12.5 CEs (APA, NBCC, AASECT, CA BRN)

Become a Certified Kink Affirming Professional
 with Stefani Goerlich, LCSW, PhD, CST

People curious about or who practice BDSM/kink sometimes need help--and they want and deserve professionals who are welcoming as well as knowledgable.  They would benefit from a Kink Affirming Professional--like you, if you take this program.

Through this series of recorded webinars with award-winning author Stefani Goerlich, LCSW, PhD, CST,  you will learn
  • about different types of kink communities
  • the effect of kink phobia on both you and your clients
  • determining healthy vs. abusive kink behaviors
  • sexual boundaries and power play
  • making meaning of kink
  • cultural differences among kinky populations

and more.

Goerlich's two outstanding books, The Leather Couch: Clinical Practice with Kinky Clients, and Kink-Affirming Practice: Culturally Competent Therapy from the Leather Chair, are the basis for evidence-based material that will help you develop personal and clinical insight needed to create a nonjudgmental, accepting environment for kinky clients.  Each webinar allows time for Q&A and discussion with Goerlich.  

All webinars are recorded and available so you can watch on your own schedule. At the close of each video, there will be a short quiz that you will need to pass before you can claim your certificate.

At the close of the course, you will be able to collect a printable final certificate of completion suitable for framing that identifies you as a Certified Kink-Affirming Professional from The Buehler Institute.  The Buehler Institute has been taking pleasure seriously since 2002 and is approved by AASECT, APA, NBCC, and California BRN to provide 12.5 hours of continuing education for this program.
*Choose 3 monthly payments of $225 or save more by paying in full today!
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Intended Audience

This program is intended for people who have some knowledge in the topic of sex therapy and sexuality counseling.  Beginners, intermediate, and advanced learners will all benefit.

CE Hours: 12.5 hours total upon completion of all 5 webinars.

The Buehler Institute is approved by the American Psychological Association to provide continuing education.  The Buehler Institute is responsible for all content.  The Buehler Institute is approved by AASECT, NBCC, and CA Board of Registered Nurses.  The learner, and not the provider, is responsible for checking with their licensing board regarding which CEs will be accepted for license renewal.

AASECT Requirement Fulfillment

Core Knowledge Area: F, 3.5 hrs; Area J: 2.5 hrs
Sex Therapy/Counseling Area: Area B, 5.5 hrs; Area F: 1.0 hrs
for more information, please scroll down to download a copy of the syllabus in the "free" section of the course.

Your Certificate Course Includes:

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Kink-Affirming Practice: What Your Clients Wish You Knew (But Are Afraid to Ask)

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Caregiver Kinks: Everything You Need to Know about Imaginative Power Exchange

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Conducting a Kink-Affirming Risk Assessment


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In the Shadows of Consent: DV, Sexual Assault, and the BDSM Community

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Becoming a Kink-Affirming Therapist


Recorded January-July 2023

What You Will Learn About Kink!

Stefani Goerlich's masterful teaching style will help your knowledge grow.  Here's just  a selection of objectives; see syllabus below for details:
  • Identify at least three forms of BDSM and be able to explain the similarities and differences between them.
  • Understand your own internalized kinkphobia; evaluate yourself and your practice and confront potential biases you may hold.
  • Understand the history of leather culture, as it relates to kink identities and relationships.
  • Understand caregiver kink and what differentiates it from other BDSM practices.
  •  Consider age and pet play and discuss the similarities and differences between them.
  •  Tell the difference between Intimate Partner Violence and consensual kink.
  •  Describe the barriers that kinky survivors face when reporting a crime.
  • AND MORE!
*Choose 3 monthly payments of $225 or save more by paying in full today!
LEARN WITH THE BUEHLER INSTITUTE

Benefits of this course

Elevate in your career

BECOME A CREDIBLE provider and REFERRAL SOURCE FOR BDSM/KINK CLIENTS

Expert instructor

stefani goerlich is internationally recognized for her expertise

Satisfaction guaranteed

refund in full if this course isn't right for you (request must be in writing)

Material you’ll love

You won't find a better way to learn how to work ethically with kinksters

Achieve your CE goal

do you know A more interesting way to meet your ce requirements?
*Choose 3 monthly payments of $225 or save more by paying in full today!

Flexible payment options

save by paying in full or choose a
payment plan

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a live or recorded webinar?

