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Sex and RLT: The New LIVE Course from the Relational Life Institute

Transform Your Clients’ Relationship To Sex, Desire & Pleasure– Within Themselves and With Their Partner

Join senior RLT therapist Anna Sterk—and expert guest teachers—to discover the practical tools to help clients understand and overcome their blocks to desire and enjoy fulfilling sexual connections.
Enroll Now

Here’s An Overview of Everything You Get In Sex and RLT

“Our sex life brings to the fore the most vulnerable parts of us coupled with the least skill.”
Terry Real

5 90-minute Classes with Anna Sterk from RLI Faculty

Join senior RLT therapist and educator Anna Sterk for an in-depth exploration of how RLT can apply to sex and desire. Anna will be joined by two external experts for classes 3 and 4: Belinda Berman-Real (trauma therapist) and Dr. Lori Davis (sexologist).

3 Bonus Q&A Calls with Anna

Join Anna for bonus Q&A calls throughout the course to allow more space to ask questions that come up & deepen your understanding.

Lifetime Access to The Class Recordings and Course Material

Refer back to the material as many times as you need to support your work. 

Plus a special bonus from Terry Real…

Confidently Handle Couples on the Brink of Disaster

3-hour Workshop Recording With Terry Real

Discover the trusted 3-phase framework to help you guide even the most challenging couples into connection and intimacy in this exploratory workshop from the creator of Relational Life Therapy.

7.5 NBCC CEs are available CLICK HERE for Information

Relational Life Institute (RLI) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7495. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Relational Life Institute (RLI) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

It’s a Common Misconception That If You Transform the Relationship, a Couple’s Sex Life Will Naturally Improve…

But in reality, that’s often not the case. Even in relationships where partners feel deeply connected and communicate well, sex can remain a challenge. Among our RLT therapists, we see countless couples who report strong emotional intimacy but struggle with desire, pleasure, and sexual connection.

So if they’re relating well in every other aspect, why isn’t that translating to the bedroom?

The truth is, sex is a part of a relationship—an important one—it can’t be isolated and it also can’t be treated by only addressing the relational dynamics. It requires a nuanced approach to address the many different factors at play, such as our internalized beliefs & cultural conditioning.

And Here’s the Greater Challenge…

Even among therapists, sex is an area we often shy away from. Many clinicians don’t feel equipped to discuss it effectively. Our own conditioning, comfort levels, and blind spots can get in the way, making it difficult to guide clients through their most vulnerable challenges in this area.

That’s exactly why we created our brand new course, Sex and RLT. This live online course will equip you with a framework for integrating sex into relationship therapy in a way that is nuanced, direct, and profoundly transformative. 

What makes Sex and RLT different?

Traditional sex therapy approaches often focus on individual dysfunctions or techniques, but RLT goes beyond that. In Sex and RLT, you’ll discover a relational approach to sexual connection.

Most importantly, this course acknowledges that talking about sex—both for therapists and for clients—requires skill, self-awareness, and confidence.

Led by senior RLT therapist and educator Anna Sterk, along with guest experts Belinda Berman-Real (trauma specialist) and Dr. Lori Davis (sexologist), Sex and RLT gives you the practical tools and deep insights needed to help your clients navigate sex, pleasure, and desire with clarity and confidence.
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You’ll learn how to:

  • Identify clients’ “sexual stance” & the “sexual dance” it creates in their relationships.
  • Transform internalized perceptions about sex, desire, and gender roles.
  • Help clients identify, express, and negotiate their desires with love and respect.
  • Work with the impact of tarauma on sexual connection—and know when to refer out.
  • Adapt RLT skills to sex, including winning strategies for sustained sexual connection.

What You’ll Learn

Explore the Working With Men curriculum.
Class 1:

The Myth of the Happy Relationship
The Impact of Patriarchy on Sex and Sex Therapy

You’ll explore:
  • Sex therapy models to date, from Masters and Johnson to relationship therapy-based approaches.
  • The limitations of binary models and how RLT can help us move beyond.
  • Challenging a core myth of traditional sex therapy: that a healthy relationship automatically leads to a fulfilling sex life.
  • Why sexual desire can remain low, even in secure relationships.
  • The influence of societal beliefs and cultural conditioning on sex and gender roles, including:
    • Spontaneous vs. responsive desire.
    • Desire discrepancy.
    • Physical desire cues – how men are socialized to recognize them while women are conditioned to suppress them.
Class 2:

RLT’s Approach to Sex: Where Are We Going Next?

