Sex Therapy, Clinical Sexology, and Sexology Educator Certification 

Welcome and thank you for your interest in becoming certified by the Therapist Certification Association (TCA). The TCA Board is comprised of Sex Therapists and Educators who have many years of training and experience in Clinical Sexology and all of our specialties.

TCA Board Certification

For therapists and professionals who have completed the education and supervision requirements in the field of sexology.

***This is not for RENEWAL of Certification. Go to Certification Renewal under Certification > Sex Therapy/Sexology Certification***

Benefits of TCA Certification include:

• 5 hours of free sex therapy CE credits annually.
• A professional listing on the TCA website Find a Professional page.
• Membership in the TCA listserve
• Private Facebook group for members to connect and exchange resources or consult on cases.
• Discounts towards TCA programs, including Transgender Care Therapy, Addictions Therapy, Kink Conscious Therapy, Sex Offender Therapy, and Hypnotherapy and Sexuality.
• 4 hours of Supervision/Case Consultation annually.

Board Certification serves the purpose of:

• Protecting the public.
• Assuring consumers that practitioners have met standards of practice.
• Meeting the requirements of professional boards and other certifying bodies.
• Advancing the profession.
• Enhancing a professional’s practice and developing a marketing niche.
• Demonstrating an individual’s commitment to their profession.

TCA credentials reflect high standards of academic instruction, supervised training and consultation, and applied skills in field settings.

TCA offers three options for Board Certification:

• Board Certified Sex Therapist
• Board Certified Clinical Sexologist
• Board Certified Sexology Educator

Requirements for each certification include education in specific core areas and supervised work experience. (Follow the links to each area of certification for specifics pertaining to that level.)

Education in the form of academic degrees, specialized programs in sexology, and conferences/workshops are applied towards the certification requirements.

Certification also requires work in the particular field in which the aspirant wants to specialize. This work needs to be supervised through case consultation by trained and credentialed professionals who will assess and strengthen the skills needed for practical application.

Applicants for certification will submit proof of attainment of all requirements to the TCA Board for approval.

Cost and Registration

Professionals interested in TCA Board Certification must have completed 150 hours in sexology education and 20 hours of supervision/case consultation with a TCA-approved supervisor. The initial certification application fee is $200 and each biennial renewal will be $200 and submission of 10 continuing education hours in a sexology-related topic. Participation in a TCA supervision/case consultation group is encouraged and will be credited towards certification renewal.

Code of Ethics

Members will adhere to the TCA Code of Ethics and those for their particular field (i.e.: Clinical Social Work, Psychology, Nursing, etc.) including, but not limited to, the following:

• American Mental Health Counselors Association (http://www.amhca.org/assets/content/CodeofEthics1.pdf)
• The Association for Addiction Professionals (http://www.naadac.org/resources/codeofethics)
• American Nurses Association (http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/EthicsStandards/CodeofEthicsforNurses)
• Association of American Educators (http://www.aaeteachers.org/index.php/about-us/aae-code-of-ethics)
• American Psychological Association (http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx)
• National Association of Social Workers (http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp)