About the Course
An online introduction to BDSM and working with kinky clients for mental health and wellness professionals seeking to become Kink-Aware Practitioners.
Many clients report being hesitant to share their participation in BDSM activities with helping professionals due to fear of judgement, stigmatization, active shaming, and a misunderstanding of legal implications.
And many helping professionals report being hesitant to even ask about sex ~ particularly BDSM/Kinky sex ~ because of a lack of personal comfort with the subject or a lack of access to specific training to work effectively and ethically with this community.
This is where Westland’s “BDSM: Working with Kinky Clients” comes in.
Designed for psychotherapists, clinical counsellors, and mental health or health care professionals looking to expand their existing skills and awareness for working with members of the BDSM community.
This online program will:
Introduce you to many of the fundamental issues and concerns facing those practicing BDSM, and those in the BDSM community
Help increase your confidence and competencies in working with clients from the kink community
Help you explore your own sexual beliefs to identify biases and assumptions that may get in the way of working with this group
Help you develop a basic understanding of some of the principles and techniques of sex therapy as it relates to BDSM and becoming a Kink-Aware practitioner
And help you gain new knowledge and an expanded ability to integrate new insights about sex and sexuality in a clinical setting
“BDSM: Working with Kinky Clients” is an overview of theory and research covering the historical, neurological, psychological, and social/cultural influences of BDSM on human sexuality and sexual expression.
And since theory only makes sense with context, we also explore clinical applications for working with members of the kink community so you can see how this information applies to you and your clients immediately.
We cover:
BDSM Relationship Types and Dynamics
Difference between BDSM as a behaviour vs. BDSM as a Lifestyle
Determining Consensual Kink vs. Abuse
The Difference between BDSM and Trauma Reenactment
Encouraging Open Sexual Communication
Frameworks for Establishing Consent
Barriers to Accessing Mental and Physical Healthcare for Kinky Clients
The PLISSIT Model for Clinical Conceptualization
What it means to be a Kink-Aware Therapist
Among others …
Throughout the program, you will have opportunities to thoughtfully and critically examine your own personal stories, biases, and reactions to BDSM and how they relate to a client’s presenting concerns – all from the comfort of your own home at your own pace.
BONUS EXPERT INTERVIEWS:
Watch in-depth expert interviews with members of the kink community and allied professionals. They share their personal experiences and what they feel practitioners need to know to work with this community ethically and effectively.
