Association of Partners of Sex Addicts Trauma Specialists (APSATS)

What Association of Partners of Sex Addicts Trauma Specialists (APSATS) does

APSATS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional organization, founded circa 2013 by Dr. Barbara Steffens and headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, that develops and disseminates the proprietary Multidimensional Partner Trauma Model (MPTM) — a clinical framework for treating partners of individuals exhibiting problematic sexual behavior. The organization serves two primary customer segments: licensed mental health clinicians seeking CCPS certification and ICF/CCE-credentialed coaches pursuing CPC certification, both of whom complete the flagship 4-day MPTM training ($950) as the gateway to credentialed practice. Supporting assets include the Find a Specialist directory, a Listserv community, a podcast on Spotify, biennial recertification ($100), and a shop of professional development products priced at $25 each.

The product portfolio is built around three proprietary clinical frameworks: MPTM (the foundational model), the Emotional Betrayal DNA framework (covering Emotional Displacement, Emotional Neglect, and Emotional Affairs), and the newer Artificial Intimacy Recovery Model (AIRM) targeting AI-companion-related betrayal trauma. Distribution spans in-person trainings, live Zoom cohorts (including an Australian-time-zone international session), an annual conference, and a global directory of certified professionals. Strategic accreditation with the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC ACEP No.7435), International Coaching Federation (ICF), and Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE) creates institutional gating around the certification process.

The business model combines training fees, certification/recertification fees, e-commerce product sales, and tax-deductible donations. With approximately 10 employees and operations across four continents, APSATS executes 30+ trainings per biennial cycle and maintains a closed-loop practitioner ecosystem through consultation supervision requirements, NBCC continuing-education credits, and biennial recertification. The organization has no venture backing, parent company, or public listing and operates as a self-sustaining member-supported nonprofit.

Name

Association of Partners of Sex Addicts Trauma Specialists (APSATS)

Legal name

Association of Partners of Sex Addicts Trauma Specialists

Website

https://apsats.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

APSATS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that trains and certifies mental health clinicians and coaches in its proprietary Multidimensional Partner Trauma Model for treating partners of sex addicts. It operates a global certification ecosystem across four continents with NBCC-accredited continuing education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Training Fees: Revenue from MPTM Certification Training programs offered both in-person and online. Cost is $950 USD for the 4-day training. Additional revenue from professional development workshops and events.
2. Shop Products: Sale of professional development resources and educational materials through the APSATS shop including books, guides, and therapeutic tools priced at $25 each.
3. Certification and Recertification Fees: Application fees for certification ($200 for coaches), recertification fees ($100 renewal), and processing fees for credential maintenance.
4. Donations: Tax-deductible donations from community supporters as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

APSATS is a non-profit professional organization that delivers the Multidimensional Partner Trauma Model (MPTM) 4-day certification training and credentials clinicians and coaches to treat partners of individuals with problematic sexual behavior and sexual addiction. The organization also operates a Find a Specialist referral directory, consultation supervision services, an e-commerce shop of professional development resources, and an annual conference, podcast, and workshop series.

Product overview

APSATS is a non-profit professional organization offering a unified training and certification ecosystem for clinicians and coaches working with partners affected by sex addiction and betrayal trauma. The core offering is the Multidimensional Partner Trauma Model (MPTM) 4-day certification training, which feeds into two professional certifications: Certified Clinical Partner Specialist (CCPS) for licensed clinicians and Certified Partner Coach (CPC) for ICF/CCE-accredited coaches. A Dual Certification pathway combines both credentials. Supporting offerings include a Find a Specialist directory, consultation supervision services, a shop with professional development products, and a podcast. APSATS also facilitates ongoing professional development through workshops and the annual conference.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Multidimensional Partner Trauma Model (MPTM) Training APSATS's flagship 4-day certification training program on the Multidimensional Partner Trauma Model, providing clinicians and coaches with theory and skills for treating relational trauma and betrayal in partners affected by sexual addiction. Costs $950 USD and includes 25 NBCC CE hours; available in-person and online.
• Certified Clinical Partner Specialist (CCPS) Certification Professional certification for licensed clinical professionals who have completed MPTM training and meet consultation supervision and client hours requirements for treating partners of sex addicts.
• Certified Partner Coach (CPC) Certification Professional certification for coaches accredited by ICF or CCE who have completed MPTM training and meet supervision and client hours requirements for coaching partners of sex addicts. Application fee $200 for coaches.
• Dual Certification (CCPS & CPC) Combined certification pathway for clinicians and coaches seeking both CCPS and CPC designations through APSATS, requiring completion of both clinical and coaching requirements.
• Consultation Supervision Services Clinical and coaching consultation supervision provided by APSATS-certified Consultation Supervisors to support certification candidates through their required supervision hours.
• Find a Specialist Directory Online searchable directory of APSATS-certified clinicians and coaches available for professional referrals, with search by name, location, and radius.
• APSATS Shop - Professional Development Products Online shop offering educational resources including 'The Gaslighting Equipped Professional', 'Identifying and Treating Spiritual Bypass in Betrayed Partners', 'Rebuilding Your Sense of Self and Intuition After Discovering Betrayal and Deception', 'Applying the Problematic Sexual Behavior Framework', 'The Psychology of Victim Blame and Self Blame in Betrayal Situations', 'Neurodiversity and the Impact on Partners & Couples', and 'Helping Couples Heal from Infidelity Using ERCEM Principles', priced at $25 each.
• Emotional Betrayal DNA Professional Development Workshop Professional development workshop on emotional betrayal trauma that introduces the Emotional Betrayal DNA framework breaking down emotional betrayal into three core defining layers: Emotional Displacement, Emotional Neglect, and Emotional Affairs. Scheduled for September 4, 2026.
• Artificial Intimacy: Navigating Betrayal Trauma in the Age of AI Relationships Workshop Professional development workshop on AI-related betrayal trauma covering the Artificial Intimacy Recovery Model (AIRM), attachment theory, narrative practice, and somatic trauma recovery. Scheduled for November 6, 2026.
• Certification Recertification Program Biennial recertification program requiring $100 renewal fee every 2 years from certification date for CCPS and CPC credential holders to maintain active credential status.

