Attendees will learn essential concepts that relate to sex and sexual desire which will lay the groundwork for understanding and addressing desire differences when working with individuals and couples. After exploring how individual, interpersonal, and sociocultural factors impact libido, participants will be equipped with assessment questions and practical interventions to treat mismatched desire. Thus, clinicians will gain comfort and confidence in integrating a sex-positive approach to treating couples’ sexual concerns.

Learning Objectives:

1. Attendees will be able to define foundational principles of sex therapy and

   sexual health.

2. Attendees will be able to operationalize desire discrepancy and become

   familiar with spontaneous as well as responsive desire.

3. Attendees will be able to identify individual, interpersonal, and sociocultural

   factors that can impact libido in individuals and couples.

4. Attendees will be able to use assessment questions to inquire about clients’

   libido and their sexual history. Attendees will be able to learn about the dual

   control model.

5. Attendees will be able to expand their repertoire of interventions for treating

   desire differences using cognitive-behavioral tools, mindfulness, and

   psychoeducation.

Presenter Bio: 

Negin Motlagharani, PhD, LMFT, CST is an individual and relational therapist as well as an AASECT certified sex therapist. She earned her doctorate in Clinical Sexology from Modern Sex Therapy Institutes and her Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy from Northwestern University.

Negin utilizes a systemic and integrative approach to treating sexual functioning

challenges such as desire discrepancy, low libido, sexual shame and sexual trauma. She is dedicated to creating a non-judgemental and inclusive space for broaching difficult conversations about sex and relationships. She is a trauma-informed clinician who empowers clients to foster the growth that they want to see in their

own lives.