Santa Cruz Chapter of CAMFT
presents

Why, When, and How to Talk About Sex in Therapy (Without Blushing):

A practical roadmap for weaving sexuality into individual and relational work

with Dominique Oster, LMFT, CST

Friday, September 26, 2025
9:00am-11:30am

Simpkin's "Community Center" Room B
(979 17th Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA 95062)

2 CE Credits

Description

With so much stigma and discomfort around discussing sexuality, it’s normal to feel unprepared or awkward addressing it proactively. We’ll uncover a roadmap for weaving sexual inquiry into therapy with confidence and clinical skill by exploring how common diagnoses, relational complaints, lifespan transitions, and issues of diversity and identity influence intimacy and sexuality. With practical reflections and resources, this workshop will help clinicians to confidently and professionally bring sexuality into the treatment room.

Educational Goals/Learning Objectives

In successfully completing and attending this workshop, participants will be able to:

1. Identify at least three common presenting issues or diagnoses where exploration of sexual dynamics is likely to be clinically relevant.
2. Name layers of intersectionality and diversity that impact sexual values and behavior.
3. Demonstrate three strategies for initiating trauma-informed conversations about sexuality that both affirm client agency and normalize inquiry.
4. Recommend three professional resources for clients seeking further support with sexuality-related concerns.

Presenter

Dominique Oster, LMFT, CST is a Biracial Black queer cisgender femme and a licensed marriage and family therapist and educator who specializes in all things sex, love, and relationship. She approaches therapy with the belief that each person is the expert of their own experience, and her role is to help clients untangle the parts of themselves that may have become fused through trauma, indoctrination, or the pressures of “fitting in.” Her goal is to support people in living lives that feel intentional, authentic, and aligned with their deepest truths. As a sex and relationship therapist, Dominique believes that therapy isn’t just for those in crisis—things don’t have to be bad to get better. She helps clients embrace the idea that it’s possible to be grateful for their lives while also desiring more: more connection, more joy, and more pleasure. She honors the wisdom of the body and guides clients in exploring how trauma, shame, and societal legacies are stored and expressed, opening pathways to healing, wholeness, and pleasure in the present. Dominique works through a feminist, sex-positive, and culturally aware lens, recognizing that no one exists in a vacuum. The broader social context—with all of its privileges and challenges—is part of the story that she helps clients explore. Her work is collaborative, blending relational insight with practical strategies to support growth and change. She is proudly kink, queer, SW, and BIPOC affirming, and she is committed to creating a safe, supportive space where clients no longer have to carry their burdens alone. Dominique considers it an honor to walk alongside individuals on their journeys back to themselves, offering care, affirmation, and presence every step of the way.

Schedule

9:00am: Check-in *
9:30am-11:30am: CE Session

* = non CE portion of day

Advanced registration is required for this event and must be completed at least one day before the event. Each individual seeking CE credits must register separately, attend the event, and submit the post-session evaluation to receive CE certificate within one week. The evaluation with attached CE certificate will be sent out to confirmed attendees by 48 hours after the event.

Cost

SC-CAMFT Member (Clinical and Affiliate): $45
SC-CAMFT Member (Associate and Student): $30

Non-Member: $55
Non-Member (Associate/Student): $35

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Continuing Education Provider #62284: This training meets the qualifications for 2 hours continuing education credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. Course completion certificates will be available to attendees after completion of the session evaluation and sent by email no later than three weeks after the session. The Santa Cruz Chapter of CAMFT is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs. The Santa Cruz Chapter of CAMFT maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content.

Cancellation/Refund Policy: Due to this program being managed by volunteers, there are no cancellation refunds for this program.

Special Accommodations: The Santa Cruz Chapter of CAMFT is committed to providing a presentation that is accessible to all who wish to attend. If you have a special need and plan to attend, please notify us at president@santacruztherapist.org. Requests must be made one week in advance.

Grievances/Other Questions: Contact SC-CAMFT at president@santacruztherapist.org.