Electives
Your electives are decided in consultation with the ISSSE faculty and can include online and in-person courses on sex, sexuality and business development. Electives support each of our students in developing their competencies and following their passions while creating their own professional practice. The following courses are pre-approved electives. Up to two of these courses can be taken for credit before acceptance into Core Course Two: Erotic Practice for Somatic Sex Education. Your electives can also include other relevant online and in-person trainings that are approved by the faculty. If you have already taken trainings that you think may be eligible as electives, you can make application for their approval after completing Core Course 1.
Wheel of Consent: Like a Pro with Dr. Betty Martin or a certified teacher
“The wheel of Consent” is an experiential workshop for touch professionals that teaches about the 4 quadrants of touch found in the wheel of consent; Accepting, Serving, Taking and Allowing. Learn the difference between willing and wanting, and ask yourself great questions like “who is this for?” and “is this a gift I’m willing to give”?.
Cascadia Holistic Peer Counselling with Helena De Felice, Sarabell Eisenfeld, and Mischa Gilraen
Cascadia Holistic Peer Counseling is an emotional resilience practice, giving you the ability to know when your internal state needs loving attention and training you in communication skills that help you “BE with” emotions and dis-spell trance traumas from the past.
Engaging in this practice gives access to:
- a sense of belonging that is secure and stable,
- a network of regular, reliable, and loving support for your feelings,
- distinguishing internal distress patterns, and
- developing new habits and expressions.
We focus on consent, deconstructing oppression, developing resonance through oxytocin generating exercises, practicing open and honest communication, and developing skillful loving techniques for conflict resolution that we bring into our existing communities.
Holistic Peer Counselling with Nekole Shapiro and HPC Mentors Group
HPC is “Do It Yourself (DIY)” technology. This means every person who takes the course learns both counseling and clienting skills and practices both roles. In this way, the person being counseled is always in control. They know the techniques, and decide to utilize their triggers as catalysts for healing or not. HPC breaks the dynamic of, “I am healer” and “you heal me”. It recognizes that we all have the ability to give and receive loving attention that provides an opportunity for healing.
Intimacy Educator Training with Caffyn Jesse
This online program in the art and science of sacred intimacy is a journey of reweaving sex and soul. Erotic massage, practiced with friends or professionally, can support sexual healing and community well-being. You will learn the neurobiology of empowering choice and voice, plus sensual massage, genital anatomy, genital dearmouring, and the integration of science, sex and spirit.
Yoga Therapy for Sexual Wellness with Corinne Diachuk SSE
YTSW is the adaptation of yoga practices for people with a specific focus on increasing sexual well being. In my private practice, I offer what I refer to as “client empowered movement”. I am excited to welcome yoga teachers, somatic sex educators, and all health care practitioners to this 20-hour workshop in person or online to explore a series of yoga forms, breathwork practices, and visualizations from a place of embodied consent
Somatic Sex Educators Supervision with Christiane Pelmas MSW, CSB
Eight week closed supervision groups supporting our work to learn the skills necessary to creatively, professionally and ethically guide our clients. Christiane says “As an SSE you’ve stepped into wild, often misunderstood and even feared terrain. You’ve also stepped into a field that will likely, within a short 10 years, be considered one of the most efficacious healing and empowerment modalities.”
Expressive Erotic Play : The Class with River Frey Drosera
The Erotic Arts Project will be hosting a month long online class dedicated to the Expressive Erotic Play practice. Complete with videos, a workbook, 2 group class calls, and two 30 min private coaching calls with River, you can explore your creativity and erotic body with individual and communal support.
The “Sexcessible” Practice: Sex and Disability for Somatic Sex Educators with Shauna Farabaugh
A five week online course to prepare somatic sex educators—skillfully, emotionally, and culturally—to support the learning goals of clients with disabilities or chronic conditions with confidence, professionalism, and respect.
