Advanced Training in Dealing with Intimacy
with Ta'ir Wasserman
Intake Open for February 2023
Course Outline
Intimacy, sex, and sexuality; topics that are displayed, discussed, come up in the news. Topics that affect everyone, but no one really speaks about. These sensitive topics in the life of individuals and couples are rarely addressed in a constructive, healthy, educating way.
Human intimacy is the most personal and most hidden realm in society. You will be surprised that even the most experienced doctors, nurses, psychologists or psychiatrists shy away from broaching these topics. Yet, intimacy is diametric. Intimacy has the potential to give a person the most inner joy or the most intense pain.
Although most religious people only formally encounter the topic of intimacy during their engagement period, subconsciously intimacy was an area of development long before that first chosson/kallah class and will continue to be part of their life.
The aim of this course is twofold: Firstly, this course will provide the opportunity to take a genuine look at your personal hashkafah, development and aspirations in this area. You, as a facilitator, must be comfortable and aware of your own sexuality to create a safe space for your client to get permission to speak, ponder and dream about his or her intimate issues.
This course will provide tools and guide questions to map out an honest view of where you stand, where you come from, and where you aspire to be in your sexuality and intimacy.
Personal journaling with constructed guidelines and questions will help you process the subject we discussed that week. At the end of the course, you will be given an assignment that will incorporate the process of development in your journal - not its content.
Secondly, you will receive a wealth of information regarding sexuality for your use in educating, guiding, reassuring, assessing, and referring clients on issues dealing with sex, sexuality, and intimacy. Students will receive optional reading in the form of articles related to that week's topic that they can read and prepare for discussion in the next class. The presentation and participation in discussion will give you an opportunity to get more comfortable discussing these subjects with other people. Over the course, I will present real life cases which we will use to practice, and see how to apply what we have learned.
Course Requirements 1.Conscientious Attendance - The course will provide in-depth learning about yourself and you will feel the tremendous amount of information increase your self-awareness. To successfully complete this course, you will have to follow every step of the way. Self-development and practical learning are intertwined and inseparable. Therefore, if you missed a class, students will be expected to complete the video recording before the next session. 2.Journaling - Journaling will help you process your sexual awareness, a crucial part in being able to be comfortable dealing with sexuality in the therapy room. The journal is personal and will not be collected for my review (you can if you wish). The journal entries will be used as a tool in class, so please bring them along to class. 3.Participation in group discussion - I invite you to ask, ponder and discuss together so that you will gain confidence in discussing sexual matters. To create and maintain a safe and intimate learning experience I request from every participant to have their screen on, so we can all see your face. Adding to that, I do not allow other household members to be present in the room that you are watching, not even with the sound off. If you need to leave the online classroom, I request that you log off and catch up what you have missed at a later time. For any technical support setting up Zoom, or using Dropbox please contact the PATH office.
Course Schedule Meeting Date 1 14.02.23 Introductions, Syllabus, Attitudes and Conceptions about Sexuality and Intimacy. 2 21.02.23 To be a man, to be a woman. Differences in response. 3 14.03.23 Physiology and Anatomy. 4 21.03.23 Sexual Difficulties I: Pain, Lack of Desire, Pathology, Comorbidity, Infertility. 5 18.04.23 Sexual Difficulties II. Erectile dysfunction, Opposite Gender attraction, Pornography and Addiction. 6 02.05.23 Couples dynamics. An understanding of a couples dynamics and its influence in the bedroom using different couples approaches and their use for treatment of intimacy related issues. 7 09.05.23 Treatment. Learning about different treatment methods concerning difficulties discussed, like sensate focus, laser, physical therapy, psychotherapy, dilators, medicine, and more. 8 23.05.23 Sexual development, education and intimacy. Practical application of the Plissit model. Exploring your role in this field. 9 30.05.23 Teaching and speaking with children and adolescents about intimacy. Sexuality in a woman's life cycle. Introduction to trauma. 10 06.06.23 Sexual (and non-sexual) trauma. (C)PTSD, and its ramifications on intimacy. 11 20.06.23 Working in this field within the religious community, and as a religious person. Challenges, sensitivities and solutions. Handing in of assignments. 12 04.07.23 Case studies. Closure
About the Presenter
From the beginning her professional journey, Ta'ir Wasserman has been passionate about bringing couples a true understanding of what a fulfilling intimate life can entail. Ta’ir studied clinical psychology at the VU university in
Amsterdam, and after moving to Israel, went on to receive her
Kalla teacher and Balanit certificates from the Rabbinate of
Israel. Since then she has continued working as both a Family
and Marital Therapist as well as a Sexual Health Counselor. Ta'ir
is a graduate of the post-master program in sexology at the
Sexual Health Department ("Shesek") of the Sheba hospital in Tel Hashomer. She serves the community by helping couples understand their intimacy and guides them towards a more understanding, intimate and satisfying relationship.
Aside from her practice, Ta'ir lectures groups of women and community workers on
sexuality. Ta'ir had also created the "Dollit" doll, used by therapists, hospital staff, and kalla-teachers in sex education and counselling.
Ta'ir Wasserman, her husband, and their six children live in Petach Tikvah.