Prerequisite
The prerequisite for this course is Making Sense of Adolescence Part I: Seven Rites of Passage.
Course Description
Today's adolescents live in a hypersexualized culture. Most have received a school-based sex education where safe sex typically refers to physical intimacy that is free of sexually transmitted diseases or unwanted pregnancy. Despite their greater exposure and education, current evidence suggests that many youth are in trouble sexually and that their sexual development is not unfolding as it should.
How is sexuality meant to develop? What is happening today that is different than in previous generations? How does sex affect the brain and bonding? In this course, Dr. Neufeld examines sexuality through the lenses of attachment, maturation and vulnerability. He sheds light on why adolescents are losing their timidity, why sexual interaction is on the rise, and why sexual bullying is becoming a problem. He explores the meaning of safe sex from an attachment-based developmental perspective and provides suggestions for contributing to the healthy unfolding of sexuality in our youth.
Suitability/Applicability
This material is relevant to anyone who is involved or will be involved with teenagers: parents, grandparents, teachers, counsellors, youth workers, family workers, therapists, social workers, psychologists. This course can be used for professional development for teachers, continuing education for helping professionals, and staff training for youth programs. This course is also appropriate for parents of preteens to prepare them for the transition. This course is highly recommended for ALL who are involved in the sexual education of our youth, whether formally in school or more significantly at home.
Formats & Fees
This course is available as an ONLINE CAMPUS COURSE only. See Course Format Options for format delivery, access, and content details.
Registrants are required to complete the prerequisite course Making Sense of Adolescence Part I: Seven Rites of Passage.
ONLINE CAMPUS COURSE FORMAT - $150
Tuition includes a four-month Virtual Campus study pass. See More On Online Campus Courses for further information on our two campus course formats (Self-Paced Study and Scheduled Online Class). Visit the course details page to register. If there is an upcoming Scheduled Online Class it will be posted directly above the Self-Paced Study button on the left-hand side.
Topics/Objectives
course objective
The objective of this course is to make sense of sexuality in the context of adolescence. Every adolescent is an individual of course, but there are some common dynamics that affect all adolescents. Understanding what these dynamics are can provide the keys for knowing how to deal with the problems that may arise.
some of the topics addressed include:
- How healthy sexuality is meant to unfold
- The sexualization of the six modes of attachment
- The sexualization of the alpha and dependent instincts
- The sexualization of shyness
- The sexualization of the chemistry of attachment
- Cultural practices most congruent with natural design
- Problems with the sexualization of attachment before puberty
- Problems with superficial attachments
- Problems with peer orientation
- How sexual interaction increases vulnerability
- The relationship between vulnerability and defense
- The depersonalization of sexual interaction
- The dynamic of sexualized bullying
- The role of individuation and integration in the development of sexuality
- The signs and symptoms of insufficient individuation
- Implications for parents and teachers
Course Outline
This course is formatted into four one-hour sessions on the following topics:
Session 1 - Sexualization of Attachment: The Design
Session 2 - Sexualization of Attachment: The Deviations
Session 3 - Adolescent Sexuality and Vulnerability
Session 4 - Sexuality, Maturity and Morality