MSc in Psychosexual Therapy

This course is designed to provide knowledge, skills and opportunities for clinical practice in the area of psychosexual therapy. It qualifies graduates to practice as psychosexual therapists in statutory and voluntary sectors as well as in private practice.

• 2-year course leading to qualification as a Psychosexual Therapist

• Open to experienced therapists and counsellors who have a clinical qualification in psychotherapy, counselling or counselling psychology from a nationally accredited training (eg. BACP/BPC/UKCP)

• Weekend teaching modules

• This course is accredited by COSRT at Level 7

The MSc in Psychosexual Therapy offers a clinical, professional training in the theory and practice of Psychosexual Therapy.

Theory and Practice

The course includes:

• seminars on psychosexual and relationship issues

• opportunities to develop critical thinking by means of written assignments, reading, discussion

• group work and role play

• monthly case discussion/supervision group

• monthly self-reflective group

• support from a personal tutor throughout the course

• overseeing student’s progress in fulfilling COSRT clinical and supervision requirements.

Clinical Work

Students are required to complete 200 hours of face-to-face clinical work. They must see a minimum of 10 cases, five of which must be with couples.

We provide some opportunities to undertake clinical work at an external placement to broaden experience.

Supervision

In accordance with COSRT guidelines, supervision must be undertaken at the supervision ratio of one hour per six hours of clinical work. Supervisors should be experienced COSRT-accredited psychosexual therapists.

Students working in private practice may charge their psychosexual training clients but must inform clients about their trainee status. Private work must be supervised by a Tavistock Relationships-approved supervisor.

Payment for private supervision is not included in course fees.

The two-year course is suitable for qualified therapists who wish to develop expertise in working with psychosexual issues and to gain a professional qualification in this field.

Minimum Entry Requirements

Applicants will need:

• a clinical qualification in psychotherapy, counselling or counselling psychology from a nationally recognised training for example: UKCP, BACP, BPS

• sufficient counselling and academic competencies demonstrating an ability to meet the demands of the course

• two hundred hours of supervised face-to-face clinical work with individuals or couples

• appropriate personal qualities (a high degree of reflexivity, capacity to make and maintain close personal relationships, ability to reflect on personal experience).

N.B. Successful applicants are required to complete one hundred hours of personal individual therapy either before or during the course. A minimum of 20 hours of personal therapy must be completed and evidenced during training and started during the first module. At least twenty of the one hundred hours must be with a psychodynamic therapist.

Entry with Advanced Standing

Applicants to the programme may apply for admission with advanced standing where they can produce evidence of prior learning that demonstrates that the learning outcomes of the identified components within the programme have been fulfilled.

Exceptional Entry:

Applicants with other qualifications, or assessed prior (experiential) learning, may be considered for exceptional entry on their merits if the selection panel and the Assessment Board can be satisfied of their clinical and academic competence.

• Clinical Competence: evidence of a supervised, clinical caseload seeing adults (couple and/or individual) in talking therapy, with at least a total of 200 hours.

• Academic Competence: studied on a relevant postgraduate degree or diploma, or masters level specialist training.

We would require a completed application form, plus a portfolio demonstrating relevant prior learning and clinical experience. Referees stated on the application form must be able to confirm the applicant’s clinical and academic attainment.

The structure of the course is modular. Issues around assessment, diagnosis, treatment, diversity and relationship dynamics will be threaded through all modules of the course.

All set reading material, apart from chapters in prescribed textbooks, will be supplied. Students are expected to read and research widely around all topics.

Students will be expected to keep a self-reflective journal throughout the course and to compile a folder of psychoeducational resource material as they progress throughout the course.

Module 1: Thinking About and Working with Relationships

• Unconscious couple fit – what attracts us to our partner

• Sexual genograms – facts, beliefs and unconscious connections in the couple and family relationships

• Sex/Sexualities/Oedipal issues – theoretical

• Envy, shame and narcissism – the defences to a good enough sexual relationship

• Transference and countertransference – what happens in the space between a couple and the therapist

• Object relations, the projective system and projective identification

• Containment, the unconscious phantasy and the couple fit

• Sexual beliefs, myths, affairs and sexual desire and their influence on the sexual relationship

• Attachment, parental experiences & the couple relationship

• Aggression, violence, borderline processes in individuals and couples – safeguarding for the couple

Module 2: Psychosexual Assessment, Diagnosis and Initial Treatment

• Psychosexual Dysfunctions (DSM-V and ICD-11 definitions)

• Desire Disorders (including models of desire)

