SUPERVISORS
SUPERVISORS
Dr. James Wadley
Dr. James Wadley is Professor and Chair of the Counseling and Master of Human Services department at Lincoln University. As a scholar-practitioner, he is a licensed professional counselor and maintains a private practice in the States of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. He is an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist and Supervisor as well as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Black Sexuality and Relationships (University of Nebraska Press). James uses systemic and sex positive approaches to sex therapy supervision. He believes that sexual and relational functioning are impacted by a myriad of influences including (but not limited to) family of origin, education, peer relationships, religion, media, race, and social justice forces. Because of this, in supervision, he and his supervisees create space to explore a variety of substrates that shape how individuals and couples build, maintain, and sometimes sever relationships with themselves and each other. In 2019, he co-edited the Art of Sex Therapy Supervision (Routledge) which won AASECT’s Book of the Year award.
Bill Finger, Ph.D.
Dr. Finger is a licensed clinical psychologist and AASECT Diplomate in Sex Therapy. He has over 30 years of clinical, academic, and research experience in the field of sexual health. He is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Quillen College of Medicine at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) and in the Department of Medical Education, where he is the director of the sexuality component of the medical curriculum. He has authored multiple book chapters on sexual health topics and has over 50 peer-reviewed publications and presentations. He has served on and chaired numerous AASECT committees, co-chaired AASECT annual conferences, and has served on the AASECT board in multiple capacities, including president.
Approach to Supervision
My primary theoretical orientation is cognitive behavioral, with the recognition that dyadic and systemic dynamics can have a significant impact on the individual, and that personal and cultural diversity brings both opportunities and challenges to individuals’ lives. My general approach to supervision is twofold. Primarily, it is to assist and direct the practitioner in providing effective, ethical, and culturally sensitive care to clients of diverse backgrounds. Secondarily, it is to help the practitioner grow by providing a safe, supportive environment in which they can explore their own challenges, barriers, and areas for potential growth in the provision of sexual health interventions. For students seeking sex therapist certification or the PhD degree, my expectation is that they will have a solid theoretical framework, solid case conceptualization skills, and core therapeutic skills. Therefore, supervision resembles a consultative relationship, in which the supervisor’s role is to assist the clinician in applying their existing skills to new presenting problems. Novel approaches may be explored and suggested, to the extent that they remain syntonic with the clinician’s basic conceptual and theoretical framework. Supervision should help solidify existing therapeutic skills while encouraging new professional growth. For students seeking sex counselor certification, basic counseling skills are expected, such as rapport building, empathy, genuineness, active and reflective listening, and the ability to recognize their own implicit biases that impact the counseling interaction. Students should be able to understand how clients’ personal and cultural diversity impacts the individual, their relationships, and the counseling interaction. Sex counselor supervision focuses on applying the PLISS components of the PLISSIT model to concerns regarding sexual health, sexual concerns, and sexual dysfunctions.
Kimberly Castelo
Kimberly Castelo is a marriage and family therapist who is a certified Emotionally
Focused couples therapist (EFT) and an AASECT certified sex therapist and supervisor. She is also an AAMFT supervisor in the state of Washington and is in training to be an EFT supervisor. She has a private practice in Washington state where she works with couples and individuals around OCSB, sexual pain, sexual dysfunction, gender identity, Kink, BDSM, consensual non-monogamy, affair recovery, and more.
Approach to supervision is warm and supportive. She strives to have each of her supervisees feel supported and empowered. Kimberly works to help each supervisee understand interventions clinically, conceptualize cases, appreciate ethical concerns, and how to be accountable to the power therapists hold in the room. She wishes to create a safe space to explore the person of the therapist, to enable supervisees to work from a bio-psycho-social-spiritual-sexual lens, to build on their strengths, and to be aware of their blind spots.
Sylvia Rosenfeld
Sylvia Rosenfeld LCSW is an Imago trained, AASECT certified Sex Therapist and Supervisor, with more than 40 years of experience working with couples and individuals who want to enhance their physical and emotional connection.
