Session B3 | 60 minute presentation
| Friday, February 26, 2027 |
| 2:15 PM - 3:15 PM |
| Bellarine Rooms |
Overview
When Trauma Affects Sex: Formulating Sexual Symptoms in Trauma Therapy, Sarah Ashton
Presenter
Dr Sarah Ashton
The Institute Of Sexual Health Psychology Australia
When Trauma Affects Sex: Formulating Sexual Symptoms in Trauma Therapy
2:15 PM - 3:15 PMAbstract
Sexual difficulties are among the most common and enduring consequences of trauma, yet they are often overlooked in therapy or treated separately from broader psychological care. Many clinicians feel uncertain about how to initiate conversations about sex, respond to disclosures, or integrate sexual wellbeing into trauma-informed practice.
Drawing on current research, clinical experience, and her recently published book When Trauma Affects Sex, Dr Sarah Ashton will introduce the SHIFT Model—an integrative framework for understanding how trauma shapes sexual wellbeing across the lifespan. Participants will explore how sexual concerns can be formulated within a client's broader developmental, relational, and biopsychosocial context, enabling more holistic and effective treatment.
Using a clinical case study, Sarah will demonstrate how trauma-informed formulation can guide assessment, therapeutic conversations, and intervention. Practical strategies will be shared to help clinicians confidently address sexual wellbeing, reduce shame, recognise when interdisciplinary collaboration may be beneficial, and integrate sexual health into everyday counselling psychology practice.
Learning Outcomes:
1. Understand the relationship between trauma, the nervous system, and sexual wellbeing.
2. Apply the SHIFT Model to formulate trauma-related sexual concerns within a biopsychosocial framework.
3. Increase confidence initiating and navigating conversations about sexuality in therapy.
4. Identify practical, trauma-informed strategies to support clients experiencing trauma-related sexual difficulties.
5. Recognise when interdisciplinary collaboration may enhance client care.
Drawing on current research, clinical experience, and her recently published book When Trauma Affects Sex, Dr Sarah Ashton will introduce the SHIFT Model—an integrative framework for understanding how trauma shapes sexual wellbeing across the lifespan. Participants will explore how sexual concerns can be formulated within a client's broader developmental, relational, and biopsychosocial context, enabling more holistic and effective treatment.
Using a clinical case study, Sarah will demonstrate how trauma-informed formulation can guide assessment, therapeutic conversations, and intervention. Practical strategies will be shared to help clinicians confidently address sexual wellbeing, reduce shame, recognise when interdisciplinary collaboration may be beneficial, and integrate sexual health into everyday counselling psychology practice.
Learning Outcomes:
1. Understand the relationship between trauma, the nervous system, and sexual wellbeing.
2. Apply the SHIFT Model to formulate trauma-related sexual concerns within a biopsychosocial framework.
3. Increase confidence initiating and navigating conversations about sexuality in therapy.
4. Identify practical, trauma-informed strategies to support clients experiencing trauma-related sexual difficulties.
5. Recognise when interdisciplinary collaboration may enhance client care.
.....
Dr Sarah Ashton is a sexual health psychologist, educator, and founder of Sexual Health and Intimacy Psychological Services (SHIPS) and the Institute of Sexual Health Psychology Australia (ISHPA). With over 17 years of clinical experience, she is passionate about integrating sexual wellbeing into mainstream psychological practice and equipping clinicians with the knowledge and confidence to address sexuality as an essential component of holistic care.
Sarah co-authored Australia's first psychology university unit dedicated to sex and sexuality and has lectured at universities across Australia. She has delivered professional training for the Australian Psychological Society (APS), the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc. (AAPi), the Society of Australian Sexologists (SAS), and Labia Library, and developed more than 28 professional training programs in sexual health psychology.
Sarah recently published her first book, When Trauma Affects Sex, integrating research, clinical expertise, and practical guidance to help mental health professionals understand and treat trauma effectively.
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APS Conference and Events Team | 03 8662 3300 | conferences@psychology.org.au
