Aloe Counselling CPD HUB

Across this training, we explore psychosexual work through a biopsychosocial and relational lens, integrating current UK practice standards aligned with COSRT, alongside relational models informed by Esther Perel, Terry Real, and contemporary psychosexual practitioners.

You will learn how to:

Understand sexual desire as both a biological and relational experience Work with low desire, mismatched desire, and absent arousal Explore how stress, trauma, medication, and life context impact sexual functioning Support clients in navigating infidelity, betrayal, and trust rupture Work safely and ethically with sexual histories, shame, and identity Assess and formulate psychosexual presentations using structured frameworks

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Understanding Different Types of Sexual and Relationship Structures

A central part of modern psychosexual work is recognising that relationships are not one-size-fits-all. Therapists need confidence working across a wide spectrum of relational and sexual identities, without pathologising difference while still maintaining ethical awareness.

This course explores:

Monogamous relationships – including long-term desire changes, routine, and attachment security Consensual non-monogamy (CNM) – including open relationships, polyamory, and relationship agreements Polyamorous and multi-partner systems – including triads and quads, and how attachment and jealousy function across multiple bonds Relationship anarchy – where traditional hierarchies and rules may be rejected Asexual and low-desire partnerships – including differences between identity and difficulty Kink, fetish, and BDSM relationships – understanding consent, power exchange, and when dynamics are healthy vs when they may reflect coercion

We explore the clinical question:

Is this a problem of difference, or a problem of distress, harm, or misattunement?

Capacity for consent and ongoing consent Power dynamics vs coercive control Alignment or misalignment between partners’ relational expectations

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Desire: More Than Just Libido

A core focus of this course is understanding desire beyond surface-level presentations.

We explore:

Spontaneous vs responsive desire Contextual desire (stress, fatigue, parenting, illness) Relational desire (trust, resentment, emotional safety)

You will develop the ability to help clients understand why desire has changed, rather than simply trying to “fix” it particularly across different relationship structures where desire may function differently.

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Infidelity and Betrayal Work

Infidelity does not sit outside relationship structure it is defined within it.

This course helps therapists understand:

How infidelity is defined differently across monogamous and non-monogamous systems The difference between agreed non-monogamy vs betrayal of agreement The impact of secrecy, deception, and attachment rupture

You will learn how to work with:

Discovery shock and nervous system dysregulation Meaning of the affair vs the behaviour itself Supporting both individual accountability and relational repair.

Drawing on the work of Esther Perel, we explore how affairs can reflect deeper dynamics around identity, desire, loss, and unmet needs, while maintaining a grounded, ethical therapeutic stance.

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A Dual-Track Approach to Treatment

You will be introduced to a dual-track clinical model, where therapists learn to work with:

1. Individual Sexual and Emotional Processing

Desire patterns

Shame and identity

Compulsive or avoidant sexual behaviours

2. Couple and Relational Repair

Communication cycles

Trust rebuilding

Erotic reconnection and safety

This ensures that therapy does not collapse into either individual pathology or relational blame, but holds both with clarity particularly important when working with diverse relationship systems.

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Clinical Frameworks You Will Learn

This course integrates structured models used in UK psychosexual practice, including:

PLISSIT Model

SENATE-informed assessment

Attachment-based formulation

Trauma and nervous system integration (polyvagal-informed)