All webinars are recorded webinar sessions that took place from January to July, 2023. 

Help! I need tech support! How do I get in touch?

The fastest way to reach us is via email at info@learnsextherapy.com (but feel free to include a phone number if you would prefer to chat live). 

What if I'm having trouble navigating the course or accessing my certificate?

Navigating a new portal can be tough. To make the process as simple as possible, I asked our Program Administrator (and resident millennial), Anneka Buehler, to record a video for you. The video includes information about navigating our website, completing your course evaluation, and downloading your course certificate.

What is your refund policy?

All requests for a refund must be made in writing via email to info@learnsextherapy.com. We typically do not provide a refund due to an inability to attend the live session, as we will be recording the session for later viewing.

What is The Buehler Institute?

Established in 2002 by Dr. Stephanie Buehler, The Buehler Institute is an online and in-person space where professionals can learn how to treat and counsel people with sexual concerns. Our main goal is to help people who are looking to get AASECT certified, but we have and are developing additional programs.   The Buehler Institute is also run by Anneka Buehler, BS, an LPC student at George Mason University.  The Buehler Institute is devoted to DEI and we pride ourselves on keeping our content current and relevant--and engaging.  That's why we say that "We take pleasure seriously."

Do I need to take a quiz on the material?

Folks who view the recorded webinars will need to take a short quiz in order to meet the requirements for claiming their CEs. You'll have 3 attempt to pass the quiz. If your quiz has been locked, please email  us at info@learnsextherapy.com and we can reset the quiz for you.
Meet the instructor

Stefani Goerlich, PhD, LCSW, CST

Award-winning author of The Leather Couch: Clinical Practice with Kinky Clients, and its forthcoming sequel Kink-Affirming Practice: Culturally Competent Therapy from the Leather Chair, AASECT-Certified Sex Therapist Stefani Goerlich is an expert in working with Gender, Relationship, and Sexuality Diversities as well as religious minority clients, and has over 15 years’ experience in supporting survivors of domestic and sexual trauma.

Describing herself as “building bridges between the margins and the mainstream,” Stefani has worked with high-risk young people, commercial sex workers, and survivors of human trafficking- among others. In addition to her work as The Society for Sex Therapy and Research’s Diversity Chair, she is the founder of Bound Together Counseling, a boutique private practice based in Detroit, Michigan, where she offers Sex, Relationship and Mental Health therapy to members of the GSRD community, their partners, and their families. 

Stefani holds a Master’s in Social Work from Wayne State University, where she specialized in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, earned her Post-Graduate Certificate in Sex Therapy from the University of Michigan, and recently completed her PhD in Clinical Sexology. A member of the University of Michigan Sexual Health Certificate Program Teaching Faculty, she is a licensed Clinical Social Worker in Michigan, Ohio, and Arizona and is currently writing her next book, With Sprinkles on Top: Help and Hope for Vanilla Partners of Kinky People, coming in 2023. You can follow Stefani on Twitter at @Tzefira_Neviah or visit her website www.boundtogethercounseling.com
Patrick Jones - Course author
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The Buehler Institute

The Buehler Institute was created to provide the highest quality training in human sexuality for mental health professionals and healthcare providers. Its founder, Dr. Stephanie Buehler, is a licensed psychologist and author of a bestselling sex therapy textbook, among others. Our educational programs are designed to help people seeking AASECT certification in an effective and engaging format.

We are located virtually but our mailing address is:
The Buehler Institute, Inc.
3213 Duke Street, Suite 192
Alexandria, VA 22314

The best way to reach us is by email:
info@learnsextherapy.com

Here is our phone number.
800-769-0342

You may receive a text message about contacting us via email when you call this number. Standard rates may apply. 
The Buehler Institute is approved as a provider of continuing education by the following agencies. Many states licensing boards will accept CEs from these agencies for license renewal. It is, however, the responsibility of the enrollee to inquire with their state licensing board.
The Buehler Institute is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Buehler Institute maintains responsibility for all programs and their content.
The Buehler Institute has been approved by the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) as an Approved Continuing Education Provider. The Buehler Institute is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
The Buehler Institute is an institutional provider for the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT).
Provider #12-138-Q.
The Buehler Institute is approved as a continuing education provider for the California Board of Registered Nursing. Provider #CEP 16394.