From Rage to Sage: Demystifying Hormones At Every Stage
CE: 3 (Streaming- Live)

3 AASECT*/ ISEE CEs

12:00-1:30 PM Eastern time 

Class Description:

Whether it’s a Premenstrual Disorder, perimenopause, postpartum changes, Gender Affirming Hormone Therapy or simply the emotional and cultural reality of living in a body that bleeds, the mental health impact of hormonal shifts is profound. Hormone receptors exist throughout the body, meaning the hormonal cycle can influence a wide range of physical and emotional experiences that extend far beyond the limited, fertility-focused narratives found in mainstream sex education. As clinicians, educators, and advocates, we encounter people every day who are navigating complex hormonal experiences, but we may not feel informed or equipped enough to fully address them.

This 2 session, 3-hour webinar taught by the authors of The Cycle Book will take us through a learning journey addressing

1) hormone cycles as a key factor in relational, sexual and mental health,
2) the impact of hormone factors on therapy,
3) supporting clients through major hormonal transitions,
4) cycle tracking, and
5) trauma-informed approaches to body literacy.

Principles of Reproductive Justice, Liberatory Harm Reduction, and Client-Centered Care are cited throughout and form a core part of the training’s foundation.

Learning Objectives

You will be able to

• Describe the phases of the hormonal cycle (bleeding, follicular, ovulatory, and luteal) and the primary hormonal changes that influence mental, emotional, and sexual health.

• Discuss how hormonal fluctuations may influence sexual functioning, desire, arousal, intimacy, attachment, mood, and common sex therapy treatment goals, including premenstrual symptom presentations.

• Evaluate how systemic inequities, research limitations, healthcare barriers, and provider knowledge gaps affect client access to hormonal health information and care.

• Use trauma-informed and inclusive hormonal health assessment questions into sex therapy practice using affirming, body-neutral, and culturally responsive language.

• Identify body literacy and cycle awareness frameworks to support client autonomy, sexual wellbeing, and treatment planning using somatic approaches, mindfulness-informed strategies, and Liberatory Harm Reduction principles.

• Recognize the clinical implications of major hormonal transitions including perimenopause, pregnancy/postpartum, breast/body feeding, gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT), hormone replacement therapy (HRT), hormonal contraception, PC/MOS, endometriosis, and surgical menopause, for assessment, referral, and collaborative care.

• Assess the benefits and limitations of hormonal cycle tracking methods, including analog tracking, while considering reproductive justice, privacy, accessibility, and client safety.

• Recognize personal assumptions and the historical reproductive- and gender-centered framing of hormonal health to strengthen culturally responsive, inclusive, and client-centered clinical practice

NOTE: This is a 2-part webinar, meeting for 2 weeks on Tuesdays for 90 minutes each time. 

About your Instructors: 

Laura Federico, LCSW, CST is a psychotherapist, AASECT-certified sex therapist, writer, and consultant, and co-author of The Cycle Book: An Interactive Step-by-Step Guide to Tracking Hormones and Knowing Your Body. Specializing in sex and relationships, Laura focuses on bodily autonomy, sex positivity, and support for those who have felt in the dark or dismissed when navigating their emotional and physical well-being. Laura's work has brought her to collaborations across fields, including midwifery. Located in Canada, she has worked most recently in New York, Iowa, Istanbul, and Switzerland. After moving regularly, she personally understands the importance of accessible support and treatment, no matter where we may be.

Morgan Miller, CPM, LM, IBCLC Morgan is a birth center founder, a practicing midwife, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, an activist and co-founder of Perinatal Transitions Program. She is co-author of The Cycle Book: An Interactive Step-by-Step Guide to Tracking Hormones and Knowing Your Body. Passionate about pregnancy and reproductive care, Morgan has over 10 years of experience caring for people throughout their reproductive cycles. She was a full-time midwife at the Bend Birth Center in Oregon for over 5 years before relocating to Maine to establish Soft Corner. Morgan has a fierce enthusiasm for what she does and supports the vision of essential reproductive rights and highest-quality reproductive care being available to everyone. She is a practicing midwife and lactation consultant in Maine and California.

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AASECT
*This program meets the requirements of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT) and is approved for 3 CE credits, and is considered asynchronous learning. These CE credits may be applied toward AASECT certification and renewal of certification. Institute for Sexuality Education & Enlightenment, Provider #11-113-C. Completion of this program does not ensure or guarantee AASECT Certification. For further information please contact ce@aasect.org

Core Knowledge Area: H: Health & Medical Factors That May Influence Sexuality

Sex Education Skills: D: Approaches to Sex Education with Specific Populations

Sex Counseling Skills: D: Theory and methods of decision-making concerning sexually related medical interventions

Sex Therapy Skills: B: Sex-Related Assessment and Diagnosis