Current techniques and research in Couples therapy and relatioNship coaching
Join us for SHA’s premier event designed to sharpen your skills and expand your toolkit for working with couples on issues related to sexual health, intimacy, and connection. Whether you're a therapist, coach, educator, or medical professional, this evidence-based, research-driven event will elevate your expertise and give you new insights into the complexities of couples' sexuality.
Led by renowned researcher Dr. Rhonda Balzarini, this dynamic event features a powerhouse lineup of sexuality and relationship experts from top universities around the world. You’ll learn directly from the scholars whose research is shaping the future of sex and couples therapy.
What You’ll Learn:
How to address common sexual concerns like low desire, arousal differences, and female orgasm challenges
The impact of trauma on intimacy and how to support couples in reconnecting after traumatic experiences
Practical, science-backed strategies for improving communication and emotional attunement
Insights into the latest data on attachment styles, sexual satisfaction, and long-term relationship success
Inclusive approaches to working with diverse couples, including LGBTQIA+ relationships and non-monogamous dynamics
This event goes beyond theory—each session includes actionable takeaways, real-world applications, and opportunities to ask questions. You'll walk away with tools you can immediately integrate into your sessions, plus a deeper understanding of the psychological, physiological, and relational components of sexual health in partnerships.
Featuring:
Live presentations from global leaders in sex research
Panel discussions and interactive Q&A
Topics covering both clinical and educational settings
Opportunities to connect with other professionals passionate about couples' work
Whether you’re helping couples reignite their spark or navigate complex sexual dynamics, this event is your chance to learn from the best and become even more effective in your work.
Earn continuing education credit and become the go-to expert couples trust for sex-positive, science-backed support.
DATES FOR THIS Online CONFERENCE:
SATURDAY november 8TH, 2025, 10AM - 6PM CST
SATURDAY november 9TH, 2025, 10AM - 6PM CST
Use this world clock to find the corresponding time in your time zone
WANT TO BECOME SHA CERTIFIED?:
Want to stop paying for conferences one by one and gain hours towards AASECT Certification too? This program can also be registered for and included as part of SHA’s full Sexuality Educator/Counselor/Sex Therapy Certification & Sexuality Consultant Program. Apply HERE to become SHA Certified and to gain all the CEs you need to apply towards AASECT Certification. Take your sexuality education even further and become sexceptional.
ABOUT THE Presenters:
Rhonda Balzarini, Ph.D
Social Psychologist Specializing in Relationships, Sexuality & Relationship Diversity
Talk Title: ”Keeping the Spark Alive via Responsiveness and Self-Expansion”
Dr. Rhonda Balzarini is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Texas State University and an affiliated researcher at the Kinsey Institute. She is known for her work on romantic and sexual relationship diversity, including monogamy, polyamory, and consensual non-monogamy. Her research explores how sexual ideals, communication, and social stigma impact satisfaction and well-being in intimate relationships. Dr. Balzarini has also pioneered studies on the use of virtual reality to enhance closeness and novelty in couples. She was awarded the 2023 Kenneth R. Haslam Relationship Diversity Research Award by the Kinsey Institute and has been featured in Rolling Stone, The Wall Street Journal, BBC, Psychology Today, and the CBC docuseries The Big Sex Talk. Her work advances inclusive, evidence-based understandings of intimacy and connection.
Lisa Diamond, Ph.D
Sexual Fluidity & Feminist Psychology
Talk Title: “Navigating Sexual and Gender Diversity in Couples”
Dr. Lisa Diamond is a leading researcher in human sexuality and a Professor of Psychology and Gender Studies at the University of Utah. Internationally recognized for her groundbreaking work on female sexual fluidity, she is the author of the influential book Sexual Fluidity: Understanding Women’s Love and Desire.
Her ten-year longitudinal study challenged traditional views on sexual orientation, revealing how women’s sexual identities can shift over time—not by choice, but through authentic emotional and romantic experiences. A self-identified feminist scientist, Dr. Diamond blends feminist theory, psychological science, and attachment theory to explore how sexuality, identity, and relationships evolve.
Her work has been featured widely in media and academic circles, including an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, and continues to inform public understanding of LGBTQ+ identities and the psychology of intimacy and health.