You’ll explore:
  • Relational Life Therapy’s approach to sex to date.
  • How RLT goes beyond other current sex therapy models to provide an insight into what’s in the way of attending to pleasure
  • Exploring "whole-person sexuality."
  • Are we approaching sex from First Consciousness (Adaptive Child) or Second Consciousness (Wise Adult)?
  • Identifying a client’s sexual stance and a couple’s sexual dance.
  • Healing our inner relationship with sex.
  • Understanding the three parts of the psyche in RLT:
    • Wise Adult, Adaptive Child, Wounded Child
    • The different characteristics of the Adaptive Child and Wise Adult (and how they affect our relationship to sex and sexuality).
Class 3:

Trauma and Sex: The Impact of Trauma on Sexual Connection with Belinda Berman-Real

You’ll explore:
  • Relational Life Therapy’s approach to sex to date.
  • How RLT goes beyond other current sex therapy models to provide an insight into what’s in the way of attending to pleasure and desire.
  • Exploring "whole-person sexuality."
  • How to take a trauma-informed approach to sex therapy:
  • Understanding the impact of current and past trauma on how we think, feel, and respond to sex and desire.
  • The impact of leaky parental boundaries on the development of Sexual First Consciousness and the need to address it in the development of Sexual Second Consciousness.  relationship with sex.

How to identify when inner child work is needed, and signs of deeper trauma:

  • What to look for. 
  • When to refer out.

Class 4:

Moving Beyond the Binds of Heteronormative Socialization and Gender Roles in Sex with Dr. Lori Davis

You’ll explore:

  • The historic binds around playing with gender and gender roles in sex and pleasure.
  • How approaching sex and sexuality from our First Consciousness (Wise Adult) changes our experience:
  • Overcoming socialization to embrace authentic sexual interests.
  • The critical role of consent.
  • Introducing the Desire Discrepancy Grid – an RLT tool for understanding how we respond to our own experiences of desire, perceptions of our partner’s desire, and potential disconnection from First Consciousness.
  • How RLT’s Harmony, Disharmony, and Repair cycle applies to sex:
  • The Losing Strategies that affect sexual connection during the disharmony phase.
  • Viewing pleasure through the lens of RLT: True pleasure is only accessible from the Wise Adult self.
  • Bringing our desire into relationality: How we can express and negotiate our desires with love and respect for our partners.
Class 5:

Developing Sexual Second Consciousness: Practical Applications for Addressing Desire Discrepancy, Sexless Marriage & Lifelong Pleasure

You’ll explore:

  • Addressing challenges in treating sexual-related challenges as relational practitioners.
  • Applying RLT tools to treat desire discrepancy and create lasting sexual connection.
  • Creating balance in sexual connection ("same-as") by teaching couples to:
  • Overcoming socialization to embrace authentic sexual interests.
  • The critical role of consent.
  • Adapting core RLT skills and interventions to sex:
  • Specific ways to use communication frameworks and skills, including the Feedback Wheel and Loving Power.
  • How to apply RLT’s Winning Strategies to sexual connection to help couples move from disharmony into repair and sustained connection. 
Enroll Now

Enroll in Sex and RLT Today

Choose the payment option that best suits you.

Single Payment

$495

3 x Monthly Payments

$175

Our Promise and Guarantee

We’re confident you’ll love Working With Men, but we offer a 100% money-back guarantee for your peace of mind. If, for whatever reason you’re not completely satisfied, please contact us at support@terryreal.com within 48 hours of the first live call and we’ll issue you a full refund, no questions asked.

For me, 'Joining through the truth' is a piece of the jigsaw that has been missing in therapeutic training. Although in my own practice, I have 'joined in truth'  at times with clients that have been high on the grandiose scale, there has never been a framework that allows me to identify both the path in and the path out.

Judith Balcazar

About Your Teachers

Anna Sterk

LMFT, Senior RLT Therapist & Educator

A certified RLT therapist since 2017, Anna Sterk (she/her), is a senior member of the Relational Life Institute Faculty. Her clinical career has been focused on systems and relationships from the beginning. She has worked in community mental health, eating disorder treatment, and private practice.

As she worked with couples and sexuality, Anna found that the way sex was discussed in trainings—and Western culture at large—didn’t match what she was seeing in her office. She drew on her history of training in feminist and cultural studies, integrated with her training as a systemic therapist, to find a way of working with couples—and sex and sexuality specifically—that really took root when she began studying with Terry Real in 2012.

She found that RLT provided the framework, techniques, and skills that made the abstract ideas make sense and created the path that Anna’s life and work have taken since that first training. Anna is now at the forefront of shaping how RLT tools and principles can translate to sex therapy, helping transform our relationships to sex—both within ourselves and with our partners
Anna
Belinda Berman-Real

Belinda Berman-Real

M.A., M.F.T., C.S.A.T.

Belinda Berman-Real has worked with individuals, couples, and families from all walks of life in Cambridge and Newton, Massachusetts, for over 25 years.

For much of that time, she has supervised and taught therapists of all disciplines — psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers — in four areas: trauma work, addictions recovery, couples counseling, and individual therapy. 

Belinda’s therapy approach is to get to the heart of things thoroughly and efficiently.  It is compassionate and active, collaborative and directive, giving clients the help they need to make their lives and relationships as good as they deserve to be.

Belinda’s therapy approach is to get to the heart of things thoroughly and efficiently.  It is compassionate and active, collaborative and directive, giving clients the help they need to make their lives and relationships as good as they deserve to be.

Dr. Lori Davis

Sexologist & RLT Certified Coach

Lori Davis is a clinical sexologist who combines medicine with counseling and science with somatics to bring clients the mind-body support needed to create authentic, intimate, relational lives.

