Consultation Requirements

Certification Applicants must document at least 50 hours of consultation with an ABCST Approved Consultant.

• At least 10% (5) of the consultation hours must be live or include review of audio or video recordings of the consultee providing sex therapy.

• No more than 50% of consultation hours may be group consultation (3-8 consultees).

The consultation hours must be completed within a five-year (60 month) period of time. You may request an extension HERE.

Collection of Consultation Hours:

• Consultants must be approved by ABCST prior to the consultee submitting the consultation contract.

• Consultation hours collected without a contract/agreement on file with ABCST will NOT count toward certification.

• While applicants are expected to have a primary consultant for their consultation hours, applicants are permitted and encouraged to seek consultation experience with multiple ABCST Approved Consultants.

• Each consultant requires a contract on file.

• An hour of consultation can only be counted if the primary focus of the consultation was for a case(s) involving a sexually-related diagnosis where the consultee was the (primary) therapist.

• Co-therapy (with the consultant as co-therapist) may be counted (as live consultation) if the consultee is the primary therapist for the hour counted.

• Primarily didactic formats (e.g., workshop, seminar, class) do not meet consultation requirements, even if the consultee is teaching and the consultant is observing.

• Administrative meetings do not meet consultation requirements.

• All remote consultation must comply with local and national laws and standards for privacy, security, and confidentiality (e.g., HIPAA, etc.).