Skip to content with Melissa Walker, LPC, CST, R-DMT
Dates | April 10 & 11, 2027 |
Investment | $875 |
Time | 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM ET (both days) |
Location | Held Space, 960 Manhattan Ave, 4th Fl, Brooklyn, NY 11222 |
CE Credits | 12 AASECT Continuing Education Credits |
This two-day didactic and experiential training equips psychotherapists with somatic skills to observe, assess, and apply interventions for clients’ intimacy and sexuality challenges. Drawing on Melissa Walker’s Somatic-Concentric Sex Therapy (S-CST) framework and Dance/Movement Therapy principles, this training bridges body-based practice with relationship-focused therapy to support a wider range of client concerns.
Participants will develop confidence in guiding clients toward meaningful embodied intimacy using inclusive language and practices grounded in a social liberation approach. This training brings together core elements of the S-CST Foundations training and the S-CST Training for Couples & Intimate Relationships into an intensive two-day format.
Somatic-Concentric Sex Therapy (S-CST) is a body-centered therapeutic model developed by Melissa Walker. The model is organized concentrically, with each layer of human experience (physical, emotional, cognitive, relational, and sociocultural) explored in relationship to sexual identity and intimacy:
This training draws on all four levels, giving therapists a structured, holistic foundation for intimacy work with individuals and couples.
This training is designed for:
This training is an introduction to the certification program. Therapists seeking to build toward the Somatic-Concentric Sex Therapy Certification Program are encouraged to complete the Foundations training as part of their certification pathway.
Melissa Walker, LPC, CST, R-DMT, is a licensed professional counselor, AASECT Certified Sex Therapist, and Registered Dance/Movement Therapist. She is the author of Whole-Body Sex and Whole-Body Intimacy and a sought-after speaker who brings a grounded, experiential approach to professional training on intimacy and relationships. Melissa developed the Somatic-Concentric Sex Therapy model and has trained therapists across the country through Embodied Relationships Training Center in Lafayette, CO.
S-CST is a body-centered therapeutic model that integrates somatic awareness, relational dynamics, and non-verbal practices to help therapists support clients in improving intimacy and connection. It was developed by Melissa Walker and is taught through Embodied Relationships Training Center.
Traditional approaches often emphasize verbal communication and cognitive strategies. S-CST focuses on the physical and non-verbal dimensions of intimacy, giving therapists tools to address challenges that talk-based approaches may not fully resolve. The Dance/Movement Therapy foundation adds body-based observational and assessment skills unique to this model. DMT adds a framework for a somatic creative process to support client growth and reduce therapist burnout.
This training is for licensed therapists, mental health professionals, counselors, and advanced counseling students who want to expand their skills in somatic, sex, and couples therapy. Participants from a range of backgrounds, including those newer to somatic approaches, are welcome.
The training includes body-based practices such as developmental and movement fundamentals applied to relational intimacy, and somatic practices, along with theoretical frameworks such as attachment theory, relational neurobiology, and sociocultural influences on sexuality. Therapists will leave with practical tools for supporting emotional and physical intimacy in both individual and couples work.
Yes. The training equips therapists with body-centered interventions designed to address sexual intimacy challenges by working with both the emotional and physical dimensions of a client's experience.
This model does not include touch between the therapist and client, except for guidance on how to facilitate consensual, non-sexual touch between members of a couple as part of an in-session experiential exercise.
The training incorporates attachment-based practices and teaches therapists how to support clients in developing secure attachment patterns that foster trust, safety, and emotional closeness in their relationships.
Prior completion of the S-CST Foundations training is not required for this event. Therapists seeking to continue toward the Somatic-Concentric Sex Therapy Certification Program are encouraged to complete the Foundations training as part of their certification pathway.
This training offers 12 AASECT Continuing Education credits. See the AASECT CE Disclosure below for full details.
The fee is $875. Payment is processed securely through PayPal using the registration link on this page.
April 10 & 11, 2027 | Brooklyn, NY
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM ET each day
Held Space | 960 Manhattan Ave, 4th Fl | Brooklyn, NY 11222x
Investment: $875 | 12 AASECT CEs
Questions? Contact us at embodiedrelationships@gmail.com or call 720-443-1491.
This program fulfills the criteria established by the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT) for continuing education credits, which can be applied toward earning or renewing AASECT certification. Continuing education is provided by Lena Queen, LCSW, M.Ed., an authorized AASECT CE provider (CE Provider #25-0611-LQ).
Note: Completion of this program does not ensure or guarantee AASECT certification. Attendees are responsible for determining whether their state licensing board or other certifying bodies accept AASECT CE credits. For further information, please contact info@aasect.org.
