.
Dr. Richmond's expertise spans sexual trauma recovery, sexless marriages, compulsive sexuality, desire discrepancies in couples, LGBTQ+ affirmative therapy, consensual non-monogamy, fertility concerns, and alternative sexual expression. Her somatic approach recognises that "there is nothing more body-based than sex," focusing on how trauma gets stored in the nervous system and how healing must address both mind and body. She specialises in cases where traditional therapy approaches have failed, particularly with clients who intellectualise their sexual issues without accessing the deeper somatic patterns that drive dysfunction.
What sets her training apart is integration of cutting-edge research with practical application. Richmond doesn't just teach techniques - she shows practitioners how to help clients reconnect with their bodies' natural capacity for pleasure and intimacy. Her work as a sextech consultant and "Next-Sex" platform research demonstrates her commitment to understanding how technology and sexuality intersect in modern therapeutic practice.
For your practice, expect to gain specific somatic interventions for sexual trauma, tools for working with couples experiencing desire discrepancies, and frameworks for creating sex-positive therapeutic environments. Her approach particularly benefits clinicians working with trauma survivors, couples in crisis, or practitioners wanting to develop specialised expertise in the growing field of sex therapy.
Quick Win: Richmond's "pleasure mapping" technique helps clients identify areas of their body that hold trauma versus areas that remain connected to pleasure - helping to create breakthroughs in body awareness and sexual healing.
Qualifications
- Ph.D., Somatic Psychology, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Los Angeles, 2014
- Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT), California, Oregon, New Jersey
- Certified Sex Therapist (CST), AASECT, 2014
- Certificate, Sexual Assault Counselor, State of California, 2009
- American Board of Sexology (ABS) recognition
- 16+ years in practice
- Over 14,000 hours working with sexual trauma survivors
Authored Publications
- Reclaiming Pleasure: A Sex-Positive Guide for Moving Past Sexual Trauma and Living a Passionate Life (2021, New Harbinger Publications, groundbreaking examination of somatic and psychological factors in survivors' recovery)
- Over 500 published works since beginning career in journalism (1994)
Teaching & Roles
- Associate Director, Modern Sex Therapy Institutes, West Palm Beach, FL, August 2022–present
- Somatic Psychotherapist, Private Practice, September 2008–present
- Certified Sex Therapist, AASECT, July 2014–present
- Licensed practitioner in California, Oregon, and New Jersey
Specialised Programs & Training
- Developer, Sexual Trauma Certification Program (one of the first in the industry)
- Professional conference presenter on somatic sex therapy
- Training provider for Modern Sex Therapy Institutes
- International sexual health coaching services
Clinical Specialties
- Sexual trauma recovery and somatic healing
- Sexless marriages and relationship issues
- Compulsive sexuality (often called "addiction")
- Desire discrepancies in couples
- LGBTQ+ affirmative therapy
- Consensual non-monogamy and alternative relationships
- Fertility concerns and sexual pain disorders
- Infidelity counseling and fetish exploration
Innovation & Research
- Pioneer in "Next-Sex" platform exploring technology's impact on sexuality
- Sextech industry consultant bridging sexual health and adult entertainment
- Researcher in sexual and technological development trends
- Forthcoming book on sex and technology
Ready to help clients reclaim their full sexual potential after trauma or relationship crisis? Discover how Dr. Richmond's somatic sex therapy methods can transform your ability to address the complex intersection of body, mind, and sexuality in healing.
Feedback & Reviews
This course includes:
- Lessons 2
- Topics 0
- Duration 3.5 hours
- Quizzes 1
- Language English