Post-Graduate Program:
A One- Two or Three-Course Program for Sexological Bodyworkers.
Profesional development for embodied leaders
A Commitment to Lifelong Erotic Education
When we launched our school, it was important to us to design and offer training for professionals currently certified and practicing in the field of sexological bodywork and somatic sex education. This emerged from a collective belief that a foundational component of ethical practice is ongoing learning and professional development for practitioners in the field. Further, we wanted to offer the tools and values that we prioritize at the Institute to practitioners who have completed training at different schools, yet found themselves wanting to learn more about the specializations we prioritize at the Institute.
It has been a point of pride that we have established ourselves as leaders in our field, training motivated and adventurous practitioners invested in embodying personal and cultural erotic leadership. These practitioners are keen to practice a professional commitment to pleasure, consent, belonging, and erotic empowerment, and it is a point of joy that we have the opportunity to support remarkable professionals from around the world in our post-graduate program.
What We've Learned Through Listening
It has become an increasingly common experience for us to hear from practitioners who completed their training at other schools, or a number of years ago, that they’re not feeling equipped to support their clients with trauma-informed, consent-forward, gender-aware, and social justice-aligned perspectives and knowledge. Or, that practitioners are struggling to find trainings that are educationally robust, while also being aligned with their existing specialized skillset as sexological bodyworkers. Sometimes we hear that current practitioners are feeling a lack of clarity about how to best keep up with the rapidly evolving field of somatic sex education.
To that end, one foundational resource that we offer practitioners in the field is our evolving philosophy about the role of erotic touch as somatic sex educators. Namely, at the ISSSE we support our students in exploring the many ways to offer touch work, including options beyond the strict guidelines of sexological bodywork’s framework of only offering one-way touch, using gloves, staying clothed during sessions. While these guidelines are still at the core of what we teach, at the Institute we train our students how to offer bodywork sessions beyond this one directional framework in ways that encourage ethics, integrity, safety, and pleasure. As our lineage of practice is deeply rooted within various lineages of sex work, we believe in resourcing our students to make the choices that feel aligned for them as professionals in this cutting edge field.
And, of course, professional isolation can be a real challenge for those of us practicing in the field without a community of practice to learn from and contribute to.
Further, we at times hear from our current students or community members that they have experiences while seeking mentorship or sessions from long-established practitioners that there appear to be ‘gaps’ in their embodied skill sets regarding client attunement in sessions, facilitating client-directed experiences, and offering consent-informed practices.
Ready for professional development through our post grad program?
What You’ll Learn: Critical Skills for Erotic Touch Practitioners
All of these dynamics were factors we considered when initially designing our post-graduate program, and we are prouder than ever to offer this specialized professional training for certified sexological bodyworkers seeking continued professional development. We built this program to ensure that trustworthy and reviewed information about the nervous system, trauma, plus the values of transformative justice and racial justice could be found in a centralized location, while also offering mentorship and coaching to support professional evolution in this emergent and cutting-edge field.
At the Institute we are committed to offering expanded training in the neurobiology of touch, the impacts of trauma on the body, education about working with the nervous system and strategies for offering trauma-informed touch, as well as expanding awareness about the gender galaxy. More recently we have added the Loving Justice curriculum, a component of our program that specializes in embodied education about the core tenants of transformative justice and generative conflict resolution. We believe our Loving Justice curriculum to be critical in sustaining a values-driven somatic practice as well as providing much-needed guidance for attending to inevitable conflict or power imbalances that arise in private practice and professional community. We believe the values and philosophies of transformative justice set us apart as a school, and we are truly proud to be training embodied leaders in the field of somatic sex education. Further, we’re delighted to see that emerging generations of somatic sex educators are increasingly prioritizing these values and skills in their practices.