Sylvia trained with the late Dr. Helen Singer Kaplan at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center. She is a certified Imago Relationship Therapist and Consultant having trained with Dr. Harville Hendrix. She completed level 2 PACT training with Stan Tatkin PhD. Sylvia trained with Dr. Pat Love to present the Hot Monogamy Program and has trained with Dr. Peggy Kleinplatz to present her Optimal Sexual Experience groups.
Her website is sylviarosenfeld.com
Jessica VerBout
Jessica VerBout is an independently Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist in Minnesota, Washington, and Vermont. She owns a private practice in Minnesota where she treats Problematic Sexual Behaviors (PSB), sexual health, minor-attracted persons (MAPs), non-consensual sexual behavior (convicted legally for a sexual offense or not), sexual confidence and acceptance issues, and various other paraphilic attractions. Jessica is a MN MFT Board Approved Supervisor (since 2018) for those working toward their LMFT licensure in Minnesota and an AASECT Supervisor in Training (since 2021).
Approach to Supervision: Jessica’s supervision approach is using her general “person-of-the-therapist” and strength-based theoretical lenses to help her supervisees expand upon the learning of themselves as evolving sex therapists by assisting her supervisees to use ethical and critical thinking, and work through their sex therapy cases using their own personal theoretical stance(s). Using a relational, collaborative, and casual style, she strives to help her supervisees find their own strengths, confidences, and skills to become a confident sex therapist.
Cay Crow
Cay Crow is a Licensed Professional Counselor and an AASECT-Certified Sex Therapist and Supervisor. She had a private practice in San Antonio, TX for 30 years. Ms. Crow believes in diversifying her work so she teaches Human Sexuality to undergraduates, developed and taught an Adult Sex Education Series at local adult stores in San Antonio and Austin, took every opportunity to give public talks and presentations, wrote a relationship and sexuality column for the San Antonio Express-News, and she has co-hosted a sexual health radio show entitled Night Moves on KSYM 90.1. Currently, her work focuses on supervising future sexuality professionals, teaching, and writing.
“It is difficult for me to believe that I am to the point in my career where I am supervising the next generation of sexologists! I have been a therapist for 30 years and a member of the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists since 1999. I will never forget the first conference I attended in Atlanta. I knew that I had found my tribe on the island of misfit toys!
As a supervisor, I like to think I bring the same realness to supervision that I brought to therapy. Providing sex therapy is more challenging than other types of therapy. It requires a therapist who is very clear with boundaries and with their own biases – and everyone has biases when it comes to sex. Part of the supervision process is looking at your biases and deciding where your ‘edges’ are. What are you comfortable working with and what aspects of sexuality can you not be objective about? As a supervisor, I am able to meet therapists where they are; this is a collaboration to integrate novel information and skills into your clinical work. My methodology in supervision is Socratic. I like to listen to how a clinician approaches a case then ask questions that expand the clinician’s perspective. I work from a trauma-informed, systemic, and existential frame of reference. My work with couples is informed by training with The Couple’s Institute (Dr. Ellyn Bader and Dr. Pete Pearson) and inspired by Gottman.”
Lori Shapiro
Lori Shapiro is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has made helping couples and families her specialty for 20+ years. Her areas of expertise include helping couples overcome infidelity, couples who are “fighting all the time,” and couples who have seen their relationship spark grow stale. Lori is LGBTQ friendly as well as alternate lifestyle friendly. In addition to being a couples specialist with multiple relationship-focused trainings, Lori is also an AASECT certified sex therapist and is comfortable helping couples explore intimacy and connection.
I like to keep in mind that couples coming in for relationship counseling often arrive both hopeful and fearful at the same time. The distress of our most intimate relationship can cause tremendous anxiety and maybe even despair. I want you to know that whether your relationship has hit a major crisis or just needs a tune up, I’m at home. For over 20 years I’ve been helping families and couples reconnect by rediscovering and building on the strength they make together. Great couples counseling is an art form and I work hard to facilitate an environment that allows for creativity and growth, not a one-size-fits-all approach. My clients describe me as authentic, optimistic, and always fully engaged. I work with you to help relieve the stress weighing on your relationship and help you feel more connected, intimate, and at peace. I’m very passionate about my work and it brings me great satisfaction when people tell me I’ve provided them with a safe place to heal and connect.