Ana Catarina Carvalho
Researcher in Sexuality, Asexuality, and Sexual Health Education
Talk Title: ”Understanding Asexuality: Exploring Sexuality, Behavior, and Relationships to Support Inclusive Therapy”
Ana Catarina Carvalho is a researcher at the Centre for Psychological Research and Social Intervention (CIS-Iscte) at ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon. Her work explores diverse experiences of sexuality, with a focus on asexuality, romantic orientation, and sexual behavior.
She is the lead author of the influential study "Sexuality, Sexual Behavior, and Relationships of Asexual Individuals," which examines how romantic and aromantic orientations shape relationship dynamics and intimacy. Ana also contributes to research on comprehensive sexuality education, addressing how cultural and educational systems impact sexual health and identity formation in Portugal and Spain.
With a background in psychology and a commitment to inclusive sexual health research, Ana’s work sheds light on underrepresented communities and promotes evidence-based understanding of sexual diversity.
Yoobin Park, Ph.D
Researcher of Relationships, Well‑Being & Sexuality
Talk Title: ”Stress and Sex in Singles”
Dr. Yoobin Park is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and a member of the NIH Network for Emotional Well-Being. She earned her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of Toronto and specializes in the study of close relationships, singlehood, emotional well-being, and sexual health. Her research investigates how intimacy, sexual activity, and daily emotional experiences affect sleep, mood, and physiological health. Dr. Park’s publications also include methodological advancements in singlehood research and how relational experiences shape well-being over time. Through her work, she brings new insight into how diverse relationship structures and everyday interactions influence mental and physical health.
Inês M. Tavares, Ph.D., CPsych, CST
Clinical Psychologist, Certified Sex Therapist & Researcher in Sexual Health Across Parenthood
Talk Title: “Interpersonal Mechanisms Associated with Sexual Well-Being in Couples During the Transition to Parenthood”
Dr. Inês M. Tavares is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Lusófona University in Porto, Portugal, a licensed Clinical Psychologist, Clinical Sexologist, and Certified Emotionally Focused Couples Therapist. She holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Porto and completed a Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship at Dalhousie University and the University of British Columbia. Her research explores sexual health during pregnancy and postpartum, using dyadic, longitudinal, and experimental methods. Dr. Tavares also serves on editorial boards of the Journal of Sexual Medicine and The Journal of Sex Research and supervises graduate students in clinical and research settings.
Tatum Jolink, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow Specializing in Close Relationships, Affectionate Touch & Well‑Being
Talk Title: ”Causes and Consequences of Affiliative Behaviors in Close Relationships”
Dr. Tatum A. Jolink is an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Social Psychology at the University of Michigan. She studies how people get into and hold onto their closest relationships. She focuses on what gives rise to adaptive, affiliative behaviors—such as affectionate touch, shared laughter, sex—in new and established relationships. Dr. Jolink’s work also considers the body as a context, specifically how physiological processes like the immune system, the autonomic nervous system, and sleep, modulate social behavior in relationships. Currently, Dr. Jolink is part of an interdisciplinary team at U-M that has designed, built, and launched a dating app for research purposes. As part of this project, she is hoping to gain insights on questions such as what predicts romantic compatibility, how do online connections (“matches”) translate to offline relationships, and how the process of online dating looks across all kinds of daters (e.g., interested in non-monogamy, short versus long-term goals, diverse gender/sexual identities)? She strives for her work to be generative for anyone in—or hoping form—high-quality close relationships.
Brad J. Sagarin, Ph.D.
Social & Evolutionary Psychologist Specializing in Jealousy, Sexuality & Relationship Dynamics
Talk Title: ”Myths and Misconceptions about BDSM”
Dr. Brad Sagarin is a Professor of Social Psychology at Northern Illinois University, holding a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Arizona State University. His research spans evolutionary psychology, human sexuality, social influence, deception, jealousy, infidelity, and advanced statistical methodology. Dr. Sagarin has conducted groundbreaking, real-world studies—such as one on consensual BDSM and couple bonding—that revealed how these dynamics can actually increase intimacy and decrease cortisol levels among partners. He also explores sex differences in jealousy, evolutionary responses to infidelity, and the social-psychological mechanisms underlying relationship processes
Pedro Nobre, Ph.D.
