This blog is part one of a series.
“ The comprehensive and flexible nature of the courses also conveniently allows me to take on the workload as a full-time master’s student.”
I remember sitting in my Human Sexuality class at NYU as an undergrad and wondering how I might not be cut out for a career in the sexuality field. I grew up in a sex-shame environment, as unfortunately most of us do and didn’t think I could have any possibilities of dipping my toes in this discipline. I was a bit hopeless, a bit embarrassed and a bit more anxious. Then I met the Sexual Health Alliance and everything changed! From that day to this, as I start off my Sex Counselor Certification journey, I can say with complete confidence that I am a lot more hopeful, a lot more thrilled and a lot more curious to learn, make mistakes and grow in this field.
WHY THE SEXUAL HEALTH ALLIANCE (SHA) for Sex Counselor Certification?
Having worked before with the Sexual Health Alliance as a content writer intern, going in I knew that I was putting immense trust in a community that is progressive and passionate about the work they do. My positive experience writing for SHA’s Nymphomedia blog gave me the initial confidence to consider putting down a sexuality counselor on my vision board for 2025. The respectful and engaging supervision and feedback I got over the course of my internship was a true indicator of the kind of experience I was hoping to find with this program.
Once I remember feeling very apprehensive about taking on a political perspective for one of my blog pieces. Back then, I felt incapable of inserting politics into a sexual health article. To that, my editor responded, “Writing about sex means writing about politics. Sex is politicized and the minute you talk about it, you’re bound to talk about politics. You can’t escape it. You’ve been doing it so far and you can very well keep doing it.” This conversation opened an entirely new space for me to perceive sexuality as a career. It’s still one of the most radically important ideas I’ve ever come across and SHA is where it happened! Therefore initially, as hard as it was for me to join the program, it instantly felt like one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Apart from the incredible mentors that SHA offers, the comprehensive and flexible nature of the courses also conveniently allows me to take on the workload as a full-time master's student. I appreciate how well thought out the certification programs are in terms of understanding that students might be coming in from different worlds with jobs already in their pockets. Having no particular deadline to work through the course is another desirable addition in this sexceptional package.
WHAT DO I HOPE TO GAIN FROM THE SEX COUNSELOR Certification PROGRAM?
With the sex counselor certification program, I hope to not only have a strong hold on different theories and subject matters in the sexuality field, but also receive experiential learning through supervision and content writing. I intend to utilize the countless opportunities to network with experts like Dr. David Ley, Midori, and Dr. Justin Lehmiller, and learn holistic approaches in sexuality counseling. I am inspired to help individuals and couples with their sexual distress that encompasses both physical and mental.
Given the unstable political climate we live in today, it is also becoming more and more important to stay more informed about how human sexuality is under attack and what we can do to hold others responsible. Since the conservative capitalist ventures have taken over the world, a certification program like this–unconventional and radical–is an important step toward the bigger goals of bodily and sexual autonomy. I have learned so far that working in this field requires a contemporary educational experience that takes into account all the aspects of the 21st century. Therefore, SHA’s certification program offers this and more with its sex-positive take on a variety of topics!
HOW WILL THE Sex Counselor Certification MODULES HELP MY OVERALL LEARNING?
Looking through Module 1: Not-So-Basic Basics in my student portal, I was immediately hooked onto the different curriculum topics including sexuality history, research and development. I also appreciate how each part of the module has a “recap” and a “course wrap-up” section at the end. It’s a great way to keep myself familiar with the information that I’ll be dissecting at my own pace. The modules also include a wide range of helpful resources and here are some of my favorite ones:
The SHA bookstore is an up-to-date database for the newest, best-sellin, and special discounted books. It makes it a lot easier to pick books that directly relate to the module subject I’ll be focusing on. For instance, as the course kicks off with the history of sex, I found a great book called, “Been there, Done that: A Rousing History of Sex” to pair it up with.
Each module also consists of engaging assignments with questions like, “What is Sex?” These topic appropriate tasks will not only allow me to creatively test out my knowledge but will also give me the space to reflect on my steady learning pace.
Part of the fun is to also get discounted tickets for the intellectual Sexecptional Weekends and Online SAR events. These pedagogical conferences are great learning experiences where students get to discuss and reflect on sexuality topics with their instructors and peers. It further provides a sense of community and belonging!
Wondering how to start off your journey? Check out SHA’s certification quiz to learn more about the different certification options available to you as a potential student and which one agrees with you. One size does not fit all so pick and create your own certification program by choosing the weekend events you want to attend with SHA!
Send your questions and concerns to shacertifications@gmail.com.
Written by Shreya Tomar, SHA Sex Counselor Certification Student