P R O F E S S I O N A L T R A I N I N G I N
S O M A T I C S E X O L O G Y
T R U S T I N G S P O N T A N E I T Y
“The Sexological Bodywork training of The Institute for Relational Harmony Studies is the most comprehensive sexuality training I have found. The syllabus is rich and covers incredible breadth of subjects - neuroscience, embodied boundaries & consent, emotional command systems, somatic coaching techniques, rupture & repair processes, session structure, hygiene protocol, and of course, all the anatomy & physiology Sexological Bodywork tools. This training teaches the core competencies of how to meet another Human in their wholeness - with radical acceptance of all of their parts, including their erotic & sexual expression. It encourages you as a practitioner to trust your spontaneity, creativity, and intuition while equipping you with everything you need to build an ethical, trauma-informed practice. Katie’s passion, skill, embodied experience, and wisdom are the essence of this training which make It come alive with joy, love, care & laughter.” - Luzi
TESTIMONIAL - Second year Student 2023
What is Somatic Sexology?
SOMATIC SEXOLOGY is the meeting of somatics, which relates to the sensate body, with sexology, which relates to the scientific study of human sexuality. This includes practices influenced and informed by ancient wisdom teachings from Africa, India and Asia, with leading-edge research in affective relational neuroscience, philosophy and biology.
The Institute for Relational Harmony Studies is contributing to the collective wave of embodiment practitioners in service to opening receptivity with radical acceptance as an antidote to the projections of separation.
Expansions of consciousness involve us humans feeling more of our emergent, creative and intuitive selves as part of nature's ecosystems and updating versions of ourselves. This invariably involves shedding skins and overcoming fears of losing our belonging in the hologram.
Our training in Somatic Sexology is recognised by the International Association of Certified Sexological Bodyworkers (ACSB) In Collaboration with the School of Somatic Sexology, the Australian Institute of Somatic Sexology & the Canadian Somatic Sex Educators Association.
The ETHICS of working with Eros
Over 12 years, Katie Sarra has developed a syllabus that incorporates Clean Language, Body Poem, Wheel of Consent, and Right Use of Power training into the curriculum to support ethical practice in a field where working with arousal and altered states has resulted in so many ruptures without these micro-skills in place.
This recognition that the original Sexological Bodywork Curriculum does not equip practitioners with the necessary micro-skills for ethical practice has resulted in a ballooning of the training from 6 months to 12 months and we have come to a point in time, in alignment with the other international Somatic Sex Education training bodies, to offer coaching and therapeutic training to support Ethical practice alongside the Sexological Bodywork training.
The Institute for Relational Harmony Studies Sexological Intimacy Coaching and Sexological Bodywork Professional training prepares practitioners to ethically facilitate somatic sex education combined with intimacy skills for individuals, couples, or groups.
The curriculum facilitates participants inhabiting ethics on the inside developing practitioner core competencies and understanding the “Right Use of Power” teachings, as defined by Dr Cedar Barstow, applied to Dr Betty Martin’s “The Wheel of Consent” coaching structures.
The practices involve radical acceptance of the self-organising intelligence inherent in us all using Body Focusing, Body Poem, and Clean Language as our coaching models.
The ability to make attuned receptive, kind decisions and be in choice while experiencing the intensity of affect is also a central core competency that the micro-skills in this training are supporting. These are essential competencies for ethical practice when working in the altered state realms of intimate and erotic self-expression and arousal. We refer to this as our emotional and erotic fluency with response flexibility.
Ethical inquiries are explored with understanding visible and invisible aspects of being human that influence our ability to belong and participate.
The 6-month Certificate in Sexological Intimacy Coaching
Practitioners learn Sexological intimacy coaching skills that can be facilitated online or in person which is inclusive of practitioners who are interested in coaching intimate and erotic self-touch somatic practices without “hands-on” engagement. This also enables practitioners to practice sexological intimacy coaching in parts of the world where professional erotic touch is illegal or against the codes of ethics and professional conduct of existing modalities that practitioners wish to combine with Sexological Intimacy Coaching. The curriculum is in an online format with a special focus on live interactive online learning in the community and in paired and triad practice groups with classmates. Sexological Intimacy coaches deepen their in-person intimacy skills with the two-way clothed wheel of consent practices and coaching non-touch erotic and intimate practices. Participants can achieve Certification to practice on completion of the core competencies after 6 months.