She works with clients with a variety of concerns, but specializes in desire discrepancy and the experience of creating fierce sexual intimacy in long term relationships. Lori is a dual board certified nurse practitioner, AASECT Certified Sex Counselor, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner and Relational Life Therapy Certified Coach. She is passionate about bringing a sexological perspective to RLT… and bringing RLT to the sexological world! She is in private practice in Ithaca, NY.

Dr. Lori Davis

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this course live?

No—this course consists of 5 90-minute classes and 3 bonus 60-minute Q&A calls, all led by Anna Sterk from the RLI Faculty.

RLT Level 3 comprises 10.5 hours in total: 5 hours of pre-recorded training videos and 5.5 hours of live calls with Terry Real.

The RLT Certification is for therapists, coaches, and practitioners who already have experience working with clients and want to take their work with couples deeper. If you have already completed some training with us, your previous payments will be discounted from the certification fee. To transition to the certification, complete the application form, and someone from the team will be in touch to discuss your application.

Learn to Confidently Address What’s Really Behind Sex-Related Challenges to Help Your Clients Enjoy Deeply Fulfilling Sex Lives

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Free instant access. We will never spam you, unsubscribe anytime.

The Relational Life

Working With Grandiosity

Continuing Ed Details

Facilitated by Terry Real, LICSW

This course is approved for continuing education hours as described below.

NBCC (National Board of Certified Counsellors)

9.5 NBCC CE credit hours for Beginner Mental Health Professionals ($40 additional fee).
In this photo a seal logo with two crossed rings, with the writing "approved continuing education provider nbcc seal"

ACEP No. 7495 

Relational Life Institute (RLI) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7495. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Relational Life Institute (RLI) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. 

Target Audience

Social Workers, MFTs, Counselors, Substance Abuse Counselors, Nurses, and LMHCs, LMFT’s, Educators, Coaches, Chemical Dependency Counselors

Course Content Level

The course content is appropriate for beginner level clinicians.

Format:

Self-Paced Online Course

Course Description

Over 5 LIVE 90-minute classes with Terry Real, you will learn how to effectively address issues of grandiosity in your clients. You’ll discover a range of strategies and techniques to confront grandiose clients with the impact of their behaviors, build an alliance, motivate them to change, and guide them into connection—with themselves and those around them.

Learning Objectives:

At the completion of this course, participants can expect to:

  • Identify what’s deficient in grandiose clients and understand how you supply it as the therapist.
  • Identify strategies to confidently handle resistance, evasion, and verbal abuse.
  • Understand how to reconnect grandiose clients to themselves and those around them.

Throughout the course, you’ll gain deeper competency in and be able to:

Understand the origins of grandiosity and why it isn’t always a defense against shame.

Identify techniques to find leverage to motivate grandiose clients to engage in the therapy.

Explain why taking sides is critical when working with grandiosity—and understand how to do it.

Registration URL

relationallife.com/working-with-grandiosity/

Continuing Ed Credits Available: 9.5 NBCC credit hours ($40 fee)

CE Certificate Requirements:

Satisfactory Course Completion required:
  • Participants must have paid for this course, completed a course Evaluation, and passed the test (80% or higher grade) showing the material has been learned in order to receive a certificate
  • No partial credit is available
  • Failure to complete and submit these materials will result in forfeiture of CE credit for the entire course. No exceptions can be made.
If you have questions please contact support@terryreal.com for guidance.
It is the participant’s responsibility to check if their Board, state, organization is approved for these CE credit hours. There is no partial credit. No refunds will be given on CE purchases for failure to check state approval.

It is the participant’s responsibility to check if their Board, state, organization is approved for these Continuing Ed credit hours. There is no partial credit. No refunds will be given on CE purchases for failure to check state approval.

Cost

One-Time Payment

$495

3 Payments

3 x $175

$525 in total

Commercial Support Disclaimer

There is no conflict of interest for this program. 

Accommodations

If you need special accommodations or have questions, please contact us at support@terryreal.com 

Cancellation Policy

You may request a refund up to 2 days after purchase. Please contact support@terryreal.com if you wish to cancel your purchase.

Instructor’s Bios:

Terry Real, LICSW is the bestselling author of I Don’t Want to Talk About It, How Can I Get Through to You?, The New Rules of Marriage, and Us: Getting Past You & Me to Build a More Loving Relationship. He founded the Relational Life Institute, offering workshops for couples, individuals, and parents as well as a professional training program for clinicians. Terry has been called “the most innovative voice in thinking about and treating men and their relationships in the world today.”

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.

Contact information:

ACEP Administrator & Operations Director for Relational Life Institute (RLI), Lisa Sullivan follows: 291 Nahanton Street, Newton, MA 02459; 

617-861-3030 support@terryreal.com www.relationallife.com 

The Relational Life

Level 2 Homestudy

Continuing Ed Details

Facilitated by Terry Real, LICSW

This course is approved for continuing education hours as described below.

