Continuing Professional Development Workshops

Registration for PART I

• Friday May 22nd, 2026 @ 9am – 3pm EST
  & Saturday May 23rd, 2026 @ 9am – 12pm EST
• Virtual – Temporary access to recording available following event
• Cost:
  • $200 + HST ($100 + HST for Clinical Students)
  • 20% Discount when registering for ALL 4 2026 Workshops
• Please click HERE to register for this, and/or any of our other upcoming 2026 workshops. This registration form includes all individual payment links, as well as the 20% discounted bulk payment option.

Registration for PART II

• Saturday June 27th, 2026 @ 9am – 3pm EST
• Virtual – Temporary access to recording available following event
• Cost:
  • $200 + HST ($100 + HST for Clinical Students)
  • 20% Discount when registering for ALL 4 2026 Workshops
• Please click HERE to register for this, and/or any of our other upcoming 2026 workshops. This registration form includes all individual payment links, as well as the 20% discounted bulk payment option.

Why This Training

Sexual concerns are among the most common — and most under-addressed — issues presenting in individual and couples therapy. Even highly skilled clinicians can feel unsure about how to ask about sex, make sense of what they are hearing, or integrate sexual concerns into relational formulations in a way that feels clinically grounded and ethically sound. This two-part training series is designed to support clinicians in building confidence, competence, and practical skill in addressing sexual concerns within therapy, without requiring formal sex therapy certification. Using a relational, biopsychosocial approach, the workshops focus on assessment, conceptualization, and intervention strategies that can be readily integrated into ongoing individual and couples work. Emphasis is placed on applied learning, case discussion, and concrete tools, with the goal of helping clinicians feel more comfortable, effective, and attuned when navigating sexual topics with diverse clients and relationship structures.

Brief Description

This foundational workshop is designed to equip clinicians with the core knowledge and skills needed to confidently assess, conceptualize, and discuss sexual concerns within individual and couples therapy. Sexual concerns are common in clinical practice, yet many clinicians feel underprepared to ask about sex, interpret what they are hearing, or integrate sexual concerns into broader relational formulations. This training aims to bridge that gap.
Participants will learn how to conduct comprehensive, affirming sexual assessments and histories, with particular attention to how sexual concerns present and evolve within couple dynamics. The workshop will review common sexual difficulties encountered in therapy — including low desire, arousal difficulties (such as erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation), orgasm difficulties, and sexual pain — and explore how these concerns are shaped by biopsychosocial, relational, and systemic factors.
Emphasis will be placed on helping clinicians move beyond symptom-based thinking toward nuanced, collaborative conceptualizations that integrate attachment, communication patterns, power, stress, trauma, medical factors, and sociocultural context. Throughout the training, case examples and discussion will be used to ground learning in real-world clinical scenarios.
This workshop is intended for clinicians who do not plan to pursue formal sex therapy certification, but who want to feel competent, grounded, and confident addressing sexual concerns as part of high-quality relational therapy. Guidance will also be provided on recognizing clinical complexity and determining when referral to specialized sex therapy or medical providers is indicated.

In this training, you will learn to:

• Conduct comprehensive, affirming sexual histories and assessments with individuals and couples
• Identify and conceptualize common sexual concerns using a biopsychosocial-relational framework
• Understand how sexual difficulties intersect with attachment, communication, and systemic dynamics
• Build confidence initiating and sustaining conversations about sex in therapy
• Clarify when referral to specialized sex therapy or allied professionals is appropriate

Registration

• Saturday October 24th, 2026 @ 9am – 4pm EST
• Virtual – Temporary access to recording available following event
• Cost:
  • $200 + HST ($100 + HST for Clinical Students)
  • 20% Discount when registering for ALL 4 2026 Workshops
• Please click HERE to register for this, and/or any of our other upcoming 2026 workshops. This registration form includes all individual payment links, as well as the 20% discounted bulk payment option.