Lori Michels
Lori Michels is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, a certified AASECT sex therapist, a designated AAMFT supervisor, a level 2 IFS therapist, a RFG drama therapist, a specialist with problematic sexual behavior, and a supervisor with MSTI. Prior to her therapy career, Lori had been an educator and activist for the LGBT and Kink communities. She also has a background working with non-consensual and consensual problematic sexual behaviors. Her interesting background of experience and knowledge landed her a radio show. Besides providing supervision, Lori has a private practice serving clients in the states of Connecticut and Florida.
Philosophy of Supervision:
Lori provides a supportive setting to help her supervisees find their style as a sex therapist. Inspired by Systemic therapy and Metaframeworks, she helps her supervisees focus the basics: to understand their ethical responsibilities, how to conceptualize their cases, how to structure a treatment plan, and intervention application. From there, Lori helps supervisees celebrate their strengths and identify the areas they’d like to improve. Supervision is designed around each supervisees needs. Her approach is compassionate yet challenging, positive yet direct!
Wendy Haggerty
Wendy Haggerty is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and AASECT-Certified Sex Therapist & Supervisor. Wendy is the founder of Sex and Love Therapy in Connecticut and Florida where she and her team has served the needs of thousands of individuals, couples and partners for many years. She is also a former professor of Family Therapy, Human Sexuality & Systemic Sex Therapy at University of Saint Joseph. Wendy has been an active member and volunteer for AASECT over the last decade, serving in roles with the Conference Committee (reviewer of proposal submissions) and the Certification Committee (former reviewer of CST applications & current CST co-chair).
Approach to Supervision
Wendy is passionate about mentoring others into our field and appreciates longstanding relationships with those that have worked with her. She approaches supervision intuitively and tailors the experience to best meet the unique needs of each supervisee. Wendy is a creative therapist and will share a wealth of clinical experience.
Theresa Callard-Moore
Theresa Callard-Moore is a Licensed Master’s Level Social Worker in Michigan. She became an AASECT Diplomate Sex Therapist in 1996 and is also a Supervisor. She is an expert on sex positive ways to address Out of Control Sexual Behaviors as she is also an IITAP Certified Sex Addiction/Multiple Addiction Therapist. She has been in private practice for over 30 years. Previous to that she was the Clinical Director of Wellness AIDS Services, a Medical Social Worker at University of Miami and the University of Washington. She also worked at the Sexual Health Clinic and Vulvar Clinic at the University of Michigan. She has a holistic approach treating clients mind, body, and spirit. She believes that sexual health is directly related to overall health and she is the author of BridgeIT: The Integrative Medicine Approach to the Healthcare Crisis of the United States. She is currently spearheading the BridgeIT Movement to put people’s health back in their hands and change our healthcare system to a wellness model.
Supervision Style:
My approach to supervision is exactly like my approach to therapy. I will create a safe place for you to explore the areas that you need clinical support and growth, while providing a safe and nurturing environment. I am client centered and come with a creative, sex-postive approach to problem solving. Clinically, I have a bio-psycho-social-sexaual assessment and then use a systems approach to find a clients “healthy sexual zone”. During supervision, I will conduct our sessions with an open mind and respect for each of your beliefs and professional goals, while reinforcing our ethical guidelines. It is my honor to give back all of my years of experience and help all of you grow into successful sex therapist clinicians!
Estefanía Simich
Dr. Estefanía Simich Muñoz has a PhD in Human Sexuality. She is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Board Approved Supervisor in Maryland, an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist and Supervisor in Training. She owns a bilingual sexuality practice in Baltimore. She is passionate about supporting migrant populations who have experienced violence and sexual trauma. As well as working with couples from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds. In the past she has acted as an immigration court expert on gender violence and sexual violence cases involving Latin American migrants. She has worked in the non-profit and governmental sectors in Peru, The Netherlands and the US.
