Sex Plus Symposium

Continuing Education for Continued Quality Care

Education matters.

At Kimberly Keiser & Associates we believe in continuing education for our team of Sioux Falls therapists. We value new ways to conceptualize cases and new treatment strategies based on science, so we can best determine treatment plans for our clients. 

In addition to our continued internal seminars, our team is pursuing additional sources of continued education — aiming to grow our clinical toolbox and implement the most up-to-date best practices in clinical sexual healthcare. 

Beginning in November 2021, the Kimberly Keiser & Associates team is hosting sex therapist and medical experts from across the nation to join our team in a discussion for new techniques and treatment plans for sexual dysfunctions, desire and other areas of sex therapy.

 
Sex Plus with Kimberly Keiser
 

Read up on our most recent sessions:

 

Hear from Our Staff

Our staff of psychotherapists and counselors are excited to take the knowledge gained from our guest presenters and provide elevated care for our patients. Here are some highlights about each presenter from our team.

 
 

Barry McCarthy

“Barry offered foundational education that addresses false notions related to desire within couples while normalizing common concerns or areas of conflict.” - KKA Therapist

“I learned more about asynchronous sex — when there is more pleasure during sex for one partner — versus synchronous sex — when the couple shares pleasure together — and that both are acceptable depending on the desires and motivations of the couple. Rather than identifying asynchronous sex as “bad,” it is something for the couple to determine if it often works better for them. If their goal is to share more equality in their pleasure, they can then explore that further and discuss ways to achieve more synchrony.” - KKA Therapist

“I fell in love with Barry’s work over a decade ago when I was doing my training to become a certified sex therapist. Barry’s scholarly understanding of human sexuality and couples sexual functioning, combined with his warm and sincere approach to sharing his knowledge with others, make him an invaluable resource to anyone interested in improving their understanding of human sexuality.” - Kimberly Keiser

Bill Taverner

“What resonated the most for me about Bill’s lecture on consent was the idea of “enthusiastic consent”. Prior to this information, I tended toward the idea of consent being a process of obtaining a “yes” or a “no” to advance in physical intimacy. But the idea of enthusiastic consent helps people who are sexually active make sure their partners are actually excited about sex and desire to have sex, rather than just saying yes to please others.” - KKA Therapist

“I appreciated Bill's ability to bring humor into such an important topic as consent, allowing for open discussion and dialogue.” - KKA Therapist

“Something interesting I learned from Bill is how consent isn't as simple as a "yes" or "no", rather it can be measured on a scale such as 0-10. Bill helped identify guidelines for consent that I can share with clients. These guidelines are a great tool to help clarify the ability each of us can give consent. Very helpful!” - KKA Therapist

“I was fascinated by all the different interpretations consent in sex can have from Bill's training. I feel I have a much better understanding of consent when it comes to sex. Knowing that you can change your mind literally at any time, and changing your mind is OKAY, really stood out to me.” - KKA Therapist

“Bill Taverner does a wonderful job providing historical context to common myths around masturbation. I think it is important for clients to hear as they begin to address shame around their own sexuality and functioning.” - KKA Therapist

“One thing that stood out to me from Bill’s training is how prevalent the effects of misperceptions from the past impact our views of masturbation in the present. Some ideas led to lasting concerns about the immoral nature of masturbation, when oftentimes masturbation is within the range of normalcy and can even have health benefits.” - KKA Therapist

"I found Bill's presentation on masturbation both educational as well as fun. Too often discussion on masturbation is avoided. Bill provided a great lecture that was interactive and helpful. I can't wait to share the positive message with my clients!" - KKA Therapist

Marty Klein

“What I really enjoyed about Marty's presentation was the emphasis on the importance of changing our relationship to sexuality to find satisfaction. Sex is often thought of as being an unchanging constant, that it has to be a certain way (use of penetration, orgasm must be present, etc.), but true dissatisfaction often blooms from our inflexibility. What we really need is to explore what we like or don't like about sex and make it our own.” - KKA Therapist

“I think Marty Klein's reminder to not hurry the process of increasing frequency was refreshing for clinicians and clients to hear. The process around healthy sexual functioning is more extensive than just frequency.” - KKA Therapist

“Marty has a great personality that can make any sexual dysfunction fun to talk about.” - KKA Therapist

