The Neurobiology of Kink
A Homestudy Continuing Education Program Offered by the Kink Professional Standards Alliance (KPSA)
About This Program
The Neurobiology of Kink is a self-paced continuing education program designed for licensed and graduate-level mental health professionals working with or seeking to better serve kink-identified clients.
This program examines what happens in the brain and body during kink practice. It covers the neurochemical systems activated during scenes, the altered states that result, the clinical implications of those states for assessment and treatment, and the distinction between adaptive regulation and dependency. Participants leave with a working neurological framework they can apply directly in clinical practice.
What You Will Learn
By the end of this program, participants will be able to:
- Identify the primary neurochemical systems activated during kink practice and explain how their simultaneous activation produces altered states such as subspace, topspace, and flow.
- Describe the neurological basis of transient hypofrontality and flow state and apply this framework to clinical assessment of kink-identified clients.
- Distinguish between adaptive regulation and psychological dependency in kink practice using the window of tolerance framework.
- Analyze the clinical implications of kink-related neurological processes including drop, consent negotiation during altered states, and the impact of trauma history, neurodevelopmental factors, and TBI on a client’s relationship to kink.
Program Materials
This program includes:
- A 45-minute video lecture presented by Dr. Yulinda Renee Rahman
- Chapter 3: The Neurobiology of Kink and Healing
- Chapter 9: The Addictive Properties of Kink
- Peer-reviewed article: Lee et al. (2016), Altered States of Consciousness during an Extreme Ritual, PLOS ONE
Presenter
Dr. Yulinda Renee Rahman, PhD, LCPC is a Chicago-based clinical sexologist, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, and the founder of the Kink Professional Standards Alliance. She is the creator of Therapeutic BDSM, Self-Reconciliation Therapy, and PERK: Principles of Ethical Relational Kink, and serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Kink and Community. Dr. Rahman has trained clinicians, educators, and community practitioners nationally in kink-affirming care.
Credit Hours
This program offers 3.25 NBCC hours upon successful completion of the program assessment with a score of 80% or higher.
NBCC Approved CEU Provider
Kink Professional Standards Alliance (KPSA) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7830. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Kink Professional Standards Alliance (KPSA) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
How It Works
Purchase the program to access all materials. Complete the video, readings, and assessment at your own pace. Receive your certificate of completion immediately upon passing the assessment.
Who This Is For
This program is designed for licensed and graduate-level mental health professionals. Other practitioners may enroll and will receive a certificate of completion. NBCC credit is available to licensed and graduate-level mental health professionals only.