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The Research Centre

SPARC

The Research Centre

Discover SPARC, the applied research centre hosted within the Institute of Psychosexual Psychotherapy, led by Research Director Laura Joanknecht.

Illustrative therapy setting with two navy armchairs beside a window.

About SPARC

Applied research connected to therapeutic practice

The Sexology and Psychotherapy Applied Research Centre (SPARC) is a specialist applied research centre hosted within the Institute of Psychosexual Psychotherapy. It provides research infrastructure for practitioners across psychotherapy, counselling, psychology, psychosexual therapy, clinical and forensic sexology, and related disciplines.

SPARC supports practitioner-led applied research that strengthens evidence-informed practice while maintaining robust, transparent ethical governance informed by UKRIO principles and the Concordat to Support Research Integrity.

Our remit

SPARC’s remit is scholarly and practice-focused: to advance clinically relevant knowledge, support ethically governed practitioner-led inquiry, and translate research findings into improvements in therapeutic practice and public understanding.

SPARC is not a training, accreditation or regulatory body.

What SPARC Offers

Online research CPD, regular live research groups, workshops and an ongoing practitioner-research community.

CPD access varies by membership level. See the Research Community page for the CPD included with each membership.

Self-Paced Online CPD

Core and advanced programmes covering research foundations, ethics, project design, data collection, publication, dissemination and funding.

Explore the CPD programme

Full programme: approximately 18–24 hours. CPD access varies by membership level.

Core programme

  • Research Foundations 2–3 hours
  • Ethics & Governance 2–3 hours
  • Designing a Research Project 3–4 hours
  • Data Collection in Practice 2 hours
  • Writing for Professional Publication 3–4 hours
  • Ethics Application Walkthrough 2 hours

Advanced programme

  • Preparing for Publication 2–3 hours
  • Dissemination & Research Impact 2 hours
  • Funding & Research Development 1–2 hours

Live Research Community

  • Writing & Accountability Group Monthly
  • Research Forum / Q&A Clinic Every two months
  • Networking & Research Community Sessions Periodically
Explore the live groups

Writing & Accountability Group

Monthly · 60–90 minutes

Members bring current writing or research and work alongside peers with light facilitation, peer support and discussion of writing challenges.

Research Forum / Q&A Clinic

Every two months · Approximately 60 minutes

A group academic-support format where members can bring questions concerning research design, methodology, ethics, analysis and other research challenges.

SPARC Research Workshops

Quarterly · Approximately 90–120 minutes

Applied live workshops supporting practitioner-researchers across the research process.

Networking & Research Community Sessions

Periodically

Opportunities to meet other practitioner-researchers, discuss work, identify potential collaborators and develop professional research connections.

Research Workshops

Quarterly · Approximately 90–120 minutes

Applied live workshops supporting practitioner-researchers across the research process.

Explore workshop themes
  • Research Design & Development
  • Ethics & Governance in Practice
  • Data Collection & Practice-Based Research
  • Writing for Publication
  • Publication & Dissemination
  • Research-to-Practice Integration
  • Funding & Research Development
Explore the SPARC Research Community
Laura Joanknecht, Research Director at SPARC

Research Director

Laura Joanknecht

MSc Psychosexual Therapy, BSc (Hons) Psychology, MBACP (Accred), NCPS (Accred), COSRT (Accredited)

Laura is a psychosexual and relationship therapist, educator and researcher with more than two decades of experience in therapeutic practice, training and applied research.

Previously Programme Lead for the MSc in Contemporary Psychosexual Therapy, she has extensive experience supervising practitioner-researchers working at the intersection of sexuality, trauma, relationships and power.

Her work emphasises reflexive, ethically grounded research that connects clinical insight with interdisciplinary scholarship. Her interests include sexual development within high-control belief systems, trauma-informed approaches to sexuality and relationships, and the ethical complexities of working with marginalised or stigmatised experiences.

Laura leads collaborative and interdisciplinary research initiatives alongside consulting academics from psychology, psychotherapy, sociology, sexology and medicine.

Research infrastructure and support

Develop the project

Methodology consultation, literature-review support, and ethics and safeguarding guidance.

Undertake the research

Academic supervision from experienced practitioner-researchers, with statistical and qualitative analysis mentorship.

Share the findings

Publication-pathway support and writing accountability groups.

Illustrative research reading room with an oak table, blue seating, bookshelves and a copper lamp.

An interdisciplinary centre

Connecting clinical insight with scholarship

SPARC supports practitioner-led and independent inquiry across psychotherapy, counselling, psychology, psychosexual therapy, clinical sexology, forensic sexology and related disciplines.

Laura leads the development of collaborative and interdisciplinary research initiatives alongside consulting academics from psychology, psychotherapy, sociology, sexology and medicine.

The centre’s scholarly and practice-focused remit connects clinical questions with ethically governed research, and research findings with therapeutic practice and public understanding.

Methodology consultation, literature-review support and academic supervision form part of its research infrastructure.

Clear purpose and professional boundaries

SPARC operates within the legal and administrative framework of the Institute of Psychosexual Psychotherapy. The Research Director reports to the Director of the Institute, supporting alignment with organisational values, strategic objectives and risk-management responsibilities.

SPARC does not provide accreditation or formal training qualifications. Its applied psychotherapeutic remit excludes biomedical or laboratory research, and projects that cannot meet the required ethical, safeguarding or legal standards.

Read about governance and ethical review

Discuss a research project

Contact the Research Director about research, collaboration or supervision.

Contact the Research Director

laura.sparc@instituteofpsychosexualpsychotherapy.org