Educational organization Everyone Deserves Sex Ed (EDSE) has tapped gender and sexuality expert Beck Gee-Cohen to train attendees of EDSE’s upcoming 25-hour sex educator certification program, scheduled Nov. 9-10 and 16-17 in Los Angeles. This is Gee-Cohen’s second time teaching Sex & Gender with EDSE, and he will facilitate discussion of gender identity and LGBTQIA+ representation to give attendees a more confident understanding of inclusivity and its importance in sexual health and education spaces.

A compelling speaker and trainer, Gee-Cohen is a master’s-level clinician with an undergraduate degree in Sociology specializing in Gender & Sexuality. He owns and operates BGC Bridge, a consulting firm that helps facilities shift their culture and become more knowledgeable about the LGBTQ experience. Using personal anecdotes, humor and vulnerability, Gee-Cohen connects with clients in a heartfelt way as he addresses concerns of equality and acceptance of LGBTQ individuals – often requiring his audience to look inward to identify and process personal bias.

“My passion is helping facilities and practitioners improve their mental health services and create more inclusive, intentional spaces, and I’m excited to work with EDSE again this year,” Gee-Cohen said. “Gender is deeply personal, yet so often misunderstood in clinical and healing environments, and it’s essential that service providers understand gender and sexuality on both a micro and macro level. I had a great time training attendees to develop a more effective framework for their personal and professional lives, and look forward to bringing the conversation back in November!”

EDSE founder and lead educator Anne Hodder-Shipp, ACS, recruited Gee-Cohen to teach this portion of the certification because of his enthusiastic and interactive teaching style, as well as his reputation as an LGBTQ-affirmative clinician. His work with BGC Bridge has enabled health facilities across the country to make the cultural and corporate shifts necessary to offer truly inclusive services, and Gee-Cohen’s perspective and skillset left a lasting impression with EDSE attendees at the inaugural certification.

“I loved working with Beck earlier this year and I’m honored that he’s returning to train our next group of EDSE attendees,” Hodder-Shipp said. “Beck is known not only as a strong teacher but also as a genuine person unafraid to get vulnerable with his audience, which is perfect for our program. He’ll guide attendees through important and potentially challenging discussion of gender, bias and inclusivity and provide the language and information necessary for EDSE’s budding sex educators.”

Ideal for budding sex educators, health and social service workers, and anyone looking to bolster their sex ed knowledge, the EDSE certification program prepares attendees to have informed, inclusive and confident conversations about sex. Over the course of two weekends, EDSE attendees will learn key information about human sexuality, intimate health, consent, and communication skills and be trained to respond to sex-related questions in a concise, intersectional, and nonjudgmental manner. Attendees also will leave with new insight into their own sexuality — a fun side effect of sex education training.

The next EDSE certification will take place Nov. 9-10 and 16-17 in Los Angeles. Individual certification is $2,095, and payment plans are available to those in need.

To apply, fill out the form at https://everyonedeservessexed.com/certification/. An EDSE representative will review and be in contact within 48 hours of submission.

“During my time as a sex educator, and a sex blogger before that, there was one thing I noticed most people had in common: a lack of confidence in, and even a little fear about, talking about sex,” Hodder-Shipp said. “This insecurity has a dramatic trickle-down effect. It leaves professionals feeling unprepared for workplace dynamics, parents terrified of having ‘the talk,’ and service providers caught off-guard during sensitive conversations with their clients. My goal with EDSE is give people access to the kind of professional and educational support so many of us have lacked throughout our personal and professional lives.”

More information can be found at https://everyonedeservessexed.com/certification, or email Hodder-Shipp directly at anne@everyonedeservessexed.com.