KEELEY RANKIN, MA · SEX COACH
Become a sex coach, with a mentor in your corner
A three-year mentorship for coaches and therapists who feel pulled toward this work and want to do it well.
The call I took in a bathroom
In graduate school, I read John Welwood's Perfect Love, Imperfect Relationships, and it felt as if he had written it for me. He ran an ongoing group not far from where I lived. I wanted in. I also couldn't spare a penny.
So I applied anyway and asked if we could work something out.
John called me on Super Bowl Sunday. I took the call in the bathroom at a party, beer in hand, and talked very fast about what a valuable assistant I would be. I got the job.
I assisted him until he died in 2019. Over those years, clients started telling me, "You're so wise." I knew exactly where that came from.
I know what happens when someone more experienced says yes, then helps you see what you can't yet see in yourself. That is why I began mentoring practitioners in 2021. It's my turn to make that call.
If this work keeps finding you
People tell you things. At dinner, the conversation about sex somehow lands at your end of the table. You've read the books nobody assigned.
Maybe you're a therapist whose clients keep bringing sex into the room. Maybe you're a coach ready to make this your whole practice. Maybe you've spent years doing something else and can't stop thinking about this.
Aaron Frazin ran a technology business for a decade before he felt the call to this work. Aimee Evnin-Bingham was asking her mom for every book on sex she could get her hands on before she was a teenager. Both went on to earn their master's degrees, and both now coach individuals and couples.
When people have meaningful, connected, pleasurable sex, they soften. They get less defended and more compassionate. Someone cuts them off on the freeway, the coffee order comes out wrong, and it rolls right off them. Imagine helping people get there for a living.
We need more people who can do this, and they need to be exceptionally well trained. I'd love for you to be one of them.
You may also be scared. Will clients like me? What if I don't have the answer? What if I can't do this? Every practitioner who has ever started has felt this way at some point. Those questions come with you to our first session.
What we work on
Clients will tell you things they have never told anyone. That is an extraordinary responsibility, and the hardest moments rarely appear in a textbook:
- You feel attracted to a client.
- You dislike a client.
- A client's values are radically different from yours.
- A client doesn't pay, shows up late, or keeps you past the hour.
- You have no idea what to do next.
You bring me all of it. We think it through honestly and make a plan. Over time, you learn to:
- Hold a session when things get emotionally intense
- Stay grounded when a client is highly activated
- Work with shame without reinforcing it
- Recognize what belongs to you, what belongs to your client, and what belongs to the space between you
- Know when something is outside your scope, and refer well
- Repair a rupture
- Celebrate your clients' progress
- Build a practice you can sustain
I draw from somatic, mindfulness, experiential, relational, and embodiment-based approaches. I want you to understand why you're reaching for a tool as well as how to use it.
You do not need to become a clone of me. In fact, I don't want that. You'll leave with your own voice, your own toolbox, and your own way of working, standing on your own two feet.
I send clients your way
You'll be listed on my site as part of my team. I promote my mentees through my newsletter, my blog posts, and my podcast appearances. And when people write to me looking for a coach, I send them to you.
How it works
- Three years, online. You can do this from wherever you live.
- Years one and two: we meet every week.
- Year three: we meet every other week.
- One-on-one and group sessions. You get both.
- Between sessions: if something urgent comes up, you can reach me at any point.
- Five spots.
Who can apply
A master's degree in therapy is required. From there, this mentorship suits:
- Coaches and therapists who have finished their education and want to start a private practice
- Experienced coaches and therapists who want to focus on sex and relationships
- Therapists who want more depth in embodiment, eroticism, desire, and intimacy
Still working toward your degree? Keep going. I'd love to hear from you when you have it. Choose "Keep me posted" on the form below, and read my guide to choosing a mentor in the meantime. It will help you wherever you end up training.
What this mentorship is
I'm a sex and relationship coach, and I chose not to pursue licensure as a psychotherapist. This mentorship is professional development. Clinical supervision for a license is a separate relationship, so if you need those hours, you'll want a supervisor who meets your board's requirements. Some of my mentees are licensed sex therapists who come to me to deepen their work with sexuality.
Who you'd be learning from
I've coached since 2010. I hold a master's in Counseling Psychology, focused on Marriage and Family Therapy. I'm a Certified Sexological Bodyworker, trained in Hakomi, and I assisted John Welwood until 2019. My work has appeared in HuffPost and Oprah Daily, and I've been a guest on more than forty podcasts. My first mentees completed this program in 2024.
Questions
How do I know if I'm ready?
Nobody feels ready. You need the degree, real curiosity about this work, and a willingness to look at yourself. The rest is what we do together.
Will I see clients through your practice?
Yes. You'll be listed on my site, I promote my mentees through my newsletter, blog posts, and podcasts, and I send clients your way.
Do I receive a certificate?
No. You leave with three years of practice behind you and your own way of working.
What happens when the three years end?
You go off on your own. That has been the plan since our first session.
Apply
You've been thinking about this for a while. Come tell me about it.
LEGAL NOTICE: WITH REFERENCE TO CALIFORNIA PENAL CODE SECTION 647(B) AND CALCRIM NOS. 1153 TO 1155, THE SERVICES DISCUSSED HEREIN DO NOT IN ANY WAY INCLUDE OR RELATE TO EITHER (1) ENGAGEMENT IN ANY LEWD ACT FOR MONEY OR OTHER CONSIDERATION, OR (2) SOLICITATION, OFFER, OR AGREEMENT TO ENGAGE IN ANY LEWD ACT FOR MONEY OR OTHER CONSIDERATION.