NBCC (National Board of Certified Counsellors)

10 NBCC CE hours for Intermediate Mental Health Professionals ($40 fee)
In this photo a seal logo with two crossed rings, with the writing "approved continuing education provider nbcc seal"

ACEP No. 7495 

Relational Life Institute (RLI) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7495. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Relational Life Institute (RLI) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. 

ICF (International Coaching Federation)

10 ICF CCE hours (2 Core Competency + 8 Resource Development)
ICF CCE
International Coaching Federation (ICF) has approved this program for 2 Core Competency hours and 8 Resource Development hours. (Resource Development includes training formerly called Personal Development, Business Development, or Other Skills and Tools.)

Target Audience

Social Workers, MFTs, Counselors, Substance Abuse Counselors, Nurses, and LMHCs, LMFT’s, Educators, Coaches, Chemical Dependency Counselors

Course Content Level

The course content is appropriate for Intermediate level clinicians.

Format:

Self-Paced Online Course

Course Description

Building on the foundational diagnostic lenses introduced in RLT Level 1, this course invites clinicians into the transformative next phase of Relational Life Therapy: deep trauma work. Therapists expand their capacity to understand each partner’s relational stance—how it was formed, how it functions defensively, and how it can be reshaped in the service of intimacy. Participants learn to conduct powerful inner child work in the presence of the partner, work effectively with resistance and leverage, and integrate attachment styles with trauma and relational stances—leaving with practical, structured tools for facilitating trauma repair within couples therapy.

Learning Objectives:

At the completion of this course, participants can expect to:

  • Explain when to use positive and negative leverage
  • Describe joining through, as opposed to clobbering someone with, the truth
  • Describe using the family of origin work to rebalance the relationship
  • Explain moving from the present into the past by using the “affect bridge” (when have you felt these feelings before?)
  • Explain Transitioning to Family of Origin by using the 3 questions: (Whom did you see do this? Who did it to you? And who did you do it to and no one stopped you?)
  • Explain how to frame current difficulties as the opportunity to transform one’s legacy and hand over a different future to one’s children
  • List 4 types of trauma and where they fall on the Trauma Grid
  • Describe how the Adaptive Child is formed
  • Discuss re-parenting the Adaptive and Wounded Child parts
  • List the five fears behind resistance and how to respond to them
  • Describe understanding and befriending the resistant part
  • Describe using positive and negative leverage with a resistant part
  • Explain how to sell the value of intimacy along with its skills to a Type 1 Love Avoidant
  • Explain how to teach negotiation and the assertion of needs along with appropriate trauma work when dealing with a Type 2 Love Avoidant
  • Explain how to work on self-esteem, boundaries, and the remembrance of abundance when working with Love Dependents

Throughout the course, you’ll gain deeper competency in and be able to:

Deepen understanding of each partner’s relational stance and its developmental origins

Identify and address multi-generational legacies influencing current couple dynamics

Conduct structured inner child work in the presence of the partner to foster empathy and intimacy

Facilitate trauma repair within the relational system rather than in isolation

Recognize and effectively work with client resistance using leverage principles

Practice detachment from outcome while maintaining clear therapeutic leadership

Apply attachment theory within RLT to guide interventions and strengthen relational connection

Registration URL

relationallife.com/level-2-training/

Continuing Ed Credits Available: 10 NBCC or ICF credit hours ($40 fee)

CE Certificate Requirements:

Satisfactory Course Completion required:
  • Participants must have paid for this course and attended all five LIVE online sessions in full in order to receive a Continuing Education certificate.
  • No partial credit is available — partial attendance does not qualify for partial CE hours.
  • At the end of the final session you’ll receive an email inviting you to request your certificate. The certificate is free of charge.
  • Failure to attend all sessions will result in forfeiture of CE credit for the entire course. No exceptions can be made.
If you have questions please contact support@terryreal.com for guidance.
It is the participant’s responsibility to check if their Board, state, or organization is approved for these CE credit hours. There is no partial credit. No refunds will be given on CE purchases for failure to check state approval.

It is the participant’s responsibility to check if their Board, state, organization is approved for these Continuing Ed credit hours. There is no partial credit. No refunds will be given on CE purchases for failure to check state approval.

Cost

One-Time Payment

$397

3 Payments

3 x $137

$411 in total

Commercial Support Disclaimer

There is no conflict of interest for this program. 

Accommodations

If you need special accommodations or have questions, please contact us at support@terryreal.com 

Cancellation Policy

You may request a refund up to 2 days after purchase. Please contact support@terryreal.com if you wish to cancel your purchase.

Instructor’s Bios:

Terry Real, LICSW is the bestselling author of I Don’t Want to Talk About It, How Can I Get Through to You?, The New Rules of Marriage, and Us: Getting Past You & Me to Build a More Loving Relationship. He founded the Relational Life Institute, offering workshops for couples, individuals, and parents as well as a professional training program for clinicians. Terry has been called “the most innovative voice in thinking about and treating men and their relationships in the world today.”

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.

