Many lesbians say they have never dated. Instead, as soon as we feel a mutual spark, we often start a relationship. This leads to both an extremely intense limerence period, and a much faster end to this neurochemical honeymoon. Limerence in lesbian relationships often drops dramatically at around three months, leading to intense trigger cascades which many young relationships don't survive. 

While heterosexual women often get many of their emotional intimacy needs met in non-sexual female friendships, women in lesbian relationships tend to seek high levels of emotional and sexual intimacy with a partner, placing far more pressure on romantic relationships.  

Since women tend to have easier access to emotions, female-female couples experience much deeper emotional bonding and many more triggers. Attachment is far more complex in lesbian relationships -- which means it takes more skill for our relationships to survive. 

Although women's ability and willingness to communicate about emotions leads to deeper intimacy, it can also have a down side: when we lack self-responsibility and emotional regulation skills, it can lead to endless, draining "lesbian processing." 

Homophobia impacts us. Being closeted and/or facing family rejection and discrimination adds levels of stress to our relationships that heterosexual couples never face. Statistically, female-female couples also have more children and less income, creating further stressors. Of course, this also means that substance abuse, depression and anxiety are high in our community. 

Many factors combine to make it hard for lesbian couples to create long-term sexual fulfillment. Most lesbian relationships include at least one, and often two survivors of sexual trauma. Female sexuality, including arousal and orgasm, are complex, and homophobia and misogyny don't prepare us for open, joyful, shame-free exploration. Many women are wired more for responsiveness than initiation, which is one factor that contributes to "lesbian bed death." Since both partners may experience a steep decline in libido after menopause, lesbian relationships have a double challenge to weather. 

In heterosexual relationships, the female partner initiates the majority of divorces. Lesbians are "women squared," resulting in much higher breakup and divorce rates than other couples.

Given the intensity of lesbian bonding, our breakups are especially traumatic. Many lesbian couples go through multiple reconciliations and partings, and/or struggle to move on, even after very brief relationships.

Once a woman has been through this cycle multiple times, she tends to become wary of intimate relationships. Frequently, the only thing strong enough to push her into a relationship is extremely strong attraction -- which often leads to another rapid, intense limerence period, followed by another painful relationship ending.

Conscious Girlfriend Certification Program Schedule

October 2022-March 2023

1st & 3rd Sunday of each month,* 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Pacific Time

*In January 2023, we will meet on the 2nd and 4th Sundays instead. 

Homework and practice sessions are required between each module. Sessions will be recorded for your future reference. Participants are encouraged to attend each module live if at all possible, because the training is experiential! However, if unavoidable schedule conflicts arise, you may miss up to two half-days of training and catch up via the recording, in order to graduate on schedule. 

Module 1:

Sunday, November 6, 2022, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. PT

Sunday, November 20, 2022, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. PT

Module 2:

Sunday, December 4, 2022, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. PT

Sunday, December 18, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. PT

Module 3:

Sunday, January 8, 2023, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. PT

Sunday, January 22, 2023, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. PT

*Please note that due to the New Year's Holiday, the January trainings are the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month, rather than the 1st and 3rd. 

Module 4: 

Sunday, February 5, 2023, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. PT

Sunday, February 19, 2023, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. PT

Module 5:

Sunday, March 5, 2023, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. PT

Sunday, March 19, 2023, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. PT

Module 6:

Sunday, April 2, 2023, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. PT

Sunday, April 16, 2023, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. PT

Full tuition is $2197.  Payment plans and partial scholarships are available to increase accessibility, so if you feel drawn to apply, please don't let money be a barrier!

We especially encourage applications from people of color, non-binary/trans people, bilingual/multilingual people, and others whose experience is underrepresented in the "mainstream" LGBTQ+ community.

Whoever you are, there are clients whom you are uniquely well-equipped to serve!