**** February eNewsletter ****

This month, we’re excited to share the first interview in our new SSTARBurst series, upcoming training opportunities, a study recruitment, and a book award announcement, please see the details below.

If you have a workshop, publication, job posting, call for participants, or other announcements you'd like to share with the SSTAR community, we’d love to hear from you!

New Online Submission Form: Please submit your content using the following form: https://form.asana.com/?k=sEXk2Vl4NvJ-Di7eMIUW0w&d=8142059046716. Please select "SSTARGaze Monthly Newsletter" as your Communication Type. Submissions are due no later than five days before the end of the month (e.g., by February 20 for inclusion in the March newsletter). Be sure to include any relevant deadlines.

Thank you for helping us keep the SSTAR community informed, engaged, and connected!

Have a great day,

Beáta Bőthe, Ph.D.

Communications Chair

Dear SSTAR Members,

We’re excited to introduce SSTARburst—a new, monthly, member-focused program designed to spotlight the incredible expertise within our community while helping you stay current, connected, and inspired.

What is SSTARburst? 

SSTARburst is a series of short, engaging videos—perfect to watch over your lunch break—each featuring a fellow SSTAR member. In every episode, you’ll get a burst of SSTAR-quality content, highlighting either:

• recently published research, or
• practical nuggets of clinical wisdom drawn from real-world clinical practice and experience.

Why SSTARburst? 



SSTARburst was created to:

• Recognize and celebrate the professional contributions of SSTAR members
• Keep you up to date on emerging research and clinical practice
• Help members get to know one another, sparking professional connections and potential collaborations

In just a few minutes, you can learn something new, discover a colleague’s work, and feel more connected to the vibrant SSTAR community.

Think of it as a quick, meaningful burst of insight, inspiration, and connection—SSTAR style.

We are very excited to share our first SSTARburst video, featuring an interview with SSTAR member, Dr. Jared Boot-Haury, Psy.D., A.B.P.P. here! We hope you enjoy getting to know a little bit about Dr. Boot-Haury and their clinical wisdom and associated publication on asexual-affirming care!!

View the SSTARburst Video HERE!

Warmly, Carolin Klein (Programs Officer) and the rest of the SSTAR Team

Dear colleagues,

The MAP Education & Research Foundation (mapedfund.org) will once again award a Certificate and an updated US $2,000 monetary prize to the SSTAR-accepted abstract that best reflects the Sexual Tipping Point® Model’s biopsychosocial perspective and the mission of the Foundation.

Warm regards,

Michael Perelman

Mary Ellen Meltzer PMHCNS-BC, CST-S and Joe Winn LICSW, CST-S are launching a sex therapy supervision group beginning on January 13, 2026. If the entire group is attended participants will accrue 12 hours of AASECT group supervision that can be applied towards their application for certification as an AASECT Certified sex therapist. To build trust and foster a community approach to working with the complexities of sexual health, we will be utilizing a once monthly, cohort based closed group model of supervision. The rate for this group is $150 for 2 hours. The dates and hours for this supervisory group are.

• Tuesday February 10, 2026
• Tuesday March 10, 2026
• Tuesday April 14, 2026
• Tuesday May 12, 2026
• Tuesday June 9, 2026

Group starts: 1:00pm PST/  2:00pm MST/ 3:00am CST / 4:00pm EST,

Group ends: 3:00 pm PST/ 4:00pm MST/ 5:00pm CST/ 6:00pm EST

During the group we will explore the role of assessment, diagnosis, and collaborative intervention from multiple lenses starting with the person of the therapist, their sexological world view, and expanding into the intersectional experiences of race, class, culture, heteronormativity, gender, ageism, and ableism, as well as their impacts on the construction and experience of eroticism, sexuality, sexual pleasure and functioning. As supervisors we hold an integrated perspective on theory, drawing heavily from family systems, psychodynamic, attachment theory, and various models of differentiation. We ask that you bring your cases, your curiosity, and a willingness to be both vulnerable and supportive as we work together to provide excellence to those seeking assistance in the arena of pleasure based sexual health and functioning.

Please feel free to back channel either of us for more information or to schedule an interview for admission.



We look forward to hearing from you!