Contact information:

ACEP Administrator & Operations Director for Relational Life Institute (RLI), Lisa Sullivan follows: 291 Nahanton Street, Newton, MA 02459; 

617-861-3030 support@terryreal.com www.relationallife.com 

The Relational Life

Level 1 – Homestudy

Continuing Ed Details

Facilitated by Terry Real, LICSW

This course is approved for continuing education hours as described below.

NBCC (National Board of Certified Counsellors)

10 NBCC CE hours for Beginner Mental Health Professionals ($40 fee)
In this photo a seal logo with two crossed rings, with the writing "approved continuing education provider nbcc seal"

ACEP No. 7495 

Relational Life Institute (RLI) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7495. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Relational Life Institute (RLI) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. 

ICF (International Coaching Federation)

10 ICF CCE hours (7 Core Competency + 3 Resource Development)
ICF CCE
International Coaching Federation (ICF) has approved this program for 7 Core Competency hours and 3 Resource Development hours. (Resource Development includes training formerly called Personal Development, Business Development, or Other Skills and Tools.)

Target Audience

Social Workers, MFTs, Counselors, Substance Abuse Counselors, Nurses, and LMHCs, LMFT’s, Educators, Coaches, Chemical Dependency Counselors

Course Content Level

The course content is appropriate for beginner level clinicians.

Format:

Self-Paced Online Course

Course Description

Terry Real presents RLI’s introductory training course, Relational Life Therapy Level 1. Over five recorded classes you’ll be introduced to the powerful principles behind Relational Life Therapy (RLT) as taught by Terry Real, designed to give you an in-depth introduction to the theory and practice of the RLT model. Students will discover the differences between RLT and traditional psychodynamic therapy, and explore the stances of “one-down shame” and “one-up grandiosity” in couples. RLT is about action and lasting results, and the concepts of Relational Mindfulness, Joining Through The Truth, and psychological patriarchy are presented. RLT Level 1 is the first step toward RLT certification and prepares you for the Level 2 & 3 trainings.

Learning Objectives:

At the completion of this course, participants can expect to:

  • Compare the RLT phases and how RLT differs from traditional therapy.
  • Describe the role and approach of the practitioner in RLT.
  • Diagnose the RLT view of power imbalances in couples, of psychological patriarchy, and how these are addressed through therapy.
  • Summarize Relational Mindfulness and the “fight, flight, fix” responses.
  • Describe the role and approach of the therapist in RLT.
  • Explain the two types of leverage.
  • Discuss the concept of appropriate discrepancy and how it works with neuroplasticity.
  • List the 8 diagnostic lenses in RLT.
  • Interpret how preconditions are addressed in RLT.
  • Compare the two types of boundaries.
  • Demonstrate strategies for empowering latent clients.

Throughout the course, you’ll gain deeper competency in and be able to:

Illustrate that true intimacy can only happen when partners are “same-as” – neither one-up nor one-down.

Discuss how RLT practitioners will confront and teach their clients how to live relationally.

Hypothesize how RLT practitioners use judicious self-disclosure, sharing stories of how they use these same skills in their own relationships.

Registration URL

relationallife.com/level-1-homestudy/

Continuing Ed Credits Available: 10 NBCC or ICF credit hours ($40 fee)

CE Certificate Requirements:

Satisfactory Course Completion required:
  • Participants must have paid for this course, completed a course Evaluation, and passed the test (80% or higher grade)
  • No partial credit is available
  • Failure to complete materials results in forfeiture of CE credit for the entire course. No exceptions.
Instructions are included in your RLT Course Library for Homestudy Level 1 at https://learn.relationallife.com/
If you have questions please contact support@terryreal.com for guidance.
It is the participant’s responsibility to check if their Board, state, organization is approved for these CE credit hours. No refunds will be given on CE purchases for failure to check state approval.

It is the participant’s responsibility to check if their Board, state, organization is approved for these Continuing Ed credit hours. There is no partial credit. No refunds will be given on CE purchases for failure to check state approval.

Cost

One-Time Payment

$397

3 Payments

3 x $137

$411 in total

Commercial Support Disclaimer

There is no conflict of interest for this program. 

Accommodations

If you need special accommodations or have questions, please contact us at support@terryreal.com 

Cancellation Policy

You may request a refund up to 2 days after purchase. Please contact support@terryreal.com if you wish to cancel your purchase.

Instructor’s Bios:

Terry Real, LICSW is the bestselling author of I Don’t Want to Talk About It, How Can I Get Through to You?, The New Rules of Marriage, and Us: Getting Past You & Me to Build a More Loving Relationship. He founded the Relational Life Institute, offering workshops for couples, individuals, and parents as well as a professional training program for clinicians. Terry has been called “the most innovative voice in thinking about and treating men and their relationships in the world today.”

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.

Contact information:

ACEP Administrator & Operations Director for Relational Life Institute (RLI), Lisa Sullivan follows: 291 Nahanton Street, Newton, MA 02459; 

617-861-3030 support@terryreal.com www.relationallife.com 

The Relational Life

Level 3 Homestudy

Continuing Ed Details

Facilitated by Terry Real, LICSW

This course is approved for continuing education hours as described below.

