2026 NEFESH Summer Online Conference
July 14-15, 2026 · Online Event
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Helping Clients Shift from Sexual Obligation to Pleasure and How Attachment Styles Impact Sexual Desire

Previously Recorded
Rivka Sidorsky, LCSW-C, CST,C-PST
$59.99 USD Cost For Member: $39.99

Many clients see sex as a marital obligation. Sometimes this is due to cultural norms or religious ideas/values/writings. Sexual pleasure for women is often a taboo topic which is often accompanied with ideas of shamefulness or a lack of modesty. This course helps therapists understand the client’s cultural or religious ideas about sexual obligation and supports therapists in providing culturally-sensitive and religiously-sensitive approaches to female pleasure.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Identify and assess various adult attachment styles and explain their impact on sexual desire and relational dynamics.
  2. Describe clinical strategies for addressing attachment-related sexual challenges in both individual and couples therapy.
  3. Explain at least three cultural or religious sources of sexual obligation that commonly affect women’s sexual narratives.
  4. Utilize three therapeutic interventions to help clients reframe sex from a duty to a source of mutual pleasure and agency.
  5. Apply culturally sensitive and attachment-informed approaches to support clients navigating conflicts between desire, obligation, and identity.

Agenda:

Total instructional content: 180 minutes

Time Course Content
10 minutes Introduction and Course Framework
  • Overview of the course objectives
  • Relationship among attachment, sexual desire, cultural expectations, obligation, and pleasure
  • Establishing a culturally responsive and nonjudgmental approach to discussing sexuality
35 minutes Adult Attachment Styles and Sexual Desire
  • Overview of secure, anxious, avoidant, and disorganized attachment patterns
  • How attachment needs may influence sexual desire, initiation, arousal, and intimacy
  • Reassurance seeking, emotional withdrawal, fear of rejection, and discomfort with vulnerability
  • Effects of differing attachment styles on couples' sexual and relational dynamics
25 minutes Attachment-Informed Clinical Assessment
  • Identifying attachment patterns in individual and couples therapy
  • Assessing the relationship between emotional safety and sexual desire
  • Exploring desire discrepancies, avoidance, pursuit-withdrawal patterns, and relational triggers
  • Developing attachment-informed treatment goals
35 minutes Cultural and Religious Narratives of Sexual Obligation
  • Cultural, religious, familial, and gender-based messages concerning marital sexuality
  • Beliefs about duty, modesty, pleasure, consent, and relationship expectations
  • Shame and discomfort surrounding female sexual pleasure
  • Differentiating mutually chosen intimacy from pressure, compliance, or unwanted sexual activity
  • Respecting clients' values while supporting autonomy and emotional safety
35 minutes Shifting from Obligation to Pleasure and Agency
  • Helping clients identify inherited beliefs and internalized sexual expectations
  • Reframing intimacy as collaborative, consensual, and mutually meaningful
  • Supporting communication about desire, pleasure, boundaries, and preferences
  • Expanding definitions of intimacy and sexual connection
  • Promoting sexual agency without dismissing religious or cultural identity
30 minutes Clinical Interventions for Individuals and Couples
  • Attachment-informed communication and intimacy-building strategies
  • Interventions for reducing shame and increasing emotional and sexual safety
  • Helping couples navigate differences in desire and expectations
  • Supporting consent, choice, mutuality, and pleasure
  • Applying culturally and religiously responsive interventions in individual and couples therapy
10 minutes Integrated Case Application and Review
  • Application of attachment and culturally responsive concepts to clinical examples
  • Identifying obligation narratives, attachment patterns, and treatment priorities
  • Review of key clinical strategies and course takeaways

AASECT Knowledge Areas

This course addresses ethics and ethical behavior; developmental sexuality; intimacy skills; learning theory and its application; the range of sexual functioning and behavior; sexual exploitation and abuse; diversities of sexual expression; sociocultural and familial factors; and pleasure-enhancement skills.

This previously recorded self-study course offers 3.0 continuing education contact hours and does not qualify for live or live-interactive credit.

This workshop offers 3 Continuing Education Credits
This webinar is recorded and will not grant live credits.

This presentation is open to:
  • Social Workers
  • Professional Counselors
  • Therapists
  • Psychologists
  • Licensed Mental Health Practitioners
  • Medical Doctors and Other Health Professionals
  • Other professionals interacting with populations engaged in mental health based services
Course Level: intermediate
Level of Clinician: intermediate
  • New practitioners who wish to gain enhanced insight surrounding the topic
  • Experienced practitioners who seek to increase and expand fundamental knowledge surrounding the subject matter
  • Advanced practitioners seeking to review concepts and reinforce practice skills and/or access additional consultation
  • Managers seeking to broaden micro and/or macro perspectives

Participants will receive their certificate electronically upon completion of the webinar and course evaluation form.

Disability Access - If you require ADA accommodations, please contact our office 30 days or more before the event. We cannot ensure accommodations without adequate prior notification. Please Note: Licensing Boards change regulations often, and while we attempt to stay abreast of their most recent changes, if you have questions or concerns about this course meeting your specific board’s approval, we recommend you contact your board directly to obtain a ruling. The grievance policy for trainings provided by NEFESH INTERNATIONAL is available here Satisfactory Completion Participants must have paid the tuition fee, logged in and out each day, attended the entire workshop, and completed an evaluation to receive a certificate (If this is a pre-recorded program, a post-test with a passing grade of 80% to receive a certificate.) Failure to log in or out will result in forfeiture of credit for the entire course. No exceptions will be made. Partial credit is not available. Certificates are available after satisfactory course completion by clicking here.
There is no conflict of interest or commercial support for this program.
  • NEFESH International, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0116.
  • NEFESH International is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0046
  • NEFESH International is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Mental Health Counselor #MHC-0082
  • NEFESH International is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0048.
  • This program meets the requirements for the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists. These CE credits may be applied toward AASECT certification and renewal of certification. AASECT Core Knowledge Areas: . May be used for Sex Therapy Area .
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed creative arts therapists. #CAT-0122.
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0129.
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0325.
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0275.
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0129.
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0325.
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0774.
Refund Policy:
Full Refund until 48 hours before scheduled date.
48 hours before: full refund less $5.00 processing fee. After event no refund will be given.
*exclusions apply for reasonable need and cause.