“Marty does an amazing job making sex therapy sound ‘easy’. I liked his message, we need to move our focus to lived experiences and exploring sexual narratives. Marty discussed making sex more relaxed and light-hearted, something I feel all clients would benefit from.” - KKA Therapist

Hani Miletsk

“Hani Miletski brought great awareness to the different types of abuse that can exist in mother-son relationships. It was a good reminder of the covert abuse and boundary crossings that can occur.” - KKA Therapist

"Half the men in rural areas, who have a college education, have some kind of sexual contact with animals — this was shocking to me!” - KKA Therapist

“Hani's presentation helped challenge preconceived views on traditional "taboo" topics. She helped by changing the perspective, looking at things through the eyes of those who practice bestiality and/or zoophilia.” - KKA Therapist

“I think there are so many misconceptions people have of zoophiles that often stop us from even having conversations that might allow us to understand them. Hani made clear that the research shows that there is so much more than what meets the eye, such as zoophiles often having love for the animal with which they are in a relationship, as well as there often being sexual acts that prioritize the animal (for example, masturbating the animal).” - KKA Therapist

Joe Kort

“Joe Kort was amazing in teaching about male sexual fluidity and how society does not normalize it as much as for women. He provided great information for our male clientele.” - KKA Therapist

“Joe Kort offered a refreshing take on male sexuality that is often not discussed — approaching the topic with clinical insight while addressing harmful stereotypes.” - KKA Therapist

“Joe has mastered the art of simultaneously being relatable and easy to understand while being embedded in scholarship. He is a highly informative teacher who makes learning fun. The topics he addresses are so needed and he makes the job of tackling complex issues look simple.” - Kimberly Keiser

“I had never heard of the term “side” prior to Joe’s presentation. He coined the term to describe men who are not “tops” or “bottoms,” but have no interest in anal sex.” - KKA Therapist

Mark Schoen

"Mark did an amazing job educating us on the significance of sexual film in sex education. Mark provided an interactive training that helped me understand how different the United States is in comparison to other countries with sex education." - KKA Therapist

“Mark Schoen's presentation shows how influential film can be for sex education. His work is important for de-sexualizing and normalizing sex education.” - KKA Therapist

“What stood out most to me from Mark's presentation was the stark contrast in cultural differences regarding how sex is viewed on TV around the world. Organizations (marketing companies, school systems) in the U.S. tend to be more withdrawn in normalizing naked bodies and promoting healthy sex education, so it makes sense to me that we as people tend to withdraw from our bodies and sexuality.” - KKA Therapist

Xtine Milrod

“Xtine Milrod was excellent to listen to and become educated on the future of transgender health. I really enjoyed learning new terminology and I am excited to bring this information to clients!” - KKA Therapist

Matt Barker

“I felt that I got a few takeaways from the talk with Dr. Barker, first was I felt that I had a better understanding of how the medical field works with women and sexual dysfunctions. I gained a deeper understanding of how they appropriate their own intakes and how this is beneficial to know with working with our clients because as we get referrals or refer to practices for medical services we are able to help clients feel prepared and better able to cope with sometimes the uncomfortableness that occurs with a medical examination. I see such great collaboration in our community with Dr. Barker as a way to make sure we are both providing proper services to our clients and being a support in more ways than one. “ - KKA Therapist

“I enjoyed when Dr. Barker discussed the nerves around and connected to the vulva. I think the color coded graphs he showed us can be helpful with psychoeducation around how the nerves play a role in lack of desire with women — specifically when he discussed the pudendal nerve and how if the nerve is damaged it can play a role in low desire.” - KKA Therapist

“My main takeaway from Dr. Barker was the importance of interdisciplinary care, as many symptom presentations that physicians are met with are ones that have a connection to trauma and emotional wounds.” - KKA Therapist

“I gained a better understanding of when a urogynecology referral can be helpful in a person’s healing process. I also learned more about what typically takes place during those appointments, so I can help clients prepare for emotions they may experience, especially during the internal examination.” - KKA Therapist

 

Ian Kerner

“What I loved most about Ian’s talk was his novel approach at using narrative therapy to really understand what happens sexually between people moment to moment. He is a highly skilled psychotherapist and talented speaker and sex educator. The flexibility of his approach applies to clients who are looking for more of a quicker fix for sexual functioning issues, yet leaving the door open for deeper exploration into underlying dynamics. - Kimberly Keiser 