Focused, Thorough, and Designed for Practitioners in the Field
We know it can be very challenging to find training and resources that are targeted towards practitioners in our industry. Or to generally find trustworthy and high-quality professional development in this cutting-edge and niche field – which is yet another reason why we’re proud to offer our most critical teachings in this one professional development program which is predicated on the fact that our students are already practicing sexological bodyworkers. In our post graduate program, professionals have the opportunity to review the foundations of this modality as well as develop additional tools that will support the expansion and evolution of their currently operating practice.
We might be a great fit if you…
- Are a certified sexological bodyworker.
- Have professionally evolved past your original training.
- Feel aligned with the values of transformative justice, anti-oppression, and erotic liberation.
- Wish to learn more about the impacts of trauma as it shows up in your clients and yourself.
- Are seeking updated information about the gender galaxy.
- Crave an engaged community of practice, plus multiple weekly opportunities for professional support and education and a thriving online student-led Facebook community.
- Are able to be self-directed with online learning.
- Have access to financial resources for the training (learn more about course fees here).
- Feel ready for industry-specific, thorough, and multi-faceted professional development.
- Have dependable access to the internet, with no content blockers that limit your access to sexually explicit content.
And, this training might not be for you if you:
- Do not have the time or space or financial resources needed to commit to the coursework.
- Find yourself easily triggered when reading about, listening to, or discussing sexual & racial injustices, or other systemic oppressions.
- Are unwilling to explore somatic or touch-based practices.
- Expect extensive 1:1 coaching or personal therapy.
- Are driven by meticulous, dogmatic, or otherwise perfectionistic values.
Your Learning Ecosystem: What To Expect
If you choose to register for our post-graduate training program, this is what to expect upon registering:
Content & Assignments
Immediate access to the entire course content and assignments for our post-grad program. (Learn more about our syllabus and course duration here)
Weekly Zoom Calls
Access to weekly Community of Practice Zoom calls with other students and graduates of the program.
Weekly Advanced Student Calls
Access to weekly Advanced Student Calls with other advanced students at our school for peer supervision and support.
BIPOC Community of Practice Calls
BIPOC students have access to bi-weekly BIPOC only Community of Practice calls that have been developed to support racialized students in the program.
BIPOC Financial Support
BIPOC students have access to financial support for enrolment fees.
Access to our BIPOC Faculty Liaison
BIPOC students have access to the BIPOC Faculty Liaison for information and support as a racialized student in the program.
Facebook Group
Access to the Institute’s student-led Facebook page, which is a wealth of information and a powerful networking resource.
Personal Faculty Mentor
Access to your personal Faculty Mentor. Your faculty mentor is available for questions, meetings, and other support throughout your course. Over the course of your training, you will have approximately four hours of 1:1 support with your Faculty Mentor.
Orientation Information
An introductory email sent within 24 business hours with orientation information and relevant links regarding your BIPOC Faculty Liaison, your Faculty Mentor, your Community of Practice call schedule, the student-led Facebook page, and other relevant orientation information.
We’d Love to Welcome You!
If you’ve made it here, and are feeling a big “Yes!” in your body, our post graduate program might be a great fit for you. Take your time – your discernment is important – and when it’s feeling right, we’d love for you to join our school and community. If we haven’t addressed any questions you still have, please email us and we’d be happy to make sure you have the information you need to make an informed decision. Just write us at info@somaticsexeducator.com
Investment:
Post Grad Course 1: USD$795
Post Grad Course 2: USD$2,095 (Online) / USD$2,295 (In-person)
Post Grad Course 3: USD$2,295
Total Investment: USD$5,385 – USD$5,585
Haven’t read our FAQ page yet? Read more here.
From Our Past Students
Curious about what graduates of our school have to say?
This work can be deep, transformative and an opportunity for growth. I appreciate the facilitators of this training program in providing capacity with a space to be heard, listened to, and showing up authentically in a judgment free community environment. Being able to connect with like minded individuals is beautiful. I was able to move through some deep moments and grow at my own pace. I appreciate the individual and collective support throughout the training program. As a person of the Global Majority and sex working advocate, I appreciate the support of joining affinity spaces to reflect, integrate, face challenges and celebrations with vulnerability amongst folxs holding space for one another. This experience was enriching, helpful and brought many meaningful moments for my personal and continued exploration of my embodied path and in being able to work with and support others.