Quantifiable outcome

• 69.6% of wives of sexual addicts met criteria for PTSD after disclosure
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Begin Again InstituteminorOthersListed as an APSATS sponsor. Organization that works in the field of sexual addiction recovery and treatment.
• National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPSATS has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No.7435. NBCC provides accreditation for continuing education credits that APSATS offers through its training programs. NBCC is a premier credentialing body for the counseling profession.
• Naked Truth Project (UK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK-based charity. Cat Etherington serves as Director for Recovery with Naked Truth Project, having built an international team of practitioners working with Problematic Sexual Behaviour and Betrayal Trauma.
• International Coaching Federation (ICF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPSATS requires coaches to have credentials from ICF (ACC, PCC, or MCC) or CCE for eligibility. ICF is the premier professional coaching organization that sets standards for coach training and certification.
• Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPSATS accepts coaches credentialed through CCE (BCC credential). CCE provides board certification for coaches and continuing education provider accreditation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• NICABM (National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine): NICABM provides online clinical training and CE programs for therapists across trauma, attachment, and addiction topics. It is an adjacent training provider that competes for the same practitioner wallet share through online continuing education but does not certify in APSATS's specific niche.
• Gottman Institute: The Gottman Institute trains and certifies couples therapists via its Gottman Method curriculum, addressing infidelity and betrayal topics relevant to APSATS's clinician base. It is an adjacent training provider in couples therapy rather than a direct competitor on partner-trauma specialization.

Broad incumbents

• Pine Grove Behavioral Center / Professional Development Program: Pine Grove Behavioral Center's Professional Development Program provides continuing education and clinical training for therapists treating addiction, including sexual addiction. It is a broader incumbent in the addiction-treatment training market that overlaps with APSATS on audience and clinical content categories.
• National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Continuing Education: NASW provides continuing education programming and is a major professional association for clinical social workers, including those working with trauma and addiction. It is a broader incumbent that competes for the same clinician membership and CE-credit demand that APSATS targets.
• EMDRIA (EMDR International Association): EMDRIA certifies clinicians in EMDR trauma therapy and accredits training programs with broad reach. It is a broader incumbent in trauma-therapy certification and continuing education, sharing APSATS's clinician audience and trauma-treatment positioning but focused on EMDR, not partner betrayal specifically.
• American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT): AASECT is the largest professional certifying body for sexuality counselors and therapists in the US, offering certifications and CE events. It is a broader incumbent overlapping with APSATS on certification, clinician training, and CE provision, but covers general sexuality rather than partner trauma specifically.

Direct peers

• Begin Again Institute: Begin Again Institute provides professional training and treatment in sexual addiction recovery and partner betrayal. As an APSATS sponsor already operating in the same clinical niche, it is a near-direct peer competing for the same clinician training dollars and partner-specialty referrals.
• International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals (IITAP): IITAP trains and certifies therapists (CSAT, CSAT-S) for treating sex addiction and co-occurring disorders. Like APSATS, IITAP is a certifying professional body built around proprietary curricula in the sexual addiction treatment space, making it the most directly comparable peer in scope, certification model, and clinician audience.
• Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health (SASH): SASH is a longstanding professional association serving therapists, counselors, and faith leaders working in sexual addiction and compulsivity. Like APSATS, it operates a member directory, conferences, and continuing education for clinicians in this niche, making it a directly comparable professional body.

Emerging players

• International Center for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT): ICEEFT trains and certifies therapists in Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples, including those affected by infidelity and betrayal. It is an emerging player in the couples-therapy certification space whose curriculum partially overlaps with APSATS's partner-trauma focus and attracts similar clinician cohorts.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-of-partners-of-sex-addicts-trauma-specialists-apsats-

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Association of Partners of Sex Addicts Trauma Specialists (APSATS)