The 6-month Certification in Sexological Bodywork
This training includes a 12-day in-person embodiment retreat for practitioners wishing to learn and practice hands-on Sexological Bodywork.
During this time, participants learn a variety of modalities supporting body identity acceptance, gender identity acceptance, mapping & massage, anal acceptance, mapping & massage, prostate acceptance mapping & massage, scar tissue remediation, chest, breast & nipple acceptance mapping & massage, belly acceptance mapping & massage, active receiving self-directed erotic massage and practicing radical acceptance with erotic embodiment self-pleasuring solo practices.
During these explorations, aspects of the self are touched and awakened into awareness illuminating core erotic themes that may be emerging that can prepare the ground for understanding your unique purpose as a practitioner in service.
During the online parts of the training, we are visited by Ellen Heed who guides our understanding of genital and anal anatomy, the nervous systems, the enteric nervous system, and working with scars and emotional and physical repair processes.
It is estimated that 15 - 25 hours of study time per week is required for the online waves of both trainings.
The ability to make attuned receptive, kind decisions and be in choice while experiencing the intensity of affect is also a central core competency that the micro-skills in this training are supporting. These are essential competencies for ethical practice when working in the altered state realms of intimate and erotic self-expression and arousal. We refer to this as our emotional and erotic fluency with response flexibility ~Katie Sarra
Your Path with Heart
During this training you will be encouraged to explore ways you want to be in service and develop your gifts as a practitioner. Learning about the wise use of power can support you to step fully into your role as a practitioner.
There will be an opportunity to explore your path with heart with Kat Byles, who will guide you to discover more about your purpose and who you are here to serve as a Sexological Intimacy Coach or Sexological Bodyworker.
This is an experiential training with somatic learning opportunities that emphasise erotic embodiment in communal online and in-person learning environments co-creating our course container and relationship agreements that support inclusivity for everyone’s ability to participate.
Certificate in Somatic Sex Education -Year 2
You have walked the path of CSB training already and this gives you "super vision" which you can use to guide and encourage your students.
The curriculum supports developing your self-awareness; awareness of stepping into an up-power role as a coach and co-creating clear relationship agreements with these ethics in mind.
You will practice coaching and explore an overview of supervision models as a foundation for stepping into supervisor roles with each other in peer supervision sessions and with your Pod of 3.
The Postgraduate Program
We are delighted to be offering a monthly webinar to all CSB graduates of the Sea School of Embodiment and the Institute for Relational Harmony Studies and the School of Somatic Sexology. Our series of monthly calls are open and free of charge for all our graduates, new and old, and provide the opportunity to practise, reflect and develop your knowledge and skills.
These monthly webinars have been designed to contribute to supervision and continuing professional development (CPD) requirements as part of Certification to practice.
We begin with an hour of self-care and nourishment in the community erotic embodiment practice (5-6 pm) followed by one-hour peer group supervision practice in groups of three in breakout rooms.
Finally, there is a CPD webinar presented by a different teacher each month (7.30-8.30 pm).
C E R T I F I C A T I O N & I N S U R A N C E
Upon completion of all requirements, students will be awarded the Certificate in Sexological Bodywork (CSB) or, in the second year, the Certificate of Somatic Sexual Education (CSSE).
Graduates from this professional training can become members of The Association of Certified Sexological Bodyworkers (ACSB), the Somatic Sex Educators’ Association of Australasia (SSEAA) and apply for membership of the Association of Somatic and Integrative Sexologists (ASIS) and be admitted to the World Association of Sex Coaches (WASC) with no further requirements.
This course is recognised by The Association of Somatic and Integrative Sexologists as offering a training of sufficient depth for practitioners to be eligible for insurance for their work. See the-asis.org for more details.
Post your unanswered Question here
We welcome you to post any questions that haven't been answered here and we will send you an email with answers and/or invite you with a booking link to arrange a 15 - minute call with Katie Sarra - Director of Studies or Phoebe Garland - Head of the CSSE Training.