Finding the right help can be hard. Finding the right help when you don’t fit into the norm can be way harder. We created this site to help South Africans find practitioners who are accepting and informed when it comes to issues of sexual, relationship and gender diversity.
We also hope this site will be a resource for practitioners who need to refer clients and patients to other services, and to provide a sense of community to practitioners who are often lone voices in their respective places of work.
The future growth and development of this site is aligned with the philosophy and practice of intersectional feminism. We are not where we want to be yet. Know that we are committed to the work of making this site more accessible and relevant to those who may benefit from it.
The creation of this site was done on a volunteer basis, and the continued maintenance of the site is also done on a volunteer basis. No one involved in the creation and maintenance of this site has benefited financially from this site. If this changes, we will let you know.
Our history
CAS started in 2011 as an online space to discuss sexuality. Over the years we noticed that many people contacted us for recommendations of practitioners who would be affirming of their sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, relationship orientation, or sex trait characteristics. From around 2016 we got in touch with Dr Eli Rosen (Exec Director of Sexy Smarts) as they had identified the same need for a database of affirming practitioners. They kicked things off with the creation of a Google questionnaire that asks for positive experiences with practitioners. The questionnaire populates an Excel spreadsheet of community recommended practitioners which has been shared within minority communities as a resource. In early 2018 we started developing this website and contacted the practitioners on Dr Rosen’s list asking them if they want to be included on this website. Those who agreed you will find here and we’re hoping that many more will be recommended so this website can grow and be an on-line resource for sex/ual, gender, relational and minority communities.
Our policy
1. We have a zero-tolerance policy regarding verbal, emotional, physical, and/or sexual abuse and violence. Reports of violence or abuse will result in the immediate removal of a practitioner from the website. We’re not a legal entity and will not engage in judging the merits of the report. We recognise the current global culture of rape and abuse, and the tendency for society to disbelieve victims. We commit to believing our community. Reports of abuse and violence are anonymous.
2. We assume in good faith that anyone who has agreed to be included in this database has an interest in providing affirming care, developing their competence in sexuality, growing as a practitioner, and is open to receiving feedback. If we get a complaint that a practitioner has done or said something hurtful or discriminatory, we will contact that practitioner to provide this feedback, and will suggest an appropriate intervention (such as self-reflection, research, training, peer supervision, etc). If we receive repeated complaints, we will assume that the practitioner is unwilling or incapable of receiving feedback and will remove the practitioner from the website.
3. The profiles listed are based on recommendations from past and current clients/patients of the practitioner. Or the practitioner has recommended themselves. You will see who recommended the practitioner on their profile. We cannot guarantee the quality of their services.
4. Any practitioner has the right to update their details or request their profile be removed at any point.
5. We reserve the right to reject a recommendation from a client/patient or a self-recommendation from a practitioner.
6. To us practitioners are people not products - we believe in rating them through qualitative testimonials rather than a quantitative numerical rating system.
Address: Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
Please feel free to send us your comments, questions and feedback. Reports of abuse and discrimination may also be submitted here.
If you would like a response from us please email us and we will email you back.
Email: admin@ctrlaltsex.co.za
If you would like to remain anonymous please use the below feedback form and do not put your contact details.
How this works:
a. Recommend a practitioner you have had a positive experience with by filling out and submitting the form below. Your recommendation is entirely anonymous. If you fill out a testimonial, please don’t refer to the sexual, gender or relationship identity of your practitioner because we don’t want to unintentionally out anyone. There is no obligation to add a testimonial to your recommendation.
b. If you are a practitioner who provides affirming care to sexual, relational and gender minorities, please consider filling out and submitting the form below. Since you will be filling out your own name, your recommendation is not anonymous.
c. The recommendation is sent to a moderator and goes through a checking process: 1. It is checked against a blacklist and a list of practitioners who have already declined invitations to be included. 2. It is then sent to the practitioner so we can make sure they want to be included and that all their details are correct. Once the practitioner consents to be included and confirms their details, users will be able to find their profile on this website.