For most therapists, finishing their doctoral degree and starting a successful private practice would be the standard of success. But not for Dr. Caleb Jacobson. The America-born, Berlin-based therapist is changing not only the way people think about sex therapy, but also how they train to be sex therapists.
Jacobson has been actively trying to legitimize the profession, which is often shrouded in preconceived misconceptions. The joke of popular movies and shows, sex therapists are often portrayed as quirky and hippie-like. Nothing could be further from the truth when describing Jacobson.
The clinical psychologist and sex therapist possess not one but two doctoral degrees, in entirely unrelated fields, psychology and the Bible. And he’s been respected in each of their academic communities, often presenting research at professional and academic conferences, as well as being involved in leadership roles with major organizations.
His academic commitment is not one personal hubris; he feels it is important for legitimizing his field. “The work of a sex therapist is very serious,” he says, “so the discipline of sex therapy needs to be taken seriously too.”
As part of his mission, Jacobson has pushed back against some of the common trends within the field that he says delegitimize the work. And he is launching his own school to train therapists.
The School of Sex Therapy, located in Jacobson’s native hometown, Nashville Tennessee, is a not-for-profit trying institution designed to provide training for clinicians specializing in psychosexual therapy.
If you were to imagine the school as being one man’s solely effort to make a change, you’d be wrong. Jacobson already has a team of seven employees who stand behind his vision.
“The vision is to offer systematic, scientific-based, in-depth training in human sexuality and sex therapy from an international perspective,” Jacobson says. The School of Sex Therapy plans to accept students worldwide. Despite not having the doors open yet, they already have a waiting list.
Eventually, the school will offer international certification to sex therapist, something that has not been available to the global community until this point. The largest certification organization for sex therapists is the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists. The organization only certifies therapists in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Israel.
With international sex therapy certification, sexual health professionals from around the world will be able to meet in one association. This will help to develop protocol and standardize sexual health care. It will also be a way for practitioners to network and collaborate on research in a global context.
Developing such an institution and organization is exhausting work. But Jacobson is a tireless worker known for working well into the morning hours. He also juggles his private practice and invests time in research and publications.
He says, “I enjoy writing and I think research, writing, and publications are good for both legitimacy and influence.” It is his goal to produce one publication a year.
Jacobson is also a podcast host. From 2020-2022 he was the host of the popular Sex Therapy Podcast. The podcast boasts over 100,000 listeners worldwide. The show featured authors, psychologists, an Emmy-nominated film director, adult film stars, and other popular actresses and social media influencers.
In December of 2022, Jacobson stepped away from his popular podcast at its 100th episode. He recently launched a new podcast called Uncomplicated Sex. When asked why, he responded, “I felt sex had become complicated for a lot of people and I wanted to offer a new voice that was different than a lot of other sex therapists and sex educators who were online.”
When asked the difference between his old podcast and his new one, he says, “The Sex Therapy Podcast was originally intended for therapists and educators, but Uncomplicated Sex is for the average person who wants to have great sex, better relationships, and who is tired of all the craziness associated with it.”
Even though we have just recently entered into the New Year, Dr. Jacobson’s year is already planned out. With podcasts, books, the School of Sex Therapy, and his private practice, he is making sure that his voice is heard within the field. As he changes the direction of sex therapy, we will all be waiting and watching as he legitimizes an important and underserved area of psychotherapy.
For more information on Dr. Caleb Jacobson, you can follow his Instagram, where he posts regularly.
