American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists

What American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists does

AASECT (American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists) is a US-based non-profit professional association founded in 1967 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with a Washington D.C. area contact number. The organization sets and administers the dominant credentialing standards for four professional designations — Certified Sex Therapist, Certified Sexuality Educator, Certified Sexuality Counselor, and Certified Supervisor — and additionally recognizes a Diplomate of Sex Therapy for legacy credential holders. Each certification path is gated by formal prerequisites including core knowledge hours (e.g., 90 hours education + 60 hours skills for educators), clinical or supervision hour thresholds, and a mandatory Sexuality Attitude Reassessment (SAR) experience of at least 14 clock hours.

The operating model is a four-stream recurring revenue structure: annual membership dues across multiple tiers (Early Career, Professional, Retired, Emeritus); certification application and triennial renewal fees ($300 application for educators; $150 renewal for most credentials, $50 for supervisors); Annual Conference registration with member discounts; and CE Provider approval fees for the 100+ organizational and individual providers authorized to deliver AASECT-credit training. Distribution runs through the central aasect.org website, an in-person Annual Conference (with 2027 dates already marketed), the AASECT Virtual Institute for remote training, a public Referral Directory routing consumer demand to certified members, and a Career Center for employment services. Supporting engagement channels include the AASECT Listserv (Google Group), Regional Representatives, Special Interest Groups, and a Mentorship Program.

AASECT serves individual practitioners across the US, Canada, Israel, and Mexico, with international partnerships (e.g., HKASERT in Hong Kong) extending its standards' reach. The organization is membership-governed via a Board of Directors, with no external investment, parent entity, or M&A activity disclosed in the source data. Revenue and headcount are not publicly disclosed; the technology stack is conventional web CMS rather than a proprietary platform, and no AI/ML capabilities, APIs, or mobile applications are indicated.

Name

American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists

Legal name

American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists

Website

https://aasect.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

AASECT is a US-based non-profit professional association that sets and administers certification standards for sexuality educators, counselors, sex therapists, and supervisors, serving individual practitioners across the US, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Certification and Credentialing Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Programmatic Accreditors (Discipline/Profession-Specific) (EDADACAC), Behavioral Health & Counseling (Social Work, Psychology, Substance Use CE) (EDAAALAD), Accreditation Standards, Benchmarking & Framework Organizations (EDADACAJ)

Keywords

• Professional certification services
• Continuing education programs
• Sexuality education training
• Professional membership association
• Mental health credentialing

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for professionals in the sexuality education, counseling, and therapy fields. Members receive access to the directory, listserv, discounted conference registration, and journal subscription discounts.
2. Certification Fees: Application and renewal fees for AASECT certifications including Certified Sex Therapist, Certified Sexuality Educator, Certified Sexuality Counselor, and Certified Supervisor. Certification renewal every 3 years with fees of $150 USD for most certifications and $50 USD for supervisors.
3. Annual Conference Revenue: Registration fees for the AASECT Annual Conference providing insights into sexuality education, counseling, therapy advancements. Members receive discounted registration.
4. CE Provider Fees: Fees for organizations and individuals to become AASECT-approved Continuing Education providers. Single event CE credit approval applications also generate revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

AASECT is a non-profit professional association that sets standards, certifies, and provides continuing education for sexuality educators, counselors, and therapists. It offers four core certification credentials (Certified Sex Therapist, Certified Sexuality Educator, Certified Sexuality Counselor, Certified Supervisor), approves Continuing Education providers, maintains a referral directory of certified professionals, and operates an annual conference plus Virtual Institute for member training.

