Culturally Competent and Affirming Counseling with Kink Populations (4 CE Hours, 2026)

Course Description:
BDSM and kink are terms describing a heterogenous set of identities and attractions that often overlap with sexual or erotic physical activities and are not synonymous with sex. These activities may include bondage or restraint, consensually constructed and eroticized power differentials between partners (Dominance and submission), and the giving and receiving of an intense range of sensations. Kink represents a distinct cultural group of sexually diverse individuals that may be as high as 20% of the general population in practices and 96% of the population in fantasies and interests.
Currently, BDSM/kink sexualities are not required or typically taught in graduate clinical and counseling training programs, making it uncommon for clinicians to receive training on issues facing the BDSM/kink community. This population is particularly vulnerable to harm from well-intentioned clinicians due to the long legacy of pathologization and stigmatization by medical and mental health clinicians. Accordingly, this workshop will provide an overview of cultural competence considerations and treatment guidelines for counselor and counselor educators who wish to comply with the cultural competence in the proactive social justice mandates in various codes of ethics, which expects professionals to advocate and promote social change for individuals and groups on both institutional and societal levels to remove systemic barriers and obstacles that inhibit client access or provision of appropriate services to improve the quality of life, growth, and development. In light of the pervasive stigma, health disparities, intersectional stress faced by the LGBTQIA2K+, BIPOC, and gendered BDSM/kink community, it is crucial for clinicians to learn about this marginalized group and build cultural humility and competence.

Learning Objectives:
● Attendees will be able to identify at least 2 reasons people are desire to engage in various BDSM/kink activities.
● Attendees will be able to identify at least 2 ways to distinguish between BDSM and abuse.
● Attendees will be able to identify at least 2 personal challenges that a mental health therapist / counselor may face when working with kink-involved clients.
● Attendees will be able to identify at least 1 culturally competent practice for clinical work with kink / BDSM communities.

Activity Schedule:

• Introduction – Why this matters (Stigma → Health Disparities and Iatrogenic Harm)
  • Common Myths & Stereotypes
• Cultural Competence Field Norms (e.g. Cultural Humility and Others)
• Kink Culture Introduction
  • Managing Reactions (reactions do not mean harm)
  • Definitions & Terms
  • Kink Identity: Fantasy, periodic behavior, and core identity
  • Community Norms: Safety, Consent, and Sexual Ethics
• History of Pathologization and Stigmatization by Healthcare
  • Stigmatization Research
  • Harms
    • Minority Stress Model
    • Health Disparities
• Research disputing pathologization – kink populations as generally healthy
• Clinical practice guidelines
• Case Study
• Unique Treatment Resources in Kink Populations
• Resources
• References

Speaker Bio:
Steve (he, him) is a licensed mental health counselor and AASECT certified sex therapist in private practice living in the Portland, OR region who specializes in treating Gender, Sexual, and Relationship Diverse (GSRD) clients. Steve completed his Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies in 2006 and his Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology in 2009. Steve is currently working on completing his doctoral dissertation with an anticipated graduation date in early 2026 from California Southern University with a Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology degree. Steve’s Dissertation is exploring trends in stigmatization of kink-involved populations in a ten-year sample of mass news media articles.

Additionally, Steve volunteers at several nonprofits serving kink and consesual nonmonogamous populations. First, steve serves as a board member and researcher at The Alternative Sexualities Health Research Alliance (TASHRA – www.tashra.org) where he is involved in several studies exploring authority transfer relationships, kink and healing experiences, and the health experiences of kink populations. Second, steve serves as a board member at The National National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF – www.ncsfreedom.org). He is involved with research, advocacy, education, writing, and outreach tasks with the NCSF. Finally, steve volunteers with the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT) as the chair of the book club special interest group, a leader in the kink special interest group, and has volunteered in the past on the continuing education committee and to review conference presentation proposals for the AASECT conference.

For more information about Steve, please visit www.steveratcliff.com.

Class originally recorded: upcoming.

Social workers completing this course receive 4 cultural competence continuing education credits.