Description

The more we care about each other, the more vulnerable we are to shame. Intentionally or unintentionally, we poke each other in the tender spots. Couples can shame each other multiple times a day, often without realizing what is happening. This can become a highly reactive cycle, preventing both people from getting their basic safety and attachment needs met. The more we become afraid of losing connection or not getting our needs met, the more likely this becomes. And shame can distort how we hear each other; the received message may have little to do with the message the partner is attempting to send.

In this workshop we will explore the blame/shame game couples can fall into and learn how to help them stop shaming each other and to work together to create a secure base and heal the wounds of the past.

In this training, you will learn:

• First, we learn to counter shame. To counter the shame that is there that might be invisible
• Look at some of the many subtle and not so subtle ways shame can be triggered.
• Explore shaming moments with great care so we can teach our clients how to avoid shame-based reactivity.
• Learn the gentle art of counter-shaming and how to avoid triggering feelings of inadequacy in yourself or in another person.
• Talk about, have compassion for and heal past shaming incidents within the relationship.
• Help each person to understand, have compassion, and be there for each other—to learn to face the shame dragon together, to avoid shaming in the present and heal shame from the past.
• We build a secure base so that the couple has a truer foundation
• What I am interested in -I love watching plants grow as nature is set with enough light and water and time to grow. I love watching people and couples grow when the shame is transformed

Registration

• Friday November 20th, 2026 @ 9am – 3pm EST
  & Saturday November 21st @ 9am-12pm EST
• Virtual – Temporary access to recording available following event
• Cost:
  • $200 + HST ($100 + HST for Clinical Students)
  • 20% Discount when registering for ALL 4 2026 Workshops
• Please click HERE to register for this, and/or any of our other upcoming 2026 workshops. This registration form includes all individual payment links, as well as the 20% discounted bulk payment option.

Why This Training

Sexual concerns are among the most common — and most under-addressed — issues presenting in individual and couples therapy. Even highly skilled clinicians can feel unsure about how to ask about sex, make sense of what they are hearing, or integrate sexual concerns into relational formulations in a way that feels clinically grounded and ethically sound. This two-part training series is designed to support clinicians in building confidence, competence, and practical skill in addressing sexual concerns within therapy, without requiring formal sex therapy certification. Using a relational, biopsychosocial approach, the workshops focus on assessment, conceptualization, and intervention strategies that can be readily integrated into ongoing individual and couples work. Emphasis is placed on applied learning, case discussion, and concrete tools, with the goal of helping clinicians feel more comfortable, effective, and attuned when navigating sexual topics with diverse clients and relationship structures.

Brief Description

Building on the foundational assessment and conceptualization skills introduced in Workshop 1, this advanced workshop focuses on applied sex therapy topics frequently encountered in couples therapy. The emphasis is on translating sex therapy principles into practical, relationally attuned interventions that can be integrated into ongoing couples work.
Participants will deepen their understanding of treatment strategies for sexual difficulties and learn how to work effectively with complex, emotionally charged sexual dynamics. Particular attention will be given to discrepant desire, sexual avoidance and shutdown, and the ways sexual concerns often become entangled with conflict, rupture, trauma histories, and power dynamics within relationships.

The workshop will introduce and apply sex therapy interventions commonly used in couples work, including sensate focus, mindfulness-based practices, and pleasure-focused approaches aimed at restoring erotic connection and intimacy. Participants will also explore how to provide clients with clear, developmentally appropriate psychoeducation, structured exercises, and between-session practices.

Additional topics will be tailored to participant interest and timing, and may include working with pornography use in couples, supporting clients exploring kink and BDSM communities, sexuality following infidelity or trauma, the impact of medical conditions, disability, aging, perinatal and postpartum sexuality, asexuality, and the intersection of OCD and sexuality.

This workshop is designed to help clinicians feel more confident, creative, and grounded when navigating sexual topics that fall outside “the basics,” while maintaining a strong relational and systemic lens.

