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Treating the Long-Term Sexless Marriage

Wednesday, October 14th, 2026   11:00 AM EDT -12:00 PM EDT
Rivka Sidorsky, LCSW-C, CST,C-PST
$30.00 USD

A long-term sexless marriage is rarely explained by “low sex drive” or simply a mismatch in sexual desire. When couples have lived with little or no sexual intimacy for years, the absence of sex can become deeply woven into the emotional, relational, and behavioral patterns of the marriage. Partners may develop avoidance, resentment, grief, shame, protective strategies, parallel lives, or a new sense of identity around being a “nonsexual” couple. Over time, returning to sexual intimacy can feel unfamiliar, threatening, or even impossible.

This one-hour clinical workshop explores the unique complexities of working with couples in long-term sexual disconnection. Through two detailed clinical case studies, participants will examine assessment and clinical conceptualization, including how to look beyond desire discrepancy or low sexual desire to understand the factors that have maintained sexual disconnection over time. The cases will explore common therapeutic challenges, including entrenched avoidance, accumulated resentment, emotional disconnection, differing levels of motivation for change, and uncertainty about whether and how to reintroduce sexual intimacy.

About the Presenter

Rivka Sidorsky is an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist, an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist Supervisor, a licensed clinical social worker, a Social Work Board Certified Supervisor, a Faculty Lecturer, a published author, a Harvard University research fellowship recipient, and an experienced lecturer. She is the owner and director of Rivka Sidorsky & Associates, group psychotherapy practice. She is the Director of a full sex therapy training program and specializes in teaching sex therapy on topics such as female sexual dysfunction, sexual pain, vaginismus, sexual aversion, couples sexual issues, and performing sex therapy with diverse religions and cultures. She lives in Silver Spring with her husband and their five children.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Describe the biopsychosocial and relational factors that contribute to and maintain long-term sexual disconnection in couples.
  2. Demonstrate clinical strategies for assessing and treating couples experiencing chronic sexual disconnection, including addressing emotional differentiation, desire discrepancies, avoidance, resentment, and rebuilding sexual intimacy.

Agenda:

1 HOUR

AASECT Knowledge Areas: Intimacy Skills, Learning theory and its application, Range of sexual functioning and behavior, Sexual Exploitation including Sexual Abuse, Socio-cultural and familial factors, Pleasure Enhancement Skills. May be used for Sex Therapy Training ST1, ST2, ST3, ST4, ST5, ST6, ST7.

This presentation is open to:
  • Social Workers
  • Professional Counselors
  • Therapists
  • Psychologists
  • Licensed Mental Health Practitioners
  • Medical Doctors and Other Health Professionals
  • Other professionals interacting with populations engaged in mental health based services
Course Level: introductory
Level of Clinician: beginner
  • New practitioners who wish to gain enhanced insight surrounding the topic
  • Experienced practitioners who seek to increase and expand fundamental knowledge surrounding the subject matter
  • Advanced practitioners seeking to review concepts and reinforce practice skills and/or access additional consultation
  • Managers seeking to broaden micro and/or macro perspectives

Participants will receive their certificate electronically upon completion of the webinar and course evaluation form.

Disability Access - If you require ADA accommodations, please contact our office 30 days or more before the event. We cannot ensure accommodations without adequate prior notification. Please Note: Licensing Boards change regulations often, and while we attempt to stay abreast of their most recent changes, if you have questions or concerns about this course meeting your specific board’s approval, we recommend you contact your board directly to obtain a ruling. The grievance policy for trainings provided by NEFESH INTERNATIONAL is available here Satisfactory Completion Participants must have paid the tuition fee, logged in and out each day, attended the entire workshop, and completed an evaluation to receive a certificate (If this is a pre-recorded program, a post-test with a passing grade of 80% to receive a certificate.) Failure to log in or out will result in forfeiture of credit for the entire course. No exceptions will be made. Partial credit is not available. Certificates are available after satisfactory course completion by clicking here.
There is no conflict of interest or commercial support for this program.
  • NEFESH International is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0046
  • NEFESH International is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Mental Health Counselor #MHC-0082
  • This program meets the requirements for the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists. These CE credits may be applied toward AASECT certification and renewal of certification. AASECT Core Knowledge Areas: C, E, I.
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed creative arts therapists. #CAT-0122.
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0275.
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0129.
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0325.
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0774.
Refund Policy:
Full Refund until 48 hours before scheduled date.
48 hours before: full refund less $5.00 processing fee. After event no refund will be given.
*exclusions apply for reasonable need and cause.