NBCC (National Board of Certified Counsellors)

11 NBCC CE hours for Advanced Mental Health Professionals ($40 fee)
In this photo a seal logo with two crossed rings, with the writing "approved continuing education provider nbcc seal"

ACEP No. 7495 

Relational Life Institute (RLI) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7495. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Relational Life Institute (RLI) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. 

ICF (International Coaching Federation)

11 ICF CCE hours (7 Core Competency + 4 Resource Development)
ICF CCE
International Coaching Federation (ICF) has approved this program for 7 Core Competency hours and 4 Resource Development hours. (Resource Development includes training formerly called Personal Development, Business Development, or Other Skills and Tools.)

Target Audience

Social Workers, MFTs, Counselors, Substance Abuse Counselors, Nurses, and LMHCs, LMFT’s, Educators, Coaches, Chemical Dependency Counselors

Course Content Level

The course content is appropriate for advanced level clinicians.

Format:

Self-Paced Online Course

Course Description

This is an advanced training for RLT clinicians who have completed our Level 1 and Level 2 trainings. Terry guides participants through a combination of lecture, video presentation, discussion, role plays, and a previously recorded LIVE demonstration of RLT couples therapy, grounding theory in practice. You will observe and then practice the more advanced techniques of RLT—drilling down into how to empower the latent and reconnect the blatant—focusing on the art of therapeutic coaching and mentoring clients into relationality.

Learning Objectives:

At the completion of this course, participants can expect to:

  • Practice ways to increase skill in working with family of origin issues.
  • Construct empowering reframes.
  • Demonstrate blocking and repositioning.
  • Analyze and articulate the couple’s choreography, their dynamic (e.g. the more she pursues, the more he withdraws).
  • Integrate Attachment Theory into RLT.
  • Identify and work on your “edges” as an RLT therapist.
  • Interpret the tri-part system of the psyche: wise adult, adaptive child, wounded child.
  • Measure the neurobiological underpinnings of trauma adaptation and recovery.
  • Utilize their clients’ relationships as crucibles for their own transformation.
  • Explain to your clients how to use the relational map and tool kit, a relational technology, that has the power to deliver on our new romantic ambitions.

Throughout the course, you’ll gain deeper competency in and be able to:

Joining through the truth

What is relationality, what is self esteem?

What is real intimacy?

Triggering, types of leverage, relational reckoning

Taking a fixed position

Identifying reacting and modeling behaviors

Using skill transference, relational jujitsu

Constructing empowering reframes

RLT Stances, amplifying progress and dealing with resistance

Blocking and repositioning

Registration URL

relationallife.com/level-3-training/

Continuing Ed Credits Available: 11 NBCC or ICF credit hours ($40 fee)

CE Certificate Requirements:

Satisfactory Course Completion required:
  • Participants must have paid for this course and attended all five LIVE online sessions in full in order to receive a Continuing Education certificate.
  • No partial credit is available — partial attendance does not qualify for partial CE hours.
  • At the end of the final session you’ll receive an email inviting you to request your certificate. The certificate is free of charge.
  • Failure to attend all sessions will result in forfeiture of CE credit for the entire course. No exceptions can be made.
If you have questions please contact support@terryreal.com for guidance.
It is the participant’s responsibility to check if their Board, state, or organization is approved for these CE credit hours. There is no partial credit. No refunds will be given on CE purchases for failure to check state approval.

It is the participant’s responsibility to check if their Board, state, organization is approved for these Continuing Ed credit hours. There is no partial credit. No refunds will be given on CE purchases for failure to check state approval.

Cost

One-Time Payment

$397

3 Payments

3 x $187

$561 in total

Commercial Support Disclaimer

There is no conflict of interest for this program. 

Accommodations

If you need special accommodations or have questions, please contact us at support@terryreal.com 

Cancellation Policy

You may request a refund up to 2 days after purchase. Please contact support@terryreal.com if you wish to cancel your purchase.

Instructor’s Bios:

Terry Real, LICSW is the bestselling author of I Don’t Want to Talk About It, How Can I Get Through to You?, The New Rules of Marriage, and Us: Getting Past You & Me to Build a More Loving Relationship. He founded the Relational Life Institute, offering workshops for couples, individuals, and parents as well as a professional training program for clinicians. Terry has been called “the most innovative voice in thinking about and treating men and their relationships in the world today.”

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.

Contact information:

ACEP Administrator & Operations Director for Relational Life Institute (RLI), Lisa Sullivan follows: 291 Nahanton Street, Newton, MA 02459; 

617-861-3030 support@terryreal.com www.relationallife.com 

The Relational Life

Working With Infidelity

Continuing Ed Details

Facilitated by Terry Real, LICSW

This course is approved for continuing education hours as described below.

NBCC (National Board of Certified Counsellors)

7 NBCC CE hours for Intermediate Mental Health Professionals ($40 fee)
In this photo a seal logo with two crossed rings, with the writing "approved continuing education provider nbcc seal"

ACEP No. 7495 

Relational Life Institute (RLI) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7495. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Relational Life Institute (RLI) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. 

