Surrogate Partner Collective

Cultivating a world of embodied connection

Interested in working
with a surrogate partner?

Here’s what you need to know.

Surrogate Partner Therapy is: 

Triadic

SPT is always done in a three-person team. If you decide this approach is right for you, you would have appointments with a surrogate partner and other appointments with a verbal therapist/clinician. This triadic structure is an essential part of the process. Experiential exercises with the surrogate partner create the opportunity for embodied learning. Meanwhile appointments with the therapist help with the integration of that embodied awareness into your self-concept. It’s a powerful and effective combination.

Therapeutic

SPT is not for entertainment, gratification, or gratuitous experiences. If that is what you are seeking, there is nothing wrong with that. It just means that you are not looking for SPT but something else instead. There are lots of different types of practitioners. Each modality has different intentions and boundaries, and therefore creates a different container. If it becomes clear that your goals are not suited to SPT, we can help you find practitioners who are more suitable.

Ongoing

Nothing appropriate for SPT can be accomplished in a few sessions. SPT has the potential to be life-changing, and fulfilling that potential requires time and commitment. Although the pacing and the length of the process is customized for each individual client, it on average involves 15–30 sessions with the surrogate partner and a corresponding amount with the collaborating clinician. If you’re not already seeing a therapist/clinician, you will start out meeting with them. If you’re not willing to meet with a therapist, it means SPT is not a good option for you.

Follow these steps to move forward in this process.

  1. Carefully review our information about SPT. There are a lot of misconceptions out there, and we want to make sure you understand what SPT actually is and how it is actually practiced to ensure that you have realistic expectations.
  2. Attend an info session about SPT for prospective clients. You are welcome to attend anonymously, i.e. with camera and microphone off, if you prefer. These monthly sessions are offered by the Embrace Surrogate Partner Therapy Resource Group.
  3. Then, if Surrogate Partner Therapy still seems like the best option for you, you may use the form below to request a referral to a surrogate partner and/or a collaborating clinician.

SPT Referral Request

This form was created to obtain information necessary to help us make suitable referral(s).

Information shared in this form (such as your general location and what you’re looking for) may be shared with potential surrogate partners and/or collaborating clinicians that are relevant to your request.

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Your referral request has been sent.

Now that you’ve been submitted your request, it’ll be reviewed by our referral coordinator and you’ll be contacted within three business days. You will receive a response to your provided email address with resources specific to your request and possibilities for working within Surrogate Partner Therapy.
SPT is always done in a three person team consisting of client, surrogate partner, and collaborating therapist/clinician. This triadic structure is an essential part of the process.(required)

If you haven’t yet spoken with your therapist, or if your therapist is uncertain, please inform that there are resources that are available to support them in this process, including the course Collaborating with Surrogate Partners in the Triadic Model which details the role of the therapist at every step of the process.

There are also Clinical Consultation Groups, where they can ask questions and discuss cases with experienced clinicians, offered monthly by the Embrace Surrogate Partner Therapy Resource Group.

There are approximately 80 surrogate partners currently practicing in all of North America. This means there are large geographic areas that don’t have any local surrogate partners. If this is the case for you, are you willing to have travel be a part of your SPT experience? This creates additional expense for travel and lodging, but is the only option in some regions. Please select ALL that apply.(required)
What genders of surrogate partner are you open to working with? Please select ALL that apply.(required)