Educational organization Everyone Deserves Sex Ed (EDSE) has recruited licensed marriage and family therapist and licensed professional counselor Kristine Ives, LMFT, to train attendees of EDSE’s upcoming 25-hour sex educator certification program, scheduled April 6-7 and 13-14 in Los Angeles. Ives will discuss trauma-informed care and how to maintain a client-centered approach, giving EDSE attendees a framework with which they can appropriately and professionally support survivors and their loved ones.

Ives is a passionate advocate for those who feel they do not have a voice, feel unempowered to heal, or cannot envision a hopeful future. From her extensive experience working with issuesĀ related to trauma, relationship dissatisfaction, eating disorders, addiction, and mood disorders,Ā Ives has helped clients chart a course out of the maze of dysfunction and onto the path ofĀ authentic connection to self and others. Drawing from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy,Ā Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Functional Analytic Psychotherapy, as well as her ownĀ transformative life experiences, Kristine believes that the therapeutic relationship is the mostĀ powerful context for change.

ā€œAnne and I share a similar drive for empowering clients with compassionate, unbiasedĀ information and I’m excited to join the EDSE team,ā€ Ives said. ā€œWorking with trauma is one ofĀ my specialties, and this program is a great opportunity for educators and facilitators to learnĀ what ā€˜trauma-informed’ really means. I look forward to helping EDSE attendees form aĀ fundamental understanding of this important topic and support them on their career paths.ā€

EDSE founder and lead educator Anne Hodder-Shipp, ACS, tapped Ives to teach this portion of the certification because of her years of experience working with trauma in all its forms, as well as her professional understanding of how trauma can impact a clinical or educationalĀ environment.

ā€œKristine and I have been friends and colleagues for years and I’m honored to have her teachĀ this important section of our training,ā€ Hodder-Shipp said. ā€œKristine’s straight-forwardĀ facilitation style and interactive teaching techniques will be a great fit, and attendees will leaveĀ feeling more confident about how to respond to and support clients who have experiencedĀ trauma. Attendees also will be informed of what to do if abuse or neglect is disclosed during aĀ session.ā€

Ideal for budding sex educators, health and social service workers, and anyone looking toĀ bolster their sex ed knowledge, the EDSE certification program prepares attendees to haveĀ informed, inclusive and confident conversations about sex. Over the course of two weekends,Ā EDSE attendees will learn key information about human sexuality, intimate health, consent, and communication skills and be trained to respond to sex-related questions in a concise,Ā intersectional, and nonjudgmental manner. Attendees also will leave with new insight intoĀ their own sexuality — a fun side effect of sex education training.

The next EDSE certification will take place April 6-7 and 13-14 in Los Angeles. IndividualĀ certification is $995 and payment plans are available upon request.

To apply, fill out the form at https://everyonedeservessexed.com/certification/. An EDSEĀ representative will review and be in contact within 48 hours of submission.

ā€œDuring my time as a sex educator, and a sex blogger before that, there was one thing I noticedĀ most people had in common: a lack of confidence in, and even a little fear about, talking aboutĀ sex,ā€ Hodder-Shipp said. ā€œThis insecurity has a dramatic trickle-down effect. It leavesĀ professionals feeling unprepared for workplace dynamics, parents terrified of having ā€˜the talk,’ and service providers caught off-guard during sensitive conversations with their clients. My goalĀ with EDSE is to give people access to the kind of professional and educational support so many of us have lacked throughout our personal and professional lives.ā€

More information can be found at https://everyonedeservessexed.com/certification, or emailĀ Hodder-Shipp directly at anne@everyonedeservessexed.com.