In this training, you will learn to:

• Apply sex therapy interventions within couples therapy, including sensate focus and mindfulness-based practices
• Work effectively with discrepant desire, sexual avoidance, and erotic disconnection
• Integrate pleasure-focused and intimacy-enhancing approaches into relational treatment
• Address complex sexual topics (e.g., pornography use, kink, trauma, medical or life-stage changes) with confidence and clarity
• Provide clients with practical exercises, psychoeducation, and resources to support change

Dr. Lila Hakim, C.Psych., CFIR Co-Founder

Description

This workshop will be presented over two half days and focuses on the key foundations necessary for couples therapists to manage a broad range of couple presentations, from mildly distressed pairs to more severely troubled and complex dynamics. Working with couples, especially those facing complex challenges, requires significant adjustments to standard therapeutic practices during sessions. Consistent with the treatment philosophy at CFIR, an integrative approach is essential for addressing moderately to severely distressed couples, incorporating elements from psychoanalytic, attachment, relational, experiential, trauma-informed, cognitive-behavioral, and structural/systemic frameworks.

Throughout the workshop, we will provide a case conceptualization and treatment framework tailored for couples with varying levels of distress. Understanding and treating couples necessitate clear distinctions among mildly, moderately, and severely distressed clients. No single therapy model can effectively address all concerns; instead, therapists must adopt an integrated and flexible approach to treatment. Additionally, personality functioning and the presence of complex trauma further influence the severity of issues faced.

Psychoeducation will play a key role in helping partners understand their distress and learn to express themselves in healthier ways while minimizing emotional dysregulation. Emotional engagement, complemented by emotional modulation, is crucial. Finally, the workshop will present a conceptualization framework that highlights essential distinctions when working with couples at different distress levels and offer targeted interventions to assist those in high-distress cycles.

Learning Objectives:

1. Recognize key differences between individual and couples therapy, including the therapist’s role and necessary adjustments for success.
2. Understand the treatment variations for couples based on personality functioning, complex trauma, and discernible psychological disorders.
3. Gain insights into essential psychoeducational interventions that support emotional modulation and healthy communication.
4. Develop the capacity for preliminary conceptualization and treatment planning tailored to couples with complex presentations.
5. Differentiate treatment strategies for couples based on developmental understanding, personality, and complex trauma dynamics.

Description

This two-day workshop will introduce participants to Developmental Couple Therapy for Complex Trauma (DCTCT) a model of couple therapy designed to address the specific struggles and therapeutic needs of trauma impacted couples. We will review the four stages of the model in detail. Stage One: Psychoeducation, Stage Two: Skills Building in Emotion Regulation and Mentalizing, Stage Three: Trauma Processing in the Attachment Context, and Stage Four: Consolidation will be illustrated through didactic lecture materials, video segments of research-based sessions, and discussions of case material.

In this training, you will…

1. Be introduced to Developmental Couples Therapy for Complex Trauma (DCTCT)
2. Learn about the 4 stages of DCTCT
   • Stage 1: Psychoeducation
   • Stage 2: Skills Building in Emotion Regulation and Mentalizing
   • Stage 3: Trauma Processing in the Attachment Context
   • Stage 4: Consolation
3. View segments of research-based session videos and discussion

Description

Sexual behavior is influenced by a variety of biological, social, cultural, and developmental factors. This workshop provides a framework for understanding sexual self-experience and relatedness from a developmental perspective, emphasizing the need for depth approaches to fully grasp these complexities.

The presentation will begin by establishing an attachment framework for addressing sexual issues, drawing on the foundational work of Drs. Sue Johnson and Dino Zuccarini, C.Psych. Attachment processes are critical in shaping a couple’s sexual life, as sex is inherently an affectively mediated behavior. Case conceptualization and treatment strategies from an attachment perspective will be highlighted.