Mary Ellen Meltzer PMHCNS-BC, CST-S: maryellen.meltzer@comcast.net

Joe Winn LICSW, CST-S: joe@josephwinnlicsw.net

Title of Workshop: Sex and Technology: Considering Digisexuality, Digiattachment, and Digihealth

Dates: 

Part I: Friday, February 20, 2026 | 9am – 6pm ET 

Part II: Saturday, February 21, 2026 | 9am - 6pm ET 

Online Synchronous or Available asynchronously after the live event

Presenters: Markie L. C. Twist, PhD, LMHC, LMFT, CSE & Neil McArthur, PhD

Contact Name: Rachel Needle, Psy.D.

Telephone: 561-379-7207

Email: info@modernsextherapy.com

Link: https://modernsextherapyinstitutes.com/product/sex-and-technology-considering-digisexuality-digattachment-and-digihealth-16-ce-hours-2025/

Dear SSTAR members,

We are pleased to announce that registration is now open for the international SAGA Conference: “Sexuality and Generative AI: Benefits, Risks, and Paths for Action.

The event will take place on Thursday, April 30, 2026, at UQAM – Université du Québec à Montréal.

The conference is free, bilingual, and hybrid.

At the following link — https://event.fourwaves.com/fr/sexualiteia/pages — you will find:

• The registration form,
• The program,
• The call for abstracts for scientific posters 

We warmly invite you to share this announcement within your networks, including colleagues, students, community partners, or anyone who may be interested in the legal, ethical, social, or clinical issues related to generative AI and sexuality.

This event is made possible through the support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and our institutional and community partners.

Thank you sincerely for your collaboration and for helping us disseminate this event.

Kind regards,

David Lafortune, PhD, psychologue | Professeur agrégé

Département de sexologie | Université du Québec à Montréal 

Directeur adjoint des programmes de cycles supérieurs | Responsable du programme de maitrise clinique

Directeur du Lab EROSS – Laboratoire d’Étude sur la Réalité virtuelle, les Outils Sexotechnologiques et la Santé sexuelle

Continuing Education Co-Chair | Society for Sex Therapy and Research

Chercheur régulier au CRIPCAS – Centre de Recherche Interdisciplinaire sur les Problèmes Conjugaux et les Agressions Sexuelles

On behalf of the European Federation of Sexology (EFS), and in cooperation with Sociedade Portoguesa de Sexologica Clinica, it is a great pleasure and honour for me to invite and welcome you to the 18th EFS Congress that will take place in Lisbon, Portugal on 28-30 of May 2026.

The biennial European Congress of Sexology stands as a pivotal event for professionals dedicated to advancing the fields of sexual health, education, and advocacy. Organized by the European Federation of Sexology, this congress gathers a diverse group of experts from various disciplines, including medicine, psychology, education, and public health. Attendees engage in discussions on crucial social and psychosocial topics, aiming to enhance knowledge and practices in sexology. This event is essential for fostering collaboration and innovation among those committed to improving sexual health and rights worldwide.

Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of the European Congress of Sexology, where experts from various fields gather to share insights and advancements in sexual health. Secure your spot today to engage with thought leaders and enhance your professional knowledge.

( registration link : https://europeansexologycongress.org/registration/

website link: https://europeansexologycongress.org )

Seeking women with vaginismus and/or difficulties with penetration for research on experiences of vaginismus 

We are conducting an online study to further understand experiences of vaginismus or difficulties with penetration. The study is being conducted under the supervision of Dr. Caroline Pukall in the Sexual Health Research Laboratory (SexLab) at Queen’s University. The SexLab is dedicated to understanding human sexuality and overall health. If you are unfamiliar with the SexLab and would like to know a bit more about the research we do, please visit our website: www.sexlab.ca. You are also more than welcome to ask us any questions you may have by contacting myself or our research associate (Shannon Coyle) at sex.lab@queensu.ca

We are currently recruiting individuals who are at least 18 years or older, fluent in English, comfortable answering questions about their psychological and sexual wellbeing and identify as currently or previously having experienced vaginismus. Participation involves completing a 30-to-45-minute online survey.

To participate, participants must:

• Be 18 years of age or older
• Be fluent in English
• Be comfortable answering questions about your psychological and sexual wellbeing
• Identify as currently or previously having experienced vaginismus

For more information, please contact Caroline Pukall, the lead researcher, at sex.lab@queensu.ca. All inquiries are completely confidential.

Please let us know if you would be willing to send along this advertisement on our behalf. Again, if you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to email sex.lab@queensu.ca.

Thanks for your help!

This study has received ethical approval by the Queen’s University General Research Ethics Board.

Feel free to share the study details and link with your colleagues!