Approach to supervision
Dr. Simich Muñoz is a supportive and caring supervisor. Her main goal is to empower and guide clinicians on their journey of becoming sex therapists, by providing a safe space of dialogue. She supervises from a holistic, decolonial, and intersectional lens to ensure that all her supervisees are challenged by experiencing conceptualizing cases in a variety of ways.
Renée Burwell
Renée Burwell, LCSW, MPA, CST is a skilled psychotherapist and educator with specializations in sex therapy and trauma. Her practice, Pandora’s Awakening, offers services and educational outreach that help destigmatize mental and sexual health services. She is a skilled facilitator offering trainings and workshops to healthcare and social services professionals on mental health, sexual health, and reproductive justice. In addition to her work at Pandora’s Awakening, she is also the executive director of the Tennessee Alliance of Sexual Health, a lecturer for University of Michigan and Vanderbilt University, on the community board for Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi, an active member of the Association of Black Sexologist, and is a writer and educator for various mediums including Pure Romance, Bedroom Kandi and CNN.
Approach to Supervision:
Renee has an organic and collaborative approach to supervision. She is a social worker who believes in meeting people where they are while challenging them to access resources to see beyond what might be presenting. She is IMAGO, PACT, Ellyn Bader’s Couple’s Institute, and EMDR trained. She is excited to see more sexuality educators and therapists in the field and looks forward to helping those along their journey.
Daniel N. Watter
Dr. Daniel N. Watter received his doctoral degree from New York University in 1985 and has also earned a post-graduate certificate in Medical Humanities (with a concentration in medical ethics) from Drew University. He is licensed as both a psychologist and a marital and family therapist. In addition, he is Board Certified in Sex Therapy by the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT), and the American Board of Sexology (ACS), of which is also holds Fellowship status. Dr. Watter is an AASECT certified sex therapy supervisor and has been elected to Fellowship Status in the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health (ISSWSH) and the Sexual Medicine Society of North America (SMSNA).
A frequent lecturer at professional meetings throughout North America, Dr. Watter is the author of more than 30 professional articles and book chapters on topics such as sexual function and dysfunction, and ethics in healthcare practice. He is the author of the recently released book, “The Existential Importance of the Penis: A Guide to Understanding Male Sexuality (Routledge)”.
Approach to Supervision:
Dr. Watter works from an existential psychotherapy lens. His supervision sessions consist primarily of case presentations with an emphasis on case conceptualization, effective treatment strategies, and the development and therapeutic use of the psychotherapy relationship. Dr. Watter is of the belief that many sexual problems stem from the triggering of early childhood and family-of-origin trauma, and he takes a developmental approach to understanding sexual and relational dynamics.
Barry McCarthy
Margie Nichols
Margaret Nichols, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist, AASECT-certified sex therapist and sex therapy supervisor, and a WPATH GEI certified Mentor. She has over 40 years of clinical experience, including 35 years as the founder and director of the Institute for Personal Growth, New Jersey, a large multi-site outpatient psychotherapy practice focused on sex/gender/relationship diverse populations. Her background includes community organizing: she was a co-founder of the first federally-funded women’s center/domestic violence shelter in 1976; a founder and first Director of the Hyacinth AIDS Foundation in 1985. In the early 2000’s, Dr. Nichols led IPG to become the first therapy center in New Jersey to use a gender affirmative approach working with trans/nonbinary children, adolescents, and young adults. For the last fifteen years her practice has focused heavily on work with trans/nonbinary youth, and she is the co-Director of MSTI’s Transgender Affirmative Mental Health Care certification program. Her book, The Modern Clinician’s Guide to Working with LGBTQ+ Clients, is a leading textbook for psychotherapists working with queer populations. Dr. Nichols has been trained in Imago Relationship Counseling, Gottman Couples work, and EMDR in addition to her training in sex therapy and transgender care.