Together We Fly - Facilitation skills for Somatic Sex Educators with Captain Snowdon and Seneca Beth Miller
In this three month training you will learn and practice skills and tools for leading and co-leading workshops, rituals, retreats, ongoing groups, professional development seminars and ceremonies, both online and in-person. You will leave with more confidence in bringing somatic sex education to groups of people in joyful, engaging and life changing ways. You will gain skills for regulating your nervous system while facilitating, get one-on-one facilitation coaching on your personal goals/intentions, deepen your anti-oppression and liberation facilitation lens, and more. The training consists of six, four-hour-long online workshops.
2025 Dates: The following Saturdays 10 am-2pm pst:
January 11, 18, 25 & February 1, 8, 22
To register: https://convive.teachable.com/p/together-we-fly-facilitation-skills-for-somatic-sex-educators1211
Email captain for more information: liam@captainsnowdon.ca
Foundations of Sexology:
Sex Coach U’s Foundations of Sexology special course package is designed to give you everything you need to know about the field of sexology and what to expect as a clinical sexologist. Courses address common sexual concerns and the ethical issues of a sexology practice. Online learning, 40+ hours, $699.
TRAUMA-FOCUSED PRACTICE WITH MEHDI DARVISH YAHYA
Racialized Trauma Online course by Resmaa Menekam
Body Poem with Katie Sarra
Created by Katie Sarra, who teaches the Certified Sexological Bodywork Program in the UK, “Body Poem” is a therapeutic tool designed to illuminate unknown and unspoken parts of the self via spontaneously emerging poetry.
Sexual Attitude Reassessment
Sexual Attitude Reassessment is a process-oriented exploration of one’s own feelings, attitudes, values, and beliefs regarding human sexuality and sexual behavior. Participants engage in personal exploration designed to support their understanding of how these attitudes and values affect them personally and professionally. A SAR encourages a non-judgmental and respectful mindset toward others, promoting acceptance and tolerance of human sexuality in all of its possible dimensions.
If you are interested in SAR as a pre-approved elective, please email the faculty to confirm that the workshop you wish to attend is facilitated by an approved provider: info@somaticsexeducator.com
Bodywork and Myofascial Release Training
Especially for Somatic Sex Educators and Professionals in the Field of Sexology
In this Introductory 15 hour course you will:
– learn how to incorporate more hands on work into your sessions with clients
– feel more confident with your bodywork skills and learn new techniques
– experience the power of myofascial release
– learn to hold space for emotions and trauma that has been held in the body
Taught by Ailsa Keppie BSc, RMT, SSE
Contact: ailsakeppie@gmail.com
www.pleasureforhealth.com
The Fascial Feel
an introductory course in trauma-informed myofascial release for Hands on practitioners – 16 hours
Myofascial release is a way of connecting to the body in a profound way. Taking this course as a therapist you will learn and experience ways to engage with the fascial tissue at the restriction or barrier, and learn to allow change, softening and releasing to happen. This physical and energetic communication between practitioner and client, and between the cells of the client’s own body, facilitate transformation and release of old patterns, toxins and beliefs that have held the body prisoner to pain and restrictive forces, sometimes for years.
Taught by Ailsa Keppie BSc, RMT, SSE
Contact ailsakeppie@gmail.com
www.pleasureforhealth.com
Cesarean Scar Tissue Remediation with Pati Garcia
Cesarean Scar Tissue Remediation is a vital but often overlooked aspect of post-cesarean recovery. This pre-recorded online course covers the anatomy and physiology of scar formation, massage techniques, and the application of castor oil packs to support healing. Designed for those who have experienced a cesarean birth, as well as practitioners like caregivers, massage therapists, and midwives, this course provides instruction on integrating scar tissue remediation (STR) techniques into practice. Prior experience is not required, but palpation skills can be beneficial. The course includes two pre-recorded video lessons, written materials, and access to live Q&A sessions to support learning and skill development. Participants also gain access to a community board for ongoing discussion and support. Register now to learn how to begin healing with scar tissue remediation techniques. More Information and Register Here: https://patricia-s-site-
Foundations in Somatic Abolitionism with Resmaa Menakem co-facilitated by Carlin Quinn
Choose: APR, JUNE, JULY, SEPT, OCT 2022
Somatic Abolitionism is an embodied anti-racist practice and process of culture building. This event offers a foundational base for developing the skills to cultivate somatic abolitionism personally and communally. This course is available to the general public.
