In most jurisdictions, "sex therapist" is not a protected title, which means the words on a profile do not by themselves tell you what training sits behind them. This is exactly the situation in which a formal, verifiable certification becomes valuable — and in this field, one exists.
The American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT) certifies clinicians as Certified Sex Therapists. Unlike the unregulated title, the certification has published requirements, a review process, continuing-education obligations, and a public directory of certificants. It is checkable in a way that most claimed specialties are not.
What the certification requires
Requirements are set by AASECT and are periodically revised, so the association's current standards are the authority. In broad terms, certification as a sex therapist requires all of the following:
- An underlying clinical license. Certification is layered on top of an independent mental health license — it does not substitute for one.
- Substantial human sexuality coursework. A defined body of academic training across a specified list of content areas: sexual anatomy and physiology, sexual development across the lifespan, sexual orientation and gender identity, sexual dysfunctions, and more.
- Sex therapy training specifically. Coursework in the clinical treatment of sexual concerns, distinct from general sexuality education.
- Supervised clinical hours in sex therapy, with a substantial portion supervised by an AASECT-Certified Supervisor.
- A Sexual Attitude Reassessment (SAR). A structured, experiential process — typically a multi-day workshop — in which clinicians examine their own values, biases, and reactions around sexuality.
- Ongoing continuing education to maintain the credential.
The SAR requirement is the one people find surprising, and it is arguably the most valuable. Sexual material naturally engages a clinician's own values, and the SAR gives them a structured setting in which to examine their reactions to non-monogamy, kink, asexuality, sex work, and desire of every kind — before a client is in the room. It is a large part of why certified clinicians tend to feel so unflappable to talk to.
The related credentials
AASECT certifies in more than one category, and the distinctions matter when reading a profile.
Certified Sex Therapist (CST)
A licensed mental health clinician certified to provide psychotherapy for sexual concerns. This is the credential relevant to treatment for desire discrepancy, painful sex, erectile or orgasmic difficulties, compulsive sexual behavior, sexual trauma, and sexual concerns within relationships.
Certified Sexuality Counselor
Certified to provide shorter-term, focused counseling and problem-solving around sexuality — a narrower scope than sex therapy, often practiced in medical or educational settings.
Certified Sexuality Educator
Certified to teach and provide information, not to provide psychotherapy. A valuable role, but a different one; an educator credential on a therapy profile is not the same claim as a CST.
"AASECT-trained" or "working toward certification"
Legitimate and worth stating honestly — certification takes years. But it is a claim about being in progress, not a completed credential, and it should be described that way. A clinician in supervision toward certification can be an excellent choice; the question is whether they say so plainly.
When certification matters most
For some concerns, general therapy skill goes a long way. For others, sexuality-specific training changes the treatment substantially: sexual pain conditions requiring coordination with a physician or pelvic floor physical therapist; erectile, arousal, or orgasmic difficulties where medical and psychological factors interact; compulsive sexual behavior, where models vary widely and some popular frameworks are not empirically supported; sexual concerns after trauma; and desire discrepancy in relationships.
For clients whose sexuality falls outside the assumed default — LGBTQ+ clients, people in consensually non-monogamous relationships, kink-involved clients, asexual clients — the SAR requirement is a meaningful signal on its own, though it is not a substitute for asking directly about experience with your specific situation.
Questions worth asking
- "Are you AASECT certified, in the certification process, or neither?"
- "Where did your sexuality-specific training come from, and how many hours?"
- "Have you completed a SAR?"
- "Do you coordinate with physicians or pelvic floor physical therapists when a medical component is involved?"
- "What is your experience with clients in situations like mine specifically?"
One practical note: AASECT maintains a public directory of certified members, and certification status can be confirmed there directly. Verifying a credential takes a few minutes and settles the question.
- "Sex therapist" is unprotected; AASECT certification is defined and verifiable.
- Certification requires a clinical license, sexuality coursework, sex therapy training, supervised hours, and a SAR.
- CST, sexuality counselor, and sexuality educator are three different credentials.
- "Working toward certification" is legitimate, and clinicians will tell you where they are in it.
- Certification status can be checked in AASECT's public directory.
References
- American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists. Requirements for Sex Therapist Certification. Retrieved from aasect.org.
- American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists. Sexual Attitude Reassessment (SAR) Guidelines. Retrieved from aasect.org.
- Binik, Y. M., & Hall, K. S. K. (Eds.). (2020). Principles and Practice of Sex Therapy (6th ed.). Guilford Press.