Approach to Supervision:
My theoretical approach to psychotherapy is eclectic, and so is my approach to supervision. My primary orientation is cognitive behavioral and systems-focused, but experience and training have enabled me to work with psychodynamic, trauma-informed, and other modalities such as EMDR. My sex therapy work tends to follow the PLISSIT model. I believe each therapist needs to develop their own individualized style, and that my role as a supervisor is to help them in that development. Both general sex therapy and work with LGBTQ clients, especially trans/nonbinary clients, requires a combination of psychotherapy skills and factual knowledge. Part of my role as supervisor is to help supervisees acquire the specialized knowledge and techniques used to work with sexual dysfunction.
I identify as queer, and may bring personal as well as therapeutic experiences to supervision. I hope to create an atmosphere where supervisees can be as open about themselves as they desire.
I have a bio/psycho/social perspective, and I am acutely aware of the social/societal aspect of sexual problems and issues involving the LGBTQ+ community. Thus, concepts like intersectionality, minority stress, and stigma play a role in how I formulate treatment. I try to help supervisees become culturally competent and knowledgeable about the communities in which they practice. I try to be approachable and open to constructive criticism in the collaborative endeavor that is supervision.
Marina Voron
Marina Voron is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified Sex Therapist, and co-founder of Nassau Wellness Marriage and Family Therapy in Garden City, NY. Her clinical orientation is grounded in the Gottman Method, Emotionally Focused Therapy and Somatic Experiencing.
Approach to Supervision:
As a clinical supervisor her guiding principle is that therapy, and how we show up for our clients, must be intentional. She helps her supervisees conceptualize cases through 4 lenses: applying research-based theory, taking a systemic focus, being culturally sensitive, and being attuned to both the client’s and the therapist’s state and needs. She supports her supervisees in developing strong assessment skills, and in honing their clinical intuition so that they can facilitate positive change for their clients. Her supervision style challenges the clinician to implement change on multiple levels: nervous, emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and interpersonal. She structures supervision in a way that enables the therapist to explore both the clinical direction as well as their own reactions to the work they are doing. Finally, she strongly focuses on resourcing her supervisees and encourages them to build rich toolkits for themselves and their clients and to channel their creativity into the different ways that they utilize their models and interventions.
Carl Mojta
Carl Mojta is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (DC, VA, MD, NC & FL telehealth), AAMFT Approved Supervisor, AASECT Certified Sex Therapist and Supervisor as well as an Internal Family Systems (IFS) Certified Therapist/Approved Clinical Consultant in private practice in the Washington, DC area.
Before transitioning to full-time private practice, Carl worked for the federal government for 14 years. The diversity of his experiences included active-duty military service with the U.S. Army, civil service with the United States Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) as well as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs where he served as a readjustment counselor and then promoted as a director first to the Washington, DC Vet Center and then to the Alexandria Vet Center.
Approach to Supervision:
Carl’s approach to supervision is collaborative and engaging, allowing supervisees to feel safe and have trust in the supervision relationship so that they can explore ideas, think critically and systemically and explore their own therapist parts. Although he approaches (sex) therapy and supervision from an IFS perspective, he strives to help supervisees develop their own clinical style as they integrate their theoretical approach into their work.
Dr. Christine Romano
Dr. Christine Romano is a PhD-level licensed mental health counselor and an AASECT certified sex therapist. Her treatment specializations focus on intimacy and sexual functioning and dysfunctioning (e.g., desire, arousal, orgasm, painful intercourse, erectile dysfunction), sexuality and gender diversity concerns, communication (e.g., conflict management, understanding perspectives and reciprocity, trust and infidelity), and relationship counseling. She has a background in counseling research, counselor education, counseling supervision in academic and clinical settings, and human resources and law in corporate companies, nonprofit organizations and small businesses.
She is an avid academic teaching graduate students as a professor at Fordham University and Pace University, and conducting research on interpersonal relationship perception (i.e. dyadic analysis, empathy, communication, trait judgement accuracy), sexual dysfunctions (i.e., cognitive behavioral therapy treatment outcomes for female sexual pain disorders), and multicultural counseling (i.e. cultural competency in counselor education, racial and gender microaggressions). She is also a published author on a chapter about diversity training and awareness of racial microaggressions in the workplace. With her experience, working in various settings and working with a myriad of populations, she is dedicated to serving the people of her community and advocating for mental health counseling and sex therapy.