Caroline Pukall, Melody Garas, Abby Bacon

Sexual Health Research Lab, Department of Psychology, Queen’s University

Researchers at the University of Connecticut are seeking individuals with metastatic breast cancer to participate in a study about couples' intimacy. We hope the findings from the study will be useful for individuals facing metastatic cancer by identifying communication practices that help couples manage the challenges of cancer on their relationship. Eligible participants will be asked to complete a 45-minute online survey that includes scales and open-ended questions.

Interested participants can complete this brief 5-minute screening survey: https://tinyurl.com/MBCUConnStudy

The Society for Sex Therapy and Research announces the call for nominations for the 2027 SSTAR Consumer Book Award.

As part of SSTAR’s vision to advance sexual wellbeing, the organization honors exceptional contributions to the field by recognizing outstanding consumer books on sexuality with its Consumer Book Award. The goal of the award is to recognize the best recent book for consumers (intended for the lay public or general reader and NOT for therapists, mental health specialists or other health care providers) that contributes to the understanding of human sexuality and/or sexual problems.

The award will be presented at the 2027 Annual Meeting.

Eligibility Criteria

1. Content of the book must be related to human sexuality and/or sexual problems.
2. The book must be in English and must have been published between April 1, 2024 and February 28, 2026. The book may have multiple authors or be an edited work. Previously submitted books are eligible.

How to Nominate a Book

1. Nominations for the Consumer Book Award may come from any individual, organization, or publisher. Membership in SSTAR is NOT a prerequisite for entry.
2. The deadline for submitting nominations is March 31, 2026.
3. To nominate a book:

• Email the Committee Chairperson, Dr. Stephanie Kuffel, at swkuffel@qwestoffice.net, and CC the SSTAR office at info@sstarnet.org, providing all relevant details about the book being nominated. This is to include the name, author, publisher, and date of publication of the book. Receipt of submissions will be acknowledged in writing by SSTAR.
• Mail copies of the book to each of the following five committee members - please note that Alice Girouard is a resident of Canada and should not be required to pay duty or taxes on any books sent to them and therefore will not accept books in which there are costs due them. Submitted books will not be returned and will remain the property of the reviewers. Email the Chairperson, Dr. Stephanie Kuffel, at swkuffel@qwestoffice.net to obtain addresses of each committee member.

Books received after the final deadline will not be eligible.

ABOUT THE AWARD

The Society for Sex Therapy and Research (SSTAR) established the Consumer Book Award to be given to the author(s) or editor(s) of the best work published in English for consumers that contributes to the understanding of human sexuality and/or sexual problems. Award winners (including multiple authors or each of the editors of an edited book where there is more than one editor) will each be given a plaque, and their names will be listed on the SSTAR Web site. There will be no monetary award. The SSTAR Consumer Book Award is to be given every two years.

CONDITIONS OF THE PRIZES

Any eligible book which is entered for a SSTAR Book Award shall not qualify unless the publisher or author(s)/editor(s) agrees to provide copies of the book at no cost to each member of the selection committee.

The SSTAR Consumer Book Award will be given to the winning author(s)/editor(s) in person at the SSTAR Annual Meeting. The winning author(s) will give a 20-minute presentation about the book after the award is presented. SSTAR strongly encourages the publishers of the winning book to pay the author/editor expenses involved in attending the SSTAR meeting (including travel, lodging, food, and registration), although authors/editors may do so themselves in whole or in part.

The publisher of the winning book agrees to include in any advertising after the award has been announced that the book has been awarded the SSTAR Consumer Book Award.

Publicity directed towards the public and organizations of sexuality professionals announcing the winner of the SSTAR Book Award will be the joint responsibility of SSTAR, the author(s)/editor(s), and the publishers.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE AWARD

The winner of the SSTAR Consumer Book Award will be announced on the SSTAR social media channels and website (www.sstarnet.org). At the committee’s discretion, one or more of the other nominated books may also be selected for special mention.

The selection committee will reach its decision in private deliberations. Publishers, authors, and editors should be aware that they will receive no advance notice of the finalists or the winners before the award is officially announced.

For further information concerning the Consumer Book Award, please contact the chairperson Dr. Stephanie Kuffel at swkuffel@qwestoffice.net.

2027 SSTAR Consumer Book Award Committee:

• Stephanie Kuffel, PhD (Chair)
• Michael Giordano, LICSW
• Alice Girouard, PhD 
• Bernie Newton, MS, LCMHC, CST
• Anabel Perez-Gonzalez, LCSW