• Orgasm Difficulties in men and women

• Psychosexual assessment of a couple's sexual function/dysfunction

• Understanding and defining the presenting problem

• Defining the predisposing, precipitating and maintaining factors contributing to the problem

• Diagnosis (DSM5) and formulation of the factors contributing to the problem

• Formulation of psychodynamic and other contributing factors and present in a roundtable discussion

• Psychoeducation of arousal and models of sexual desire

• Other psychoeducation and early treatment interventions

• Anatomy and physiology of the genital tracts and sexual function

• Mindfulness and sexual functioning

• Self-Focus Body Awareness - a sexual growth approach

• Sensate Focus - the foundational behavioural programme for psychosexual therapy

• Sensate Focus – managing feedback

• Sensate Focus - working with same-sex couples and sexually diverse patients

• Sex and the Psyche - bringing the body and the mind together

Module 3: Working within diversity and different cultural groups

• Couples affected by neurodiversity

• Culturally Sensitive Sex Therapy

• Intersectionality and sex

• Gender, sexual and relationship diversity (GSRD)

• Working with sexual diversity, non-binary and trans individuals and couples

• Working with survivors of childhood sexual abuse

• Working with shame, trauma, Complex PTSD, sexual violence

• Working with individuals presented with chemsex difficulties

• Working with porn and sexual compulsion

Module 4: Sex Through the Life Span

• Understanding contraception and the effects on sexual experiences

• Understanding the effects of infertility, abortion, pregnancy and birth, parenthood on sexual experiences

• Sex after childbirth

• Understanding the effects of menopause on sexual experiences

• Understanding the effects of sexual trauma on relationships and sexual experiences

• Sex in later life

• Identifying and understanding specific vulva skin and dermatological conditions

• Identifying and understanding critical mental health issues presented during psychosexual therapy

• Pharmacology and non-pharmacology interventions

• Understanding neurodiversity and disability on relationship and sexual experiences

• Understanding the use of sex toys

• Working with transgender and gender non-binary patients from a psychosexual therapy perspective

Module 5: Psychosexual Therapy Theory and Research

• Clinically evaluating psychodynamic and psychosexual assessments

• Working with ethical dilemmas and legal implications

• Understanding and working with erotic transference

• Understand and working with endings in relationships and in therapy

• Clinically evaluating DSM-V Sexual dysfunction definitions

• Clinically evaluating physiological, anatomical sexual functioning and sexual arousal

• Defining and refining appropriate treatment approaches for specific patient groups

• Clinically evaluating pharmacological interventions

• Clinically evaluating psychosexual therapy skills practice

• Understanding and using specific research methodologies for clinical use

• Clinically evaluating and researching a psychosexual therapy clinical case study

Module 6: Psychosexual Therapy Competencies and Clinical Practice

• Clinically evaluating a range of psychosexual therapy case studies.

• Demonstrating clinical psychosexual therapy practice and supervision.

There are a variety of ways we look at assessment and learning. Our learning methods and strategies are used to achieve the learning outcomes are Lectures, Seminars, Tutorials, Film, Experiential Group Work and Roleplays, Self-Directed Study, Clinical work, Clinical Seminar Groups, Supervision, Self-Reflective Groups, Self-Reflective Journal, Assessed Written Work, Presentation of Cases, Seminar Papers, Placement Seminars.

The assessed academic requirements are:

The assessed clinical requirements are:

In order to complete the Diploma and conform to COSRT requirements, trainees must complete 200 hours of face-to-face psychosexual therapy with clients. Trainees must work with a minimum of ten psychosexual cases of which at least five should be couples. Trainees may achieve these hours on placement, in their organisation, in their private practice or in a combination of these.

We encourage those in private practice to seek a placement in an NHS psychosexual clinic, for at least some of the required hours, because of the experience and support this gives.

Trainees may charge their psychosexual training clients but must inform clients that they are in training. Private work must be supervised by a Tavistock Relationships-approved psychosexual supervisor.

NB In accordance with COSRT guidelines, trainees with less than 200 hours’ prior experience of face-to-face clinical work are not permitted to see training clients in their private practice. They must seek a suitable placement.