Graduating from the Institute for the Study of Somatic Sex Education in Victoria, BC has been a deeply transformative experience. This program invited me into profound personal growth while equipping me with the skills and frameworks to guide others on their journeys of sexual healing and empowerment.
The faculty cultivated an environment of safety, permission, and curiosity—qualities that are now central to my own practice. I especially appreciated my mentor, Katie, who went above and beyond to customize my experience and ensure I received the support, practices, and guidance I needed to build my confidence as a practitioner. Her dedication and willingness to go the extra mile made a lasting impact on my learning journey.
Through a balance of academic rigor and experiential learning, I developed the confidence to hold space for vulnerability, exploration, and embodied change. What I carry forward most is the power of permission, pleasure, and passion. Permission to be fully present in our own bodies, pleasure as a source of wisdom and healing, and passion as a force for authentic connection. This training continues to shape who I am as a practitioner and as a human being, and I am deeply grateful.
Studying at The Institute for The Study of Somatic Sex Education was a precious gift to myself. Remembering how to confide in the desires of my soft animal body has been a wellspring of wisdom that’s shifted how I relate to life, others and the more than human world in a way that feels evermore true to my flesh and integrity. I’ve deepened my skills in giving and receiving, and I’ve learnt how to unwind my shame and perfectionism while honouring the sacredness of my grief and the unknown along the way.
So many things set this institute apart from other somatic schools and one of them is their genuine approach to community care. They value and embody accountability, accessibility and acknowledge the dynamics of power and oppression. Also the ongoing access to community/peer support has been essential.
SSE is an ode to our spirits and a homecoming to our bodies. It’s building a culture of love and belonging and I’m grateful to be weaving with this community.
This training incorporates a wide range of topics within somatic sexology. The curriculum is actively being expanded and adapted to reflect the progression of the field. Institute faculty supported me in exploring my unique interests, and celebrated diverse learning styles in a way that allowed me to excel in the program.
As someone who is neurodivergent and was new to somatics at the time of my enrolment, I was offered space to creatively find my own way of engaging with the content. I loved how I was encouraged to be myself and practise different ways to be in my body. This flexibility was framed within trauma informed ethics and core values for care-fully working with clients.
The Institute is committed to building bridges with other sex educators and aligned fields, which continues to enrich my professional development and networking opportunities after graduation.
"I believe that we learn many of these skills through community - being a part of an organization that practices a culture of deep commitment and repair at all levels has been inspiring. Being able to experience the SSE skills not only in class demos but also in relationships, is a huge part of what I have gotten out of the program. I have met some of my favourite people through the ISSSE and have mentors and colleagues that I learn from and look up to. The graceful facilitation of the teaching team has been a huge benefit to me.
It may be important for future students to know that Somatic Sex Education will draw heavily on your own unique crossroads of skills and special interests, no two SSEs practice the same or have the same skill set to offer. It may also be helpful to know that you can wait until CC4/CC5 to pick some of your electives, that way you can specialize in areas you are feeling drawn to which you may not discover until later on. You can choose to round out your own learning where you want to go deeper or feel the need for supplemental curriculum."
"The ISSSE program has been nothing short of transformative for me. Through its integrative approach, I've learned to truly inhabit my body and connect with my felt senses in ways I never imagined. This newfound embodiment has not only enhanced my well-being when it comes to intimacy and sex, but has also equipped me with invaluable tools to understand trauma, effectively communicate, and teach others how to do the same.
The program strives to continually update its content to address contemporary societal challenges, ensuring its teachings remain impactful and timely. Additionally, ISSSE also provides invaluable insights and techniques on respectful touch, emphasizing consent and communication in intimate interactions.
Overall, the ISSSE has empowered me not only to deepen my own embodiment journey but also to inspire and guide others toward a more connected and pleasurable way of living. It's more than just a program; it's a pathway to personal and sexual empowerment."