PACFA Course: TREAT OR REFER? WORKING WITH SEXUAL ISSUES
This course is designed to give counselling and psychotherapy professionals the confidence and skills to chat comfortably and competently about sexual concerns in therapy - because let's face it, sex is a big deal, and your clients want to talk about it! By the end of the course, you will be able to spot, bring up, and discuss common sexual issues with your clients, ease the tension sexual difficulties can put on relationships, and know when to offer help or refer them to a specialist if needed.
Why talk about sex in therapy? Well, because nobody else will - thanks to cultural taboos and social norms that keep people quiet. Your clients want this talk, and adding this skill to your toolkit makes your practice stand out.
Worried you need to be a sex expert? Don't be! Only about 5 to 10% of clients need a specialist. Most sexual concerns can be handled with a sex-positive, open-minded approach and the right vocabulary — and that's exactly what you'll get here.
Course Content
- Why and how to talk openly about sexual pleasure and arousal (and where to even start!)
- The messages we get about sex from family, culture, society, and religion, and how they shape desire, intimacy, and relationships
- Putting porn 'education' in its rightful place (spoiler: it's NOT always accurate)
- Changing how we label and understand barriers to pleasure
- Building a solid, comfortable vocabulary to chat about sexual pleasure and arousal
- Handling classic 'Not tonight, dear' scenario — when sexual desire doesn't match up
- Understanding how a rocky relationship (hello, dishwasher debates!) can tank your client's sex life
- Depathologising low or no sexual desire — because 'I don't feel like sex' is just okay
- Considering how trauma affects sexual arousal
- Navigating the tricky balance of 'my sexual needs aren't met' and 'my body is my own' — especially within monogamy
- Diving into vaginal penetration concerns like vaginismus, childbirth changes, menopause, and trauma effects on sexual response
- Existential struggles of having a penis: premature ejaculation, delayed ejaculation, erectile challenges, and the pesky 'performance anxiety'. And is "andropause" even a thing?
- Tough Cases - this is where you can submit your cases (or a case "about a friend"!) for the group to apply what we have learned throughout the course and come up with some brilliant strategies, together!
Whether you're a seasoned therapist or new to sexual health conversations, this course is your ticket to confidently opening up the dialogue and helping clients lead happier, healthier intimate lives.
Session Dates
- Tuesday August 11: 10am - 11.30am AEST
- Tuesday August 18: 10am - 11.30am AEST
- Tuesday August 25: 10am - 11.30am AEST
- Tuesday September 1: 10am - 11.30am AEST
- Tuesday September 8: 10am - 11.30am AEST
- Tuesday September 15: 10am - 11.30am AEST
Learning Outcomes
- Facilitate comfortable conversations about sexual concerns by developing sex-positive vocabulary and communication techniques to address common intimate issues that arise in therapeutic settings
- Assess and differentiate between sexual concerns that can be addressed within general therapy practice versus those requiring specialist referral, understanding the scope of practice for non-specialist practitioners
- Analyze how cultural, social, and relational factors impact sexual wellbeing including family messages, religious influences, relationship dynamics, and trauma effects on sexual arousal and desire
- Address common sexual difficulties such as mismatched desire, performance anxiety, penetration concerns, and ejaculatory issues while maintaining appropriate boundaries and avoiding pathologizing normal variations
- Integrate sexual health discussions into existing therapeutic practice with confidence, recognizing sexual concerns as legitimate therapeutic issues that significantly impact clients' overall wellbeing and relationships
Disclaimer
This course will use binary pronouns (he/she) as well as the inclusive pronoun ‘they’ wherever possible, to address the broadest possible demographic. It is not limited to heterosexual or cisgender populations, nor solely to sexually or gender diverse populations but rather to psychosexual issues experienced by people of all genders and sexual orientations to varying degrees.
The course content reflects the professional journey, perspective and experience of the presenter. While no single course can address all aspects of sexuality or therapeutic approaches, participants will be able to bring forward topics, questions and case studies for group discussion. Attendees are encouraged to approach the material with an open mind and value diverse perspectives.
This is the second edition of the course, redesigned and revised based on feedback and consultation with the PACFA community.
Presenter: Anya Grichina
Anya Grichina is a qualified sex therapist and relationship counsellor based in Sydney, Australia. She holds a Bachelor of Counselling from the Australian College of Applied Psychology and a Master of Science in Medicine (Sexual and Reproductive Health) from the University of Sydney.
Anya works with individuals and couples on a wide range of issues including sexual health, intimacy, relationship challenges, and exploring alternative relationship structures. Her practice, "Intimate Matters," emphasizes a shame-free, affirming, and supportive environment to help clients build fulfilling sexual and emotional connections. She also provides therapy for LGBTQ+ clients, and those seeking to navigate open relationships or non-monogamy, as well as those dealing with issues like trauma, infidelity, and sexual functioning.
She actively challenges myths and taboos around sexual pleasure, emphasizing that a fulfilling intimate life is not only about the absence of dysfunction but the presence of joy, agency, and connection. Anya is known for integrating pleasure-focused techniques into therapy and counselling, encouraging clients to reframe guilt or shame with empowerment and self-understanding. Through workshops, podcast interviews, professional training, and accessible resources, she advocates that pleasure is a key component of sexual well-being—not just a luxury or afterthought. She is very passionate about pleasure focused sex education and therapy.
This course counts towards 9 hours of Category A CPD (Continuing Professional Development).
You must attend 75% of the course to receive a CPD certificate.
Ticket Prices
PACFA Members: $290.00 + GST ($319.00)
Non-Members: $390.00 + GST ($429.00)
Please check your time zone to avoid disappointment
Recordings provided to all registrants
What to Expect After You Register
Once registered, your personal Zoom link will be dispatched directly to you via email from Zoom within 1 hour of registration and from [email protected] within 24 hours prior to the event. Please keep an eye on your inbox for an email from Zoom ([email protected]). All future correspondence pertaining to this event, including event recordings, will be communicated through the PACFA email address ([email protected]). To ensure a seamless experience, we recommend adding both email addresses to your safe sender list to prevent missed communications.
Alternatively, you can find the Zoom link if you log into your account under the "My events" tab.
Event Cancellations
Customers seeking to cancel their registration more than 5 working days (for courses) and 48 hours (for webinars) prior to the event date may request a credit to be applied to their account. Cancellations must be made in writing to [email protected]. Cancellations made with less notice than this are non-refundable or exchangeable. Credits are valid for up to a year from the purchase date. This policy is at PACFA's discretion and may change.
Registration
Registration ends 10/08/2026 9:00 PM AUSEST