Clinical Experience
Applicants must document they have met the required 200 direct clinical hours of sex therapy under consultation.
Each hour counted must be therapy with a client where the primary focus of the therapy is a sexual issue.
Collection of Clinical Hours:
The applicant must be a member of ABCST before collecting hours.
The applicant must have an ABCST approved consultant in place prior to collecting hours.
Contracts can be submitted through the ABCST Membership Hub.
Fully licensed professionals can begin collecting clinical hours after the completion of the ISW Intro to Human Sexuality course or the equivalent (The ISW Intro counts as 30 hours of the educational requirements for certification; other programs must document 40 hours that are equivalent in breadth of topics covered).
Unlicensed professionals or graduate students (Masters or Doctoral students) can begin collecting clinical hours after the completion of 2 ISW courses (ISW courses count as 60 hours of educational training in areas required for certification; other programs must document 70 hours that are equivalent in breadth of topics covered and at least 5 hours of integration of faith and sex therapy) AND successful completion of their Masters/Doctoral Practicum.
No more than 25% of the total clinical hours can be group therapy.
No more than 20% of the total clinical hours can be focused on the treatment of sexual trauma.
No more than 20% of the total clinical hours can be focused on the treatment of sexual addiction.
Didactic presentations do not qualify as Clinical Experience.
