Consent education; mindful touch; breath and movement coaching; genital and body mapping; erotic mindfulness
Education required
Professional certificate programs (e.g., CSB, CSSE)
Fields of employment
Private practice; retreats; workshops; supervision and training
Sexological bodywork (often abbreviated SB and associated with the professional title Certified Sexological Bodyworker, CSB) is a body-based, somatic sex education modality in which trained practitioners use one-way touch, breathwork, movement, and focused attention to support clients in learning about arousal, pleasure, and sexual wellbeing within an explicitly educational context.[1] Sessions emphasize client-led learning goals, clear consent agreements, and professional boundaries; practitioners typically remain clothed, use gloves for genital touch, and work within a “one-way touch” framework in which touch flows from practitioner to client only.[1]
Sexological bodywork was developed by Joseph Kramer in California during the early 2000s, drawing on earlier erotic bodywork traditions and his pedagogical work with the Body Electric School. The profession “Sexological Bodywork” and affiliated certificate programs were established in 2003 at the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality (IASHS) in San Francisco.[2] Professional training schools subsequently emerged internationally, and practitioner associations formed to support ethics, supervision, and continuing education.[3]
Methods and scope
Sexological bodyworkers use somatic learning methods—including breath and sound coaching, mindful movement, body and genital mapping, scar-tissue remediation, and coaching in self-pleasure practices—to help clients explore arousal patterns, boundaries, and erotic embodiment.[1][4] Educational aims can include increasing access to pleasure, addressing pain or numbness, developing communication and consent skills, and integrating sexual healing after life events such as childbirth or surgery.[1]
Concepts from broader somatic and consent education inform practice. For example, Betty Martin’s Wheel of Consent is widely taught in training curricula as an ethical and pedagogical framework for distinguishing “who is doing” from “who it is for” in touch interactions.[4][5]
Training and professional associations
Entry-level certification is commonly titled Certificate in Sexological Bodywork (CSB), with advanced programs in Somatic Sex Education (CSSE). Training typically combines distance learning, in-person “embodiment weeks,” supervised practicum, and assessments of ethical competence and session structure.[4] The Association of Certified Sexological Bodyworkers (ACSB) recognizes multiple international schools and maintains a code of ethics, grievance process, and practitioner directory.[2] The Somatic Sex Educators Association (SSEA) offers professional development and public education for practitioners in North America and beyond.[3]
Evidence and research
Peer-reviewed scholarship explicitly addressing sexological bodywork remains limited but growing. A 2019 paper in the International Journal of Transpersonal Studies situates SB alongside related somatic sexology modalities and argues that “erotic mindfulness” may be a common educational mechanism.[6] A mixed-methods study in Sexual and Relationship Therapy examined outcomes of a sexological bodywork retreat for women.[7] In 2025, an abstract in The Journal of Sexual Medicine described SB as a complementary method to sex therapy for transgender and gender-diverse clients.[8]
Ethics and consent
Professional codes emphasize explicit agreements, ongoing consent, boundaries, and trauma-informed practice. Many trainings teach the Wheel of Consent; sessions are framed as education rather than therapy, and practitioners avoid mutual sexual activity or two-way touch.[1][4]
Regulation and public discussion
The legal status of hands-on erotic education varies by jurisdiction and is often debated in media coverage. In the United States, some outlets have claimed that sexological bodywork is illegal in most states because it can involve genital touch,[9] while practitioner resources note that such blanket claims are untested and that many CSBs work strictly within educational containers without mutual sexual activity.[10] California historically recognized IASHS programs through the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education; however, that recognition related to school approval rather than a state occupational license, and IASHS later lost its BPPE approval prior to closing.[11]
Sexological bodywork has also been featured in lifestyle and wellness media, which has contributed both to public interest and to controversies about boundaries and legality.[12][13]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