“I find the sex script to be extremely helpful. The sex script helps create a bridge for our clients to better identify what is or isn't helping their sexual relationship. I enjoy Ian's language and will immediately implement it into my work.” - KKA Therapist

“Ian describing sexual scripts like a play made couple's sexual scripts make sense to me. He provided so many great resources such as ethical porn and OMGYES for women and couples that really give great education for couples.” - KKA Therapist

Talli Rosenbaum

“Talli is truly a treasure to the professional sexual healthcare community. It’s rare to find a professional who has trained across disciplines in the service of their patients. Talli’s academic rigor is equally matched to her empathetic and genuine presentation. She is a gifted teacher, healer, psychotherapist, and scholar. Her integration of mindfulness to sex therapy interventions for client’s suffering with sexual pain disorders is a go-to for any provider or patient working with these issues.” - Kimberly Keiser

“I really appreciated Talli's approach to female sexual pain disorders. It was holistic, integrating the importance of the medical and mental aspects of these disorders. Offering hope that there is an effective treatment.” - KKA Therapist

“I really appreciate the time with Talli helping me understand the team approach to sexual pain. Talli provided an experience that allowed me to look at sexual pain disorders from the eyes of not just a psychotherapist, but as well as from the perspective of physicians and physical therapists.” - KKA Therapist

“With Talli identifying that sexual pain disorders can be connected to any trauma, not just sexual traumas really made sense to me. I think clients come in thinking sexual pain disorders are only linked to sexual traumas, but this helped me understand the complexity of being objectified or invaded and creating defenses.” - KKA Therapist

Tammy Nelson

“In Tammy’s training, I found myself questioning an idea that has been considered the norm in therapy for couples. Traditionally, there has often been an emphasis on the betrayed partner being able to forgive the partner who had an extra-marital affair, which can be a stuck point for many couples. Tammy’s view, which really resonated with me in my experience with couples, is that forgiveness can lead to power struggles for some couples, rather than have a positive effect. Forgiveness can happen over time with the reintroduction of empathy back into the relationship, rather than being the sole purpose in early stages of therapy.” - KKA Therapist

“Tammy is such a great speaker and person in general. For Tammy's training, these are a few quotes she said that really stuck out to me towards the end of the training. ‘This person can destroy me and I am going to choose to love them anyway, and that is the terror of love, they do have the power to hurt you.’ and ‘You can shut down your vulnerability and choose to never take the risk of someone, or you take the risk knowing it would really hurt you and you do it anyway’” - KKA Therapist

"Tammy provided education on infidelity that increased my own confidence in working with couples. Tammy made it easy to stay engaged, helping to understand and apply her approach to infidelity." - KKA Therapist

“What stood out to me the most from Tammy's presentation is the role of integrity in healing from affairs. Although people often find it easy to side with the person who was cheated on, the role of an affair is often the last resort to "wake up" the relationship. With this knowledge comes the importance of exploring what was missing in the relationship prior to the affair, rather than placing the blame solely on the one who cheated.” - KKA Therapist

“I think the amount of research Tammy Nelson has done on monogamous relationships is amazing. I really enjoy how she discusses the infidelity recovery for couples because I think most couples believe their relationship is over once infidelity has happened.” - KKA Therapist

“Tammy did a wonderful job conveying the importance of empathy for the one who cheats. Challenging clinicians to be aware of their own worldviews when working with these individuals. One line from Tammy regarding affairs that always stands out is that the one who cheats is not looking for someone different but to be someone different.” - KKA Therapist

“I really appreciate talking about a topic that no one enjoys talking about. We know infidelity is happening, so why not address it?” - KKA Therapist

“I appreciated Tammy providing videos that help illustrate how to apply the material. It's amazing to watch her work with real clients. Tammy continues to be extremely helpful with working with infidelity.” - KKA Therapist

“I am super excited to read Tammy's new book on "Open Monogamy". Poly relationships can be confusing for some people if their partner wants an open relationship, and they do not. This book will be a great resource for those clients!” - KKA Therapist

“Something Tammy mentioned really resonated with me, which is that monogamy is a religious concept. There is no “wrong” form of relationship, but monogamy has been societally dubbed the “right” way in the eyes of various religions. With one poll she cited showing that 31% of women and 38% of men would choose to be in a consensually non-monogamous relationship if given the opportunity — I think that speaks volumes to how curious we should be about the idea of polyamory, even if it isn’t something we ourselves desire.” - KKA Therapist