Target Audience

Social Workers, MFTs, Counselors, Substance Abuse Counselors, Nurses, and LMHCs, LMFT’s, Educators, Coaches, Chemical Dependency Counselors

Course Content Level

The course content is appropriate for Intermediate level clinicians.

Format:

Self-Paced Online Course

Course Description

A 5-module previously recorded training on how to work with couples to help them come back from infidelity. This offers the unique RLT perspective on working with infidelity, where not only do we help couples survive an affair, but we focus on using the crisis as an opportunity for deeper change in the relationship.

Learning Objectives:

At the completion of this course, participants can expect to:

  1. Summarize the goals of treatment: using the crisis as a springboard for transformational change in the character of each partner and the essential character of the union itself
  2. Compare the 2 phases of treatment: containment and transformation
  3. Demonstrate how to deal with countertransference: managing your own feelings around infidelity
  4. Create a platform for the hurt partner to deal with the trauma of betrayal and deceit
  5. List what ultimately helps hurt partners regain trust
  6. Identify the dysfunctional relational stances that contributed to the infidelity and how to address them
  7. Explain the 3 reasons behind an involved partner’s lack of “no”
  8. Outline how each partner can implement the relational skills for a stronger and healthier relationship
  9. Discuss moving beyond the victim/perpetrator framework into one that builds hope

Throughout the course, you’ll gain deeper competency in and be able to:

An Overview of the RLT Approach to Infidelity

The Hurt Partner: Infidelity as a Trauma

The Involved Partner: Understanding the Lack of “No”

Infidelity as an Opportunity for Transformation

Infidelity in the Modern Age: Biases, Assumptions, and Models of Fidelity

Registration URL

relationallife.com/infidelity/#link

Continuing Ed Credits Available: 7 NBCC credit hours ($40 fee)

CE Certificate Requirements:

Satisfactory Course Completion required:
  • Participants must have paid for this course, completed a course Evaluation, and passed the test (80% or higher grade)
  • No partial credit is available
  • Failure to complete materials results in forfeiture of CE credit for the entire course. No exceptions.
Instructions are included in your RLT Course Library for this course at https://learn.relationallife.com/
If you have questions please contact support@terryreal.com for guidance.
It is the participant’s responsibility to check if their Board, state, organization is approved for these CE credit hours. No refunds will be given on CE purchases for failure to check state approval.

It is the participant’s responsibility to check if their Board, state, organization is approved for these Continuing Ed credit hours. There is no partial credit. No refunds will be given on CE purchases for failure to check state approval.

Cost

One-Time Payment

$497

3 Payments

3 x $179

$537 in total

Commercial Support Disclaimer

There is no conflict of interest for this program. 

Accommodations

If you need special accommodations or have questions, please contact us at support@terryreal.com 

Cancellation Policy

You may request a refund up to 2 days after purchase. Please contact support@terryreal.com if you wish to cancel your purchase.

Instructor’s Bios:

Terry Real, LICSW is the bestselling author of I Don’t Want to Talk About It, How Can I Get Through to You?, The New Rules of Marriage, and Us: Getting Past You & Me to Build a More Loving Relationship. He founded the Relational Life Institute, offering workshops for couples, individuals, and parents as well as a professional training program for clinicians. Terry has been called “the most innovative voice in thinking about and treating men and their relationships in the world today.”

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.

Contact information:

ACEP Administrator & Operations Director for Relational Life Institute (RLI), Lisa Sullivan follows: 291 Nahanton Street, Newton, MA 02459; 

617-861-3030 support@terryreal.com www.relationallife.com 

The Relational Life

Getting to a Second Session

Continuing Ed Details

Facilitated by Terry Real, LICSW

This course is approved for continuing education hours as described below.

NBCC (National Board of Certified Counsellors)

2 NBCC CE hours — free upon successful completion of a short online assessment
In this photo a seal logo with two crossed rings, with the writing "approved continuing education provider nbcc seal"

ACEP No. 7495 

Relational Life Institute (RLI) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7495. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Relational Life Institute (RLI) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. 

Target Audience

Social Workers, MFTs, Counselors, Substance Abuse Counselors, Nurses, and LMHCs, LMFT’s, Educators, Coaches, Chemical Dependency Counselors

Course Content Level

The course content is appropriate for Intermediate level clinicians.

Format:

Self-Paced Online Course

Course Description

This self-paced training introduces therapists and coaches to one of the eight core diagnostic lenses used in Relational Life Therapy (RLT): The More, The More. Participants learn how to quickly identify the repeating relational pattern in a couple’s first session — and give them a compelling reason to return for a second.

Registration URL

relationallife.com/second-session/

Continuing Ed Credits Available: 2 NBCC credit hours (free with completion)

CE Certificate Requirements:

Satisfactory Course Completion required:
Participants must complete a course Evaluation and pass a short online assessment (80% or higher). The 2 NBCC CE credit hours are then available free upon completion. No partial credit is available.

It is the participant’s responsibility to check if their Board, state, organization is approved for these Continuing Ed credit hours. There is no partial credit. No refunds will be given on CE purchases for failure to check state approval.

Commercial Support Disclaimer

There is no conflict of interest for this program. 

