This four hour workshop contains two parts. AASECT and standard CEU credits will be provided.

Is My Client Gay, Straight, or Bisexual? Understanding the Difference Between Sexual Identity, Preference, and Fantasy (1:00-3:00pm)

When a woman finds her boyfriend or husband looking at gay porn or engaging in sex with another man, the tendency is to label him as gay or bisexual. The couple may enter therapy in crisis, believing the marriage is over. In such cases, some therapists often believe the man is in denial about his homosexuality or bisexuality and move him in a direction toward coming out gay when, in fact, he's not. This presentation will discuss ways to understand the male client's interest in sexual contact with men, and how to guide couples through their confusion and emotional turmoil. You'll learn:

• Four questions to help determine if a man's gay, straight, or bisexual  
• How to determine if a client's sexual activity is a reenactment of childhood trauma
• How to determine whether shame reduction, helping a guy come out, trauma work, or a focus on the crisis of infidelity is the appropriate therapeutic course

Sexual Health and the Trauma Survivor: How the Therapist Can Help (3:00-5:00)

Clients with sexual abuse histories often come to therapy with questions about their sexual expression and the obstacles they encounter in intimate relationships. They may find themselves engaging in trauma reenactment rather than safe, consensual sex and need a nonjudgmental space to explore what sexual recovery means for them. Even well-trained trauma therapists often lack the language, comfort, and skillset necessary to assist their clients through this process. This workshop will provide concrete strategies to help trauma survivors live more sexually fulfilling lives. You’ll explore:

• How different types of sexual abuse and trauma manifest in sexual behaviors, and how to help clients experience healthy sexual gratification
• How to help clients differentiate between unhealthy trauma reenactment and healthy play
• Five tools to help clients manage out-of-control sexual behavior
• The countertransference issues that often arise for therapists around clients’ erotic interests, sexual expression, and behaviors in order to avoid negative judgment and the inadvertent shaming

BIOGRAPHY:

Dr. Joe Kort is a leading expert on sex and relationships.  He specializes in Out-of-Control Sexual Behaviors (OCSB)/“sex addiction”, Relationship Problems and Marital Conflict, Sex Therapy, and Sexual Identity Concerns, Depression, Anxiety and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  His practice is located in Royal Oak, Michigan.