Full Professor of Psychology & Expert in Sexual Health, Well‑Being & Dysfunction
Talk Title: ”Cognitive Models of Sexual Desire and Pleasure”
Dr. Pedro Nobre is a Full Professor and Dean at the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, and founding Director of the Laboratory for Research in Human Sexuality (SexLab). He served as President of the World Association for Sexual Health (2017–2021) and currently represents the Association at the World Health Organization and leads the World Observatory on Sexual Health. Author of over 150 scientific papers and chapters, Dr. Nobre developed the influential Cognitive‑Emotional Model of Sexual Dysfunction and specializes in clinical sexology, cognitive-behavioral treatments for sexual problems, psychophysiological responses in sexual health, and large-scale epidemiological and experimental studies. His work has attracted more than €1.2 million in funding and has earned him international scientific merit awards.
Dr. Lori Brotto
Professor & Clinical Psychologist Advancing Women’s Sexual Health Through Mindfulness & Digital Health
Talk Title: Mindfulness as Medicine: Transforming Women's Sexual Health Care”
Dr. Lori Brotto is a renowned figure in the field of women's sexual health. As a Professor in the UBC Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, she holds a Canada Research Chair, focusing on developing safe and accessible treatments for prevalent sexual concerns in women. Driven by a commitment to equity, she champions the use of digital health technologies to broaden access to these treatments.
Dr. Brotto also serves as the Executive Director for the Women's Health Research Institute, with a mandate of advancing women's health research. Her leadership supports nearly 700 members across the province of BC in their pursuit of knowledge across all aspects of women's health.
Recognized for her expertise, Dr. Brotto frequently appears in the media, radio, and notable documentaries, including Netflix's "The Principles of Pleasure" and the CBC Gem network's "The Big Sex Talk" And most recently a Masterclass focused on the Magic of Menopause. She has authored two mindfulness-focused books: "Better Sex Through Mindfulness" (2018) and "The Better Sex Through Mindfulness Workbook" (2022), both published by Greystone Publishing and the 2018 book appears in the New York Times top 8 sexual health books (2024). She has received a UBC Public Education Through Media award (2023).
Dr. Brotto believes in the power of personal stories and lived experiences to shape science. In her role as a Registered Psychologist in BC, she works with individuals seeking to enhance their sexual well-being.
An advocate for women's leadership, Dr. Brotto actively encourages young women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and medicine (STEM). She engages with the public on social media platforms (@DrLoriBrotto and @ubcshr), where she continues to empower women and advance women's sexual health research.
Dr. Maximiliane Uhlich
Researcher in Relationship Processes & Sexual Health with a Focus on Diversity and Underrepresented Populations
Talk Title: “The Missing Voices: How Diverse Samples Transform Our Understanding of Sexual and Relationship Health”
Dr. Maximiliane Uhlich is a Researcher at the University of Basel, where her work advances understanding of relationship processes and sexual health across diverse populations often underrepresented in psychological research.
Dr. Uhlich's research deliberately centers understudied samples, including cross-cultural populations as well as sexual and gender minorities. Her work spans cultural diversity in romantic relationships, sexual health during the COVID-19 pandemic across 30 countries through the I-SHARE consortium, online harassment in international contexts, and a meta-analysis examining relationship norm strength differences between LGB and heterosexual couples. She has also investigated outcomes such as sexual aggression, intimate partner violence, and infidelity.
Her commitment to rigorous, open science is demonstrated through pre-registered studies, publicly available data and code, and participation in large-scale replication efforts, most recently as a co-author on a multi-lab analytical robustness study accepted at Nature.
Dr. Uhlich has been recognized with the 2025 Sexual Health Innovation Award from the International Academy of Sexuality Research and the 2024 DEI Research Contribution Award from the International Association for Relationship Research. Her research program is supported by three major grants: a Swiss National Science Foundation Ambizione Grant ($1.2M) examining protective factors for well-being in endometriosis patients, a University of Basel Research Fund grant ($91K) on satisfaction trajectories in arranged versus love marriages in India, and an Early Career Grant ($14K) from The Love Consortium investigating gratitude communication in romantic relationships.
Dr. Uhlich earned her Ph.D. from the University of Fribourg and completed postdoctoral training at Western University in Canada before joining the University of Basel in 2022.
Sexual Health Alliance has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7730. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Sexual Health Alliance is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
This event is eligible for a maximum of 14 CE hours.
“Dr. Rhonda Balzarini is one of the sharpest new psychologists who is researching modern sex, love and relationships. She is a clear, grounded and insightful thinker, and her research has already forced me several times to examine my assumptions about sex, polyamory and love. I get excited when I see she has a new paper out, because it helps us all grow and expand the ways we think and work with people in all kinds of relationships.”