Accommodations

If you need special accommodations or have questions, please contact us at support@terryreal.com 

Cancellation Policy

You may request a refund up to 48 hours after the first live class. (Deadline for refunds: May 21, 2026.)

Please contact support@terryreal.com if you wish to cancel your purchase. 

Instructor’s Bios:

Terry Real, LICSW is the bestselling author of I Don’t Want to Talk About It, How Can I Get Through to You?, The New Rules of Marriage, and Us: Getting Past You & Me to Build a More Loving Relationship. He founded the Relational Life Institute, offering a professional training program for clinicians, and has been called “the most innovative voice in thinking about and treating men and their relationships in the world today.”

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.

Contact information:

ACEP Administrator & Operations Director for Relational Life Institute (RLI), Lisa Sullivan follows: 291 Nahanton Street, Newton, MA 02459; 

617-861-3030 support@terryreal.com www.relationallife.com 

The Relational Life

RLT Level 1 Training

LIVE Workshop Continuing Ed Details

Facilitated by Bonny Slim, LMFT & Terry Real, LICSW

This course is approved for continuing education hours as described below.

NBCC (National Board of Certified Counsellors)

10 NBCC CE hours for Beginner Mental Health Professionals — free certificate
In this photo a seal logo with two crossed rings, with the writing "approved continuing education provider nbcc seal"

ACEP No. 7495 

Relational Life Institute (RLI) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7495. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Relational Life Institute (RLI) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. 

Target Audience

Social Workers, MFTs, Counselors, Substance Abuse Counselors, Nurses, and LMHCs, LMFT’s, Educators, Chemical Dependency Counselors

Course Content Level

The course content is appropriate for Beginner level clinicians.

Format:

Five LIVE Online Sessions on Zoom — facilitated by Bonny Slim, LMFT & Terry Real, LICSW

Course Description

Over five live classes you’ll be introduced to the powerful principles behind Relational Life Therapy (RLT) — an in-depth introduction to the theory and practice of the RLT model. Discover the differences between RLT and traditional psychodynamic therapy; the stances of “one-down shame” and “one-up grandiosity” in couples; and the concepts of Relational Mindfulness, Joining Through the Truth, and psychological patriarchy. RLT Level 1 is the first step toward RLT certification and prepares you for the Level 2 & 3 trainings.

Learning Objectives:

At the completion of this course, participants can expect to:

  • Compare the RLT phases and how RLT differs from traditional therapy.
  • Describe the role and approach of the therapist in RLT.
  • Diagnose the RLT view of power imbalances in couples, of psychological patriarchy, and how these are addressed through therapy.
  • Summarize Relational Mindfulness and the “fight, flight, fix” responses.
  • Identify the different types of leverage.
  • Discuss the concept of appropriate discrepancy and how it works with neuroplasticity.
  • List the seven lenses.
  • Interpret how preconditions are addressed in RLT.
  • Compare the two types of boundaries.
  • Demonstrate strategies for empowering latent clients.

Throughout the course, you’ll gain deeper competency in and be able to:

Illustrate that true intimacy can only happen when partners are “same-as” — neither one-up nor one-down.

Discuss how RLT therapists and coaches will confront and teach their clients how to live truly relationally.

Hypothesize how RLT therapists and coaches use judicious self-disclosure, sharing how they use these same skills in their own relationships.

Registration URL

relationallife.com/level-1-live-july-26/

Continuing Ed Credits Available: 10 NBCC credit hours (free with completion)

CE Certificate Requirements:

Requirements for CE Certificate (free of charge):
At the end of the course you’ll receive an email inviting you to request your free CE certificate. To qualify you must attend the entire course (attendance is recorded; no partial credit) and pass an assessment quiz demonstrating your understanding of the material.

It is the participant’s responsibility to check if their Board, state, organization is approved for these Continuing Ed credit hours. There is no partial credit. No refunds will be given on CE purchases for failure to check state approval.

Cost

One-Time Payment

$395

3 Payments

3 x $137

$411 in total

Commercial Support Disclaimer

There is no conflict of interest for this program. 

Accommodations

If you need special accommodations or have questions, please contact us at support@terryreal.com 

Cancellation Policy

You may request a refund up to 48 hours after the first live class. (Deadline for refunds: May 21, 2026.)

Please contact support@terryreal.com if you wish to cancel your purchase. 

Instructor’s Bios:

Terry Real, LICSW is the bestselling author of I Don’t Want to Talk About It, How Can I Get Through to You?, The New Rules of Marriage, and Us. He founded the Relational Life Institute and has been called “the most innovative voice in thinking about and treating men and their relationships in the world today.”

Bonny Slim, LMFT began training in RLT in 2012 and has participated in most of Terry’s courses since. She teaches several Practicum Trainings each year; her favorite aspect of RLT is that practicing relational skills in our own lives is essential to authentically sharing them with others.

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.

Contact information:

ACEP Administrator & Operations Director for Relational Life Institute (RLI), Lisa Sullivan follows: 291 Nahanton Street, Newton, MA 02459; 

617-861-3030 support@terryreal.com www.relationallife.com