Product overview

AASECT is a professional association that provides a multi-tiered certification and continuing education ecosystem for sexuality educators, counselors, and therapists. The core offerings include four certification programs (Sex Therapist, Sexuality Educator, Sexuality Counselor, and Supervisor) along with an AASECT Approved CE Provider network that offers hundreds of training courses and programs. Supporting services include the AASECT Referral Directory for locating certified professionals, the Career Center with job board and resume services, Annual Conference and Virtual Institute events, Mentorship Program, and discounted journal subscriptions. The association does not operate as a software product company but rather as a standards-setting and credentialing organization for the sexuality education and therapy profession.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AASECT Certified Sex Therapist Voluntary certification for licensed mental health professionals who have completed specialized training in treating clients with sexual issues and concerns. Requires 50 hours of supervision, 60 hours of sex therapy training, and 300 hours of clinical treatment.
• AASECT Certified Diplomate of Sex Therapy Advanced certification recognizing sex therapists who were certified under previous more stringent guidelines (100 hours of supervision instead of 50).
• AASECT Certified Sexuality Educator Certification for professionals who lead workshops, teach classes, or organize seminars on sexuality education. Requires 90 hours of core knowledge education and 60 hours of skills training. Application fee: $300 USD.
• AASECT Certified Sexuality Counselor Certification for professionals who work in clinical or medical settings providing specific suggestions and advice on sexual health concerns using the P-LI-SS-IT model.
• AASECT Certified Supervisor Certification for supervisors who provide supervision for candidates pursuing AASECT certification in sex therapy, counseling, or education.
• AASECT Approved CE Provider Program Approval program for individuals and organizations to provide continuing education that meets AASECT standards for certification and recertification.
• AASECT Continuing Education (CE) Programs Continuing education programs and courses approved for AASECT CE credits, including the CE Calendar, single event approvals, and CE provider certifications, covering topics such as sex therapy techniques, sexuality education methods, and professional ethics.
• Sexuality Attitude Reassessment (SAR) Required structured group experience focused on process-oriented exploration of feelings, attitudes, values, and beliefs regarding human sexuality. Minimum 14 clock hours required for certification.
• AASECT Annual Conference Annual conference providing insights into the latest advancements in sexuality education, counseling, therapy, and related professional development, with member discounts on registration.
• AASECT Virtual Institute Virtual educational institute offering intensive training and professional development in sexuality education, counseling, and therapy.
• AASECT Referral Directory Online public directory allowing consumers to locate AASECT certified sexuality professionals by geographic area.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Ackerman Institute for the FamilycoreOthersOrganizational CE Provider offering training programs in sex therapy and family therapy. Approved to provide education meeting AASECT standards for certification.
• Adler UniversitycoreOthersUniversity offering Couple and Family Therapy programs with sex therapy certification track. Provides academic coursework accepted toward AASECT certification requirements.
• Antioch University - SeattlecoreOthersUniversity offering sex therapy certificate program meeting AASECT certification standards. Provides comprehensive academic training for sexuality professionals.
• California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS)coreOthersInstitute offering programs in sexuality education and related fields. Provides academic coursework and training accepted toward AASECT certification.
• Planned Parenthood Great RiverscoreOthersPlanned Parenthood affiliate providing sexuality education and training programs. Approved CE provider offering education applicable to AASECT certification.
• University of Michigan - Sexual Health Certificate ProgramcoreOthersUniversity program offering Sexual Health Certificate through the School of Social Work. Provides academic coursework accepted toward AASECT certification.
• University of MinnesotacoreOthersUniversity offering Human Sexuality Certificate program. Provides academic training recognized for AASECT certification requirements.
• Widener University - Center for Human Sexuality StudiescoreOthersUniversity center providing comprehensive education in human sexuality studies. Academic programs accepted toward AASECT certification.
• Hong Kong Association of Sexuality Educators, Researchers & Therapists (HKASERT)coreOthersInternational partner organization representing sexuality professionals in Hong Kong. Provides training and education meeting international standards comparable to AASECT.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT): Largest professional association for marriage and family therapists in the US, with overlapping membership in sex therapy and an approved supervisor network that directly competes with AASECT's Certified Sex Therapist and Supervisor credentials.
• SIECUS (Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States): National policy and advocacy organization for sexuality education; shares AASECT's educator audience and competes for institutional attention, though SIECUS is advocacy-focused rather than a credentialing body.
• Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS): Interdisciplinary professional organization for sexuality researchers, educators, and clinicians; shares AASECT's sexuality-professional audience and offers its own conferences and publications that compete for members and CE attention.
• American College of Sexologists: US professional organization conferring sexologist credentials that partially overlap with AASECT's educator and counselor certifications; targets a similar niche of sexuality professionals.

Emerging players

• World Association for Sexual Health (WAS): International NGO promoting sexual health through advocacy and World Sexual Health Day; complements AASECT internationally but lacks the formal certification and CE provider accreditation framework that AASECT operates.
• International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM): Global medical society for physicians and clinicians in sexual medicine; operates its own fellowships and congress that partially overlap with AASECT's clinical sex therapy audience.

Others

• Planned Parenthood Federation of America: Major US provider of sexuality education and counseling whose affiliates (e.g., Planned Parenthood Great Rivers) are AASECT-approved CE providers; a key feeder of certified sexuality counselors rather than a direct credentialing competitor.

Broad incumbents

• National Association of Social Workers (NASW): US professional association for social workers, including many AASECT-certified sex therapists and counselors; competes for membership dues and offers its own CE approval and continuing education programming.
• American Counseling Association (ACA): Large US professional association for counselors across all specialties; many AASECT Certified Sexuality Counselors hold ACA membership, and ACA's broad CE portfolio overlaps with AASECT's continuing education offerings.
• American Psychological Association (APA): Largest US professional organization for psychologists, with its own CE sponsor approval system and convention; sets broader clinical practice standards that interact with AASECT's sexuality-specific credentials.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/AASECT
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-association-of-sexuality-educators-counselors-and-therapists-aasect-
• Instagraminstagram.com/theaasect

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists