April 17-18, 2026
11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. PT
$395 - payment plans available
10 AASECT + 10 EDSE CEs
Online workshop!
Bianca Laureano, PhD, MA, CSE, CSES, and Anne Hodder-Shipp, CSE, present this intensive, two-day training for practicing and emerging professionals, especially those working with those in recovery.
Professional trainings about sex and substance use are rare, and those that exist often center clinical or legal perspectives that do not realistically reflect our clients’ varied relationships to drugs and alcohol. This Advanced Sexual Attitude Reassessment (SAR) is designed to help clinicians, educators, and service professionals investigate their perceptions and biases of the various mind-altering substances present in our communities while expanding their understanding of the roles these substances might play in our clients’ (and our own) lives – especially our sex lives.
As more U.S. states explore drug decriminalization, clinical use of psychedelics to treat trauma and mental illnesses, and legalization of recreational cannabis/marijuana, professionals need and deserve up-to-date trainings that help them explore how to best serve their clients in this fast-changing field.
In this SAR, we will use a harm-reduction framework to explore ideas, experiences, and attitudes about sobriety and recovery; how money, power, ableism, and white supremacy may inform our biases and judgments; and how frameworks like abolition, disability justice, liberation could shift and expand our perspectives.
This unique professional development training is designed to help attendees identify, challenge, and explore their perspectives, biases, knowledge gaps, and judgments about sex and substance use.
We use multimedia, engaging small and large group discussion, introspective activities, and interactive exercises to allow participants to examine their feelings and values and process them with compassion. This SAR’s dynamic, open-minded learning and unlearning space is maintained and supported by Dr. Bianca Laureano and Anne Hodder-Shipp, two highly experienced group facilitators.
This workshop will:
Expand ideas, perspectives, and attitudes about substance use beyond right/wrong, good/bad, legal/illegal, healthy/unhealthy binaries
Discuss substance use, sex, consent, and pleasure using a harm reduction lens
Feature perspectives and experiences that may challenge attendees’ feelings or values
Encourage clarity about professional values and limitations, and when to refer out
Discuss the medicalization of psychedelics for mental health treatment
This workshop will not:
Tell attendees how to think, feel, or talk about substance use, sex, and pleasure
Discuss substance use through the lens of addiction, abstinence, or ableism
Instruct how to use substances to enhance sex or pleasure, or how to promote or discourage it with clients
Advocate for substance use
Advocate for sobriety or abstinence
Here’s what past attendees had to say about Sex and Drugs:
“Bianca and Anne are very skilled at creating content that is thought provoking and leading discussion that allow participants to feel brave, share, and discuss.”
“What worked for me: The trust placed in me to show up how I am able to in the moment; the mixture of discussion, viewing of content, and breakout group opportunity; the variety of content provided to challenge my biases and assumptions.”
“I really appreciated the effort put in to create an accessible and accommodating space which helped me feel safe to actively participate and integrate the discussions. I also enjoyed the variety in perspectives covered and how this revealed some of the more problematic assumptions that were actually behind some of my previous views on sexuality in relation to substance use. It was full of lovely ‘check yourself and whether you actually believe that’ moments! Thank you!”
“I really appreciated the accessible environment and the modeling of centering our access needs. I also appreciated the recognition of the social context in which we live as it relates to drugs (i.e., War on Drugs, systemic oppression/racism, etc.). There was also lots of time given to the conversations, so we could all share our thoughts.”
“I really loved this SAR and appreciated all the wisdom brought to the space. I am so grateful that there is a training like this to talk about sex, sexuality, and substances. There aren’t any others that I know of!”
“I (un)learned sooo soooo much and I am deeply grateful for this life changing experience. Thank you both for facilitating such an incredible and intentional container.”
“I appreciated how Zoom allowed me to take care of my access needs in a way in-person would not. And also that it allowed for a range in perspectives based on the differing geographic locations of participants.”
“I feel grateful to have access to so many online resources via this SAR, and to be able to connect with folks from all over. I think the value of having a virtual gathering in this context was really big, because of the way we got to see a lot of differences in how drug use is treated, and how sexuality is discussed in people’s communities.”
This program meets the requirements for the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselor, and Therapists (AASECT) and is approved for 10 CEs that can be used toward obtaining or maintaining AASECT certification. Completion of this program does not ensure or guarantee AASECT certification. For further information please contact info@assect.org.
Core Knowledge Areas
A: Ethics and ethical behavior
C: Socio-cultural, familial factors (e.g., ethnicity, culture, religion, spirituality, socioeconomic status, family values) in relation to sexual values and behaviors.
D Issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity
E. Intimacy skills (e.g., social, emotional, sexual), intimate relationships, interpersonal relationships and family dynamics.
F Diversities in sexual expression
H Health / medical factors that influence sexuality
J Sexual Exploitation, sexual abuse, sexual assault
L Substance use / abuse and sexuality
O. Knowledge of professional communication skills used with clients, students and colleagues.