“Tammy Nelson offered comprehensive information about how to step into discussions regarding relationship dynamics. Clinicians and clients can benefit greatly from her "40 Questions of Your New Monogamy Agreement.” - KKA Therapist

“I thought Tammy was great at educating us on how monogamy is on a continuum. Clients who experience questioning their monogamy agreement will greatly benefit from this piece of education!” - KKA Therapist

“Dr. Tammy's presentation on open relationships increased my understanding on the different types of relationships as well as effective ways to help couples navigate what works best for them.” - KKA Therapist

Karen Rayne

“I thought Karen Raynes' training was educational and very relational, making it very easy to engage and learn!” - KKA Therapist

“Karen provided a highly interactive learning experience that allowed therapist participants to reflect on their own internal biases and lack of knowledge around sexual orientation. This is so needed in a culture where the majority of individuals are blinded by a heteronomative viewpoint.” - Kimberly Keiser

“What stood out to me the most about Karen’s presentation is the flexibility we have within our sexual orientation. I think we often just view sexual orientations in the same way for every person, but we should be exploring what that means about their attraction, behaviors, and their identity. Sexuality and sexual orientation are just as unique as the variability in our personalities.” - KKA Therapist

Anne Katz

“Anne was fantastic! She provided great information on sexuality and cancer. I feel more confident working with those who have had cancer with their sexual health." - KKA Therapist

“Anne Katz is a wealth of knowledge regarding sexuality and cancer and helping people understand the impacts of physical health concerns and sexuality. She has written numerous books that so many clinicians and clients can benefit from!” - KKA Therapist

“I think most people understand that the impact of cancer on sexuality can be complex and daunting. What I took away from Anne was the most positive message she had: that sexual difficulties can be an opportunity for sexual creativity and growth for couples.” - KKA Therapist

Joan Price

“When Joan discussed desire discrepancies and explained "tracking the tingle" and giving examples, it really was eye-opening for how to explain sexual experiences to older couples.” - KKA Therapist

"Joan is a gifted speaker, sex educator, and healer. She exudes vibrant energy and playful sexuality in a safe and approachable way. Her presence when discussing sex education brings the material alive while simultaneously reducing anxiety or fear about diving deeper into sexuality-based discussions. Joan also has practical solutions and techniques for individuals and couples to try to make immediate improvements in their sexual functioning or sexual enhancement. I would highly recommend Joan for any speaking engagement to learn not only about sexuality and aging but sex education for all ages.” - Kimberly Keiser

“What stood out most to me from Joan's presentation on sexuality and aging was that as individuals age, sexuality can become more about the journey rather than the destination. Bodies, sensations, and arousal patterns change, so we can feel more positively about sex when the focus is on the exploration of these changes rather than remaining stagnant our sexuality of the past.” - KKA Therapist

Michael Perelman

“It was really an honor to have such a distinguished scholar present to our team. Dr. Perelman's knowledge of sexual health and his unique empircale-based approach to treating sexual dysfunctions helped me develop my understanding of how to conceptualize the mutiplicity factors that contribute to sexual dysfunction symptoms. What was perhaps most awe-inspiring was the scholarship with a foundation of compassion and care that Dr. Perelman presented throughout the training. He's a sophisticated clinician-scientist — the whole package.” - Kimberly Keiser

“I appreciated Dr. Perelman's approach to achieving sexual balance through increasing understanding of self and body functioning. The Sexual Tipping Point® model is a needed integration of mental and physical factors to increase desire and overall sexual functioning.” - KKA Therapist

“I found that Dr. Perelman's talk was full of educational pieces that offered new perspectives on working with male sexual dysfunctions. This talk focused on teaching new information regarding The Sexual Tipping Point® that can be highly beneficial in working with a variety of clients. Michael Perelman taught new terminology and research studies that continue to improve the treatment of male sexual dysfunctions.” - KKA Therapist

“I found The Sexual Tipping Point® model extremely helpful as it speaks to the intersection of physical and mental factors in our sexual functioning. Dr. Perelman provided great information on how variables constantly and simultaneously change, impacting desire and arousal in each moment. This helped me understand how the Bio-Medical, Psychosocial-Behavioral, and Cultural factors are crucial in treating sexual dysfunction.” - KKA Therapist

 

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