The Erotic Nervous System (2 CE hours)

Description:

The Erotic Nervous System challenges the assumption that sexual problems are primarily about desire, compatibility, or technique. Grounded in Polyvagal theory and somatic sex therapy, this interactive training reframes sexual difficulties as issues of nervous system regulation—shaped by performance, shame, and sexual wounding over time. Participants will learn to recognize autonomic states in both clients and themselves, differentiate between pre-effort and full-effort sexual engagement, and apply a clear clinical framework to help couples move from dysregulated, effortful patterns into more embodied, connected, and pleasurable experiences. Through guided nervous system tracking, practical interventions, and three applied case studies—desire discrepancy, erectile dysfunction, and vaginismus —clinicians will gain concrete tools to assess, regulate, and work more effectively with common sexual concerns in couples therapy. When therapists understand and work with the Erotic Nervous System, they are better equipped to support couples in moving toward embodied erotic aliveness.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe how Polyvagal theory applies to sexual functioning, including how ventral, sympathetic, and dorsal states influence arousal, desire, and relational connection.

2. Differentiate between pre-effort and full-effort sexual engagement, and identify how performance, pressure, and anxiety disrupt embodied erotic experience.

3. Explain how to Recognize and track autonomic nervous system responses in both clients and therapist when sexual material arises in clinical settings.

4. Apply somatic and regulation-based interventions to help individuals and couples move from dysregulated, effortful sexual patterns toward more embodied, connected, and pleasurable experiences.

Activity Schedule

0:00 – 0:10 (10 minutes) – Introduction: framing Polyvagal Theory + Sex Therapy

0:10 – 0:20 (10 minutes) – Experiential Exercise- Therapist Awareness

0:20 – 0:40 (20 minutes) – Polyvagal Theory & Erotic Mapping

0:40 – 0:50 (10 minutes) – Journey as a Sex Therapist

0:50 – 1:00 (10 minutes) – Pre-effort vs. Full Effort

1:00 – 1:05 (5 minutes) – Guided Micro-Exercise: In-the-Moment Tracking

1:05 – 1:25 (20 minutes) – Clinical Tools & Interventions

1:25 – 1:55 (30 minutes) – Case studies

1:55 – 2:00 (5 minutes) – Conclusion + key takeaways

Speaker Bio:

Theodora Harvey, LMFT, PhD is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, AASECT certified sex therapist, certified Imago Relationship Therapist, and certified Kundalini Yoga and Meditation teacher based in Santa Monica, California. She is the co-founder of the Harvey Center for Relationships, where she specializes in helping couples deepen emotional and erotic connection, repair relational wounds, and revitalize intimacy in long-term partnerships. She holds a PhD in Clinical Sexology from Modern Sex Therapy Institutes (MSTI) and has trained with leading experts in couples and sex therapy, including Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt, John and Julie Gottman, Esther Perel, Terry Real, and Stan Tatkin. Dr. Harvey is a published author in the Jungian journal Psychological Perspectives and has written for the Psychotherapy Networker, where she explores the intersection of sexuality, symbolism, and relational development. She is known for her integrative, experiential approach that bridges clinical rigor with embodied practice.

Class originally recorded: upcoming

Social workers completing this course receive 2 clinical continuing education credits.