Overview
The Certificate in Sexual Health Psychology is a structured training pathway for psychologists seeking to build competence and confidence in working with sexual health presentations.
The certificate develops a deeper understanding of the intersection between sexual health concerns, psychological processes, relationships, trauma, attachment, mental health, and broader biopsychosocial influences. Participants will learn foundational therapeutic approaches commonly used in sexual health practice, including sensate focus therapy, cognitive and behavioural interventions, and evidence-informed assessment and formulation frameworks.
Building on these foundations, the program explores the relationship between sexual symptoms and co-occurring mental health difficulties, and develops advanced skills in working with complex presentations through trauma-informed approaches and trauma-processing interventions where appropriate.
Delivered across three progressive units, the pathway supports clinicians to develop skills in sexual health assessment, case formulation, risk assessment, and advanced therapeutic intervention.
Next Intake:Â
September 2026
Enrolment now open
Enrolment closes:Â 31 August 2026
Key dates
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Unit 1: 7 September – 27 November 2026
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Unit 2: February – April 2027
- Unit 3: May – August 2027
Outcomes & Recognition
Upon completion of the Psychologist pathway, graduates receive:
- An ISHPA Certificate in Sexual Health Psychology
- 120 CPD hours: Unit 1Â is an APS Approved CPD Activity
- Inclusion in the ISHPA Clinician Directory (subject to ongoing eligibility and renewal requirements)
- 12 months access to ISHPA's Standard Community Membership, including:
- Access to over 28 short courses
- Monthly group supervision
- 30% discount on ISHPA eventsÂ
This pathway supports clinicians to:
- Identify and assess the biopsychosocial, relational, developmental, and systemic factors contributing to sexual health concerns and sexual symptoms.
- Develop trauma-informed formulations that integrate sexual health concerns with attachment, trauma, mental health, relationship dynamics, and broader contextual influences.
- Deliver evidence-informed interventions for sexual health presentations, including cognitive, behavioural, experiential, and trauma-processing approaches where appropriate.
- Understand and respond to the interaction between sexual symptoms and co-occurring mental health presentations, including complex and chronic presentations.
- Navigate complex clinical dynamics, including therapeutic ruptures, ethical dilemmas, risk assessment, risk management, transference, and countertransference.Â
- Work collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams and make appropriate referrals to support holistic and integrated client care.
- Provide inclusive, culturally responsive, and affirming care across diverse sexualities, genders, relationship structures, and lived experiences.
- Engage in ongoing reflective practice to strengthen clinical effectiveness, professional development, and practitioner wellbeing.
- Translate theory, research, and evidence-informed frameworks into practical therapeutic interventions that can be applied confidently in clinical practice.
Eligibility & Admission Criteria
This pathway is designed for registered psychologists seeking advanced clinical skills in sexual health and working with more complex presentations.
Minimum Eligibility
- Psychologists with General Registration (or area of endorsement such as clinical); or
- Psychologists with Provisional Registration with Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
Recommended
- Experience providing therapy with adults
Information SessionÂ
Unsure if this pathway is suitable for you? Join our information session on 6 August 2026Â to ask questions and learn more about the program, pathways, and style of learning.
Register today
Structure
The Psychologist pathway consists of three units completed sequentially.
 Unit 1;Â
Foundational Knowledge
Build a comprehensive understanding of sexual health using biopsychosocial, trauma-informed, and systems frameworks.
*This CPD Activity has been approved by the APS and endorsed by SAS.
 You will learn to:
- Understand the key foundations of sexual health, including sexual response, anatomy, and influences on functioning
- Recognise the impact of trauma, attachment, and relational dynamics on sexuality
- Understand diversity in sexual identity, behaviour, and development across the lifespan
- Identify how mental health, neurodivergence, and physical health influence sexual wellbeing
- Explore the role of social, cultural, and systemic factors in shaping sexual experiencesÂ
Unit 1 Structure:
Explore this unit's modules, tutorials, and assessments.
 Unit 2;Â
Assessment, Formulation & Treatment
Develop practical skills to assess, formulate, and respond to sexual health concerns using a structured, trauma-informed clinical framework.
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You will learn to:
- Conduct comprehensive sexual health assessments, including sexual history, functioning, and broader contextual factors
- Develop clear clinical formulations using the SHIFT framework
- Plan and sequence treatment based on client needs, readiness,
and safety - Apply foundational therapeutic approaches, including psychoeducation, sensate focus, and cognitive-behavioural strategies
- Work ethically within your scope of practice, including managing risk, navigating complexity, and making appropriate referrals
Unit 2 Structure:
Explore this unit's modules, tutorials, and assessments
Unit 3;
Complex Presentations & Trauma Processing
Develop advanced clinical skills to work with trauma, complexity, and risk in sexual health, with a focus on clinical decision-making, relational depth, and embodied practice.
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You will learn to:
- Deliver trauma-informed sexual health treatment, including recognising when and how to process trauma
- Work effectively with complex presentations, including dissociation, relational instability, and compulsive or high-risk behaviours
- Make nuanced clinical decisions around pacing, treatment sequencing, and intervention selection
- Use the therapeutic relationship as a central tool for change, including managing rupture, projection, and intensity
- Develop embodied awareness and regulate your own responses in-session to support safe and effective practice
Unit 3 Structure:
Explore this unit's modules, tutorials, and assessments
What to expect?Â
Estimated Study Commitment
ISHPA Certificates are designed to provide structured, practice-focused training while remaining flexible and manageable for busy professionals. Most students should expect to dedicate approximately 3–5 hours per week to learning activities during each 12-week unit. Additional time may be required when completing assessments, undertaking optional reading, or engaging more deeply with complex topics.
Flexible Self-Paced Learning
Most course content is delivered asynchronously, allowing students to engage with materials at times that fit around work and personal commitments.
Live Tutorials
Each unit includes four live online tutorials, held in the evening (Melbourne time). Tutorials provide opportunities for discussion, reflection, feedback, and application of learning alongside facilitators and peers.
Assessments
Assessment tasks are designed to support the integration of learning into clinical practice and may include reflective exercises, clinical formulation activities, knowledge quizzes, and applied case-based tasks.
Looking for More Detail?
We encourage prospective students to review the Student Handbook before enrolling. It provides comprehensive information about study expectations, tutorials, assessments, progression requirements, student support, and the overall learning experience.
Fees
Total Pathway Fee
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The Certificate in Sexual Health Psychology includes 3 units.
- Standard enrolment and payment options apply to the complete certificate pathway.Â
- Total Fee: $4,800 AUD ($1,600 per unit)
- Single unit enrolment options may be available on enquiry.
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Upfront PaymentÂ
Pay the full fee at the time of enrolment and receive a 10% discount.
- Total upfront cost: $4,320
Payment Plan Options
12-Month Payment Plans
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Weekly payments: $92.30/week
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Monthly payments: $400/month
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Payment plans commence from the date of enrolment and continue from that point onward.
Terms & ConditionsÂ
Important information regarding fees, payment plans, withdrawals, refunds, and student responsibilities is available in the Terms & Conditions.
See Terms & Conditions