Background and Founding Members
It just takes a vision...
The vision for a national association dedicated to the professionalization and advancement of sexuality professionals in Canada has been in development since 2015. Dr. Reece Malone, a long-standing sexuality educator, sex therapist, and systems-level change advocate, envisioned a national body that could reflect the unique cultural, social, and political realities of Canada—something existing associations, including prominent North American organizations such as the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counsellors, and Therapists (AASECT), have not sufficiently addressed.
The Intention is Equity and Inclusion
While AASECT, COSRT, and other international bodies have played a significant role in legitimizing the fields of sex education, therapy, and counselling, many Canadian professionals have encountered challenges aligning with frameworks and policies that do not speak to Canada’s specific histories, communities, and systems. In particular, these organizations often lack meaningful engagement with Canada’s Indigenous histories and the ongoing impacts of colonization on sexual health, identity, and justice.
The idea for a Canadian association grew from the recognition that Canada’s sexuality professionals work within a distinct context shaped by evolving national conversations around gender diversity, sexual rights, harm reduction, reproductive justice, intersectionality and decolonization. The limitations of existing associations include a lack of inclusion of:
-
Indigenous knowledges and histories of sexuality and embodiment,
-
Grassroots collectives and community-based organizations who provide vital, culturally grounded care and education,
Bodyworkers and touch professionals—including somatic sex educators, sexological bodyworkers, sexual surrogates, and sex workers—who continue to be excluded or marginalized within dominant professional networks.
As the field continues to diversify, it became clear that a Canadian association was necessary to not only reflect the professional diversity within our borders but also to champion ethical, intersectional, and decolonizing practices that are uniquely responsive to Canadian contexts.
In the early stages of conceptualization, Dr. Reece Malone reached out to Dr. Markie Twist, an Alaskan-based sexuality educator and therapist, licensed in the United States as both a family therapist and mental health counsellor, and registered as a psychosexual and relationship therapist (PRT) with the United Kingdom (UK)-based College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists ( COSRT)–who had noted the same concerns as Dr. Malone originally in 2019 when they began their post as Session Instructor with the AASECT organizational provider University of Guelph Professional Sexuality Practices Training Program–to collaboratively explore the structure, values, and strategic benefits of forming a Canadian Association for Sexuality Professionals. Together, in the summer of 2025, they began envisioning an association that would be expansive, inclusive, and rooted in justice-oriented values.
The Canadian Association for Sexuality Professionals (CASP) is being formed to bridge these critical gaps. It aims to serve as a unifying body for Canadian-based sexuality professionals—including educators, therapists, researchers, policy advocates, touch and body-based practitioners—while prioritizing professional recognition, community accountability, and cultural and systemic relevance.
CASP is committed to fostering a national community where innovation, integrity, and care intersect.