Additionally, significant developmental processes, including separation-individuation and narcissism, will be reviewed to illuminate their impact on a couple’s sexual life, including sexual dysfunctions and disorders. This exploration will also address what is required for optimal sexual functioning from a developmental standpoint.

Finally, considerations of personality functioning and polyvagal theory will be integrated into the conceptualization and treatment of sexual problems. By examining these multidimensional aspects, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the role of attachment processes, separation-individuation and narcissism equipping them with the tools necessary for effective clinical intervention in sexual issues within couples.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the developmental foundations of sexual dysfunction and disorders in couples.
2. Recognize how early developmental experiences shape sexual self-experience and relational dynamics.
3. Explore an integrative, developmentally-oriented framework for treating sexual issues in couples.

Description

An attachment injury (AI) occurs when a partner experiences betrayal or abandonment, leading to a violation of trust during a critical time for support (Johnson et al., 2001). This injury is traumatic, leaving the affected partner feeling helpless, isolated, and intensely fearful regarding the other’s availability. Such incidents can significantly impact perceptions of the offending partner’s trustworthiness, with common examples including infidelities and relational betrayals characterized by deceit or neglect. Couples dealing with an attachment injury often experience intense emotional reactions that are not easily resolved.

This presentation will introduce the Attachment Injury Resolution Model (AIRM), designed to support forgiveness and reconciliation among couples facing AIs. The model guides addressing lingering hurt, anger, and sadness to facilitate healing and restore emotional connections. Emotional processing within this framework encourages new interactions, enabling the offending partner to respond emotionally, which aids in renewing trust.

Attachment injuries can provoke profound emotional responses, making effective intervention crucial. Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is shown to promote partner accessibility and responsiveness to attachment-related needs. The AIRM incorporates a softening process essential for healing these painful injuries, leading couples toward forgiveness and reconciliation. This workshop will detail the AIRM’s steps and provide a comprehensive guide to healing attachment injuries. Dr. Zuccarini, C.Psych., will share his research and clinical insights, integrating psychoanalytic concepts to explore the deeper dimensions of forgiveness and reconciliation in the context of attachment injuries.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand what an “attachment injury” is and how it manifests in couple therapy.
2. Explore the core steps in resolving an attachment injury, including additional steps not previously published.
3. Learn about the interventions required to facilitate an experiential shift, promote forgiveness, and rebuild trust and reconciliation.

Description

In this half-day workshop, participants will explore the unique relational issues faced by 2SLGBTQI+ couples, acknowledging the distinct dynamics and challenges that set them apart from heterosexual relationships. The session will delve into the complexities of identity within 2SLGBTQI+ communities, examining how race, class, gender identity, and sexual orientation intersect to shape individual and relational experiences.

Attendees will engage in interactive discussions, case studies, and role-play exercises covering topics such as identity, intersectionality, communication styles, and cultural sensitivities. They will learn effective communication techniques designed for the specific needs of 2SLGBTQI+ couples, enabling therapists to facilitate open dialogue around sensitive topics respectfully.

The workshop will address common relational issues encountered by 2SLGBTQI+ couples, including societal pressures, internalized stigma, and relationship roles. Therapists will discover strategies to navigate these dynamics and create an inclusive therapeutic space that honors the experiences of their clients.

By gaining insights into the lived experiences of 2SLGBTQI+ couples and understanding their specific relational needs, therapists can foster a more inclusive and affirming therapeutic environment. Join us for this enriching workshop, designed to enhance your clinical practice and equip you to effectively support the diverse needs of 2SLGBTQI+ couples in your therapy sessions.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand Intersectionality and Identity and the clinical implications of working with diverse communities
• Learn effective strategies to create a safe, engaging, sensitive and responsive therapeutic relatioship to to diversity of identities -including sexual, gender and relational diversity
• Identify and navigate relationship dynamics within the context of diversity
• Develop culturally competent therapeutic interventions