Somatic Abolitionism is an emergent process, and a form of maturation into a more integrated human experience. It is an embodied anti-racist practice of cultural building. It is a way of being in the world. It is a return to the age-old wisdom of human bodies respecting, honoring, and resonating with other human bodies.
Somatic Abolitionism is not a human invention. It is the process of resourcing energies that are always present within one’s body, the collective body, and the world.
Embodied Grief Literacy for Touch Professionals by Kori & Jess
This two month training will give you a grounded understanding of the physiological processes surrounding grief and loss and a collection of tools and practices to support grief in the body. Grief is an embodied process and working with bodies means that as practitioners, we will be working with grief; this course will help give you the knowledge, skills and practice to do this responsibly. Rituals for tending your own grief will be interwoven with the tools to support clients; as we tend our own grief we are more able to tend the grief of others. This course is specifically for erotic touch professionals from a range of modalities.
You will leave with expanded knowledge of the ways grief exists individually and collectively, practical tools for supporting your clients when grief shows up in session, and ritual practices for alchemizing grief for yourself and others.
The training consists of eight, two-hour-long live online workshops and approximately 16 hours of practice to be completed outside of class with a practice partner or affinity group. Workshops will be recorded and available for viewing for a month following the last session.
2025 Dates: The following Mondays 11am – 1pm PST
January 27th – March 17th 2025
To register: https://www.belovedcoaching.net/embodied-grief-literacy
Email Kori or Jess for more information: softtouchbodies@gmail.com or jess@belovedcoaching.net
Unwinding Racism for White Practitioners
How does perfectionism show up in our bodies when we’re holding space for others? When does a sense of urgency get in the way of a client’s emergent process? Join a small cohort of practitioners in unwinding tendrils of white supremacy in our healing work. This online series offers small group space for white practitioners of all healing modalities to find somatic ways of being in power with clients, rather than power over. Facilitated by Somatic Sex Educator Mikai’el Jade and Surrogate Partner & Somatic Sex Education student Katherine Yeagel.
Through introspective practices, participants will examine the ways racism influences our professional roles and work with clients, such as intake forms, receiving feedback and celebrating progress. We will co-create a playful and loving environment where we can safely explore our own racist tendencies, compassionately hold ourselves accountable, and build the necessary literacy to identify and counteract internalized white supremacy. Equipped with tools for working with clients across racial lines, as well as clients who are working through their own internalized racism, we will become more attuned and agile in the healing work we do.
2025 Dates: The following 6 Mondays on Zoom from 9-10:30am PST / 12-1:30pm EST:
March 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st & April 7th
Sliding scale of $200 – $400 for whole series
To register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/unwinding-racism-for-white-practitioners-tickets-1041229273787?aff=oddtdtcreator
Personal Geometry: The Magic of Mat Work - Foundations & Sexuality Essentials
Personal Geometry® is a methodology that allows you/your clients to physically see, feel, and transform personal patterns that form relationship to self, others, and sexuality. Students can choose to enroll in either the Foundations Class (seven classes – 24.5 class hours with Ali and 8 hours of online video curriculum ) or combine Foundations with Sexuality Essentials (twelve classes – 38.5 class hours with Ali and 8 hours of online video curriculum).
In twelve weeks, students will experientially learn to:
- Use a body-based approach to get and give powerful, transformative insights within minutes
- Bypass the defense strategies of the ego/mind to access the pivotal information the body knows
- Understand the power of body maps and the meaning inherent in spatial relationships
- Collaborate with your clients to diagram their problematic dynamics so you can see them more clearly and they can shift them more easily
- Recognize how classic issues like dissociation, parentification, gender conflict, trauma, and addiction reveal themselves visually
Schedule:
Personal Geometry Foundations (Saturdays): Starts February 8, 2025
Sexuality Essentials (Wednesdays): Starts March 5, 2025
To enroll, head HERE, or email Ali directly at ali@alimezey.com
See the trailer: WATCH HERE