Year 2026-2028

Year One

Fridays - 10:30 am to 4.30 pm

Saturdays - 10:00 am to 5.00 pm

Module One

• Friday 9 October 2026
• Saturday 10 October 2026
• Friday 6 November 2026
• Saturday 7 November 2026
• Friday 11 December 2026
• Saturday 12 December 2026

Module Two

• Friday 22 January 2027
• Saturday 23 January 2027
• Friday 19 February 2027
• Saturday 20 February 2027
• Friday 19 March 2027
• Saturday 20 March 2027

Module Three

• Friday 16 April 2027
• Saturday 17 April 2027
  Friday 14 May 2027
• Saturday 15 May 2027
• Friday 11 June 2027
• Saturday 12 June 2027
• Friday 9 July 2027
• Saturday 10 July 2027

Year Two

Saturdays - 10:30 am to 5.30 pm

Module Four

• Saturday 11 September 2027
• Saturday 9 October 2027
• Saturday 6 November 2027
• Saturday 11 December 2027

Module Five

• Saturday 22 January 2028
• Saturday 19 February 2028
• Saturday 18 March 2028

Module Six

• Saturday 8 April 2028
• Saturday 13 May 2028
• Saturday 10 June 2028
• Saturday 8 July 2028

Teaching Team

• Andrew Davidson - MSc in Psychosexual and Relationship Therapy, TR, Relationships, University of East London; MA in Relationship Therapy, Relate Institute, University of Hull. RegCOSRT, MBACP. Research/teaching interests: Male sexual dysfunctions and hypoactive sexual desire.
• Mala Rudki - Psychodynamic and Psychosexual Couples Therapist. - Diploma in Psychosexual Therapy, PGDip. Couple and Individual Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy. MBACP, RegCORST. Research/teaching interests: Diverse cultural experiences and upbringings, as well as their impact on intimate relationships.
• Bridget Wilkins - Psychodynamic and Psychosexual Couples Therapist. - Diploma in Psychosexual Therapy, PGDip. Couple and Individual Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy. MBACP, AccredCORST.
• Judith Jamieson - MSc Psychosexual and Relationship Therapy, PGDip Couple and Individual Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy, BSCPC (FM), MBACP General Member, COSRT Accred, UKCP Registered. Clinical Lead at Tavistock Relationships. Special interests: risk assessment, diversity.
• Dr Karl Hollows - Dip Psychosexual Th, PgDip MedEd, DipGUM (Diploma in Genitourinary Medicine), COSRT Accred, FECSM (Fellowship of the European Committee of Sexual Medicine), MFSRH (Membership of the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare), BASHH (Secretary). Specialist in: Sexual Health Medicine, Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
• Dorota Mucha - MA Social Psychology, MSc Psychosexual Therapy, PGDip Psychodynamic Couple Counsellor, MBACP, COSRT. Special interests: ChemSex, same sex couples, polyamory. Lead Psychosexual Therapist in NHS CUH (short-term psychosexual interventions).
• Albertina Fisher - MSc Psychosexual and Relationship Therapy, PGDip Couple and Individual Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy, MSc in Career Management and Counselling, MBACP, RegCOSRT. Research/teaching interests: relationship and psychosexual issues.
• Dr Benedict Hoff - Clinical sexologist, sex and relationship therapist, mindfulness teacher, researcher and author, RegCOSRT and MBACP. Research/teaching interests: Chemsex, compulsive sexual behaviour and mindfulness.
• Heidi Renton - PGDip. Psychosexual Therapy, PGDip. Couple and Individual Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy, MBACP, RegCOSRT.
• Dr Damian McCann - D.Sys.Psych. Psychoanalytic couple psychotherapist and consultant family and systemic psychotherapist. Adjunct faculty member of the International Psychotherapy Institute (IPI). UKCP-registered systemic psychotherapist and registered with the British Psychoanalytic Council. Research/teaching interests: Impact of violence in the couple relationships of gay men.
• Dr Ali Mears - MBchB. Consultant in sexual health at the Jefferiss Wing, St Mary’s Hospital, London. Clinical lead for the IRISi ADViSE (Assessing for Domestic Violence and Abuse in Sexual Health Environments) programme. Research/teaching interests: Female sexual health.
• CJ Webb - Psychosexual Therapist (AccredCOSRT), PCE-CfD Therapist (Accred), EMDR Therapist, GSRD Specialist. Research/teaching interests: Working with Trans and Non-binary people in PST.
• Karen Doherty - MSc Psychosexual and Relationship Therapy, PGDip Couple and Individual Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy, MBACP, COSRT Accred, UKCP Registered. Research/teaching interests: Working with couples where one or both partners have ASD or ADHD.

External Examiner

Jane Read, Psychosexual Therapist and Supervisor, COSRT Accred, psychotherapist, counsellor, trainer in women’s reproductive health issues, infertility, sexuality and relationships since 1979.

Over 10 years’ teaching/tutoring/supervisory experience.