Young adulthood is a hugely important period of transition. People develop new forms of relationship. They explore their identities. And they navigate intimacy.
It can also be hugely challenging, with past lived experience and current social contexts affecting people’s outcomes. For example, how to move on from negative relationship models experienced in the past? How can cornerstones like communication and consent be affected in a technological and social media age? How can identity be explored in a dynamic and evolving digital context?
This conference brings a range of experts together to explore exactly these types of issue. It will help Psychosexual and Relationship Therapists better support young adults. It will help therapists understand contemporary issues. And it will help therapists build the most effective interventions.
| Keynote presentation “An overview of the challenges and opportunities that affect young adults and relationships” | Sheetal Amin |
| Session one “Working with LGBTQ+ young adults – adopting a Queer Lens approach” | Silva Neves |
| Session two “How templates of infantile sexuality are expressed in adulthood” | Ariel Nathanson |
| Session three “Growing Up in The Digital Age – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” | Dr Paula Hall |
| Session four “Pressure to perform; Changing sexual norms and their impact on the sexual wellbeing of young people” | Professor Kirstin Mitchell |
| Summary and Plenary session “Key considerations for Psychosexual and Relationship Therapists working with young adults” | All speakers |
Speakers:
Sheetal Amin
Sheetal Amin is a UKCP registered Integrative Arts Psychotherapist, Interpersonal Psychotherapist for adults and adolescents (IPTUK), Consultant, trainer and supervisor. She has previously been chair for equality, diversity and inclusivity in The Child College within UKCP.
Sheetal has worked extensively with children, adolescents, adults, families and couples for over 20 years in various settings. Sheetal offers therapeutic services, consultancy, tailored training and supervision both to organisations and within private practice in London and countrywide.
Sheetal is passionate about ensuring equal access to services for individuals and cultural groups who are deemed as ‘hard to reach’ and is committed to organisational and systemic change.
Dr Paula Hall
Dr Paula Hall is a Senior Accredited Psychosexual and Relationship Therapist with 30 years’ experience, 18 of which have been specialising in sex and porn addiction.
She is founder of the Laurel Centre which provides individual and group therapy for people struggling with compulsive sexual behaviours and support services for partners. She is also founder of Pivotal Recovery, a not-for-profit organisation that provides affordable, anonymous, accessible self-help through their podcast based Pivotal Recovery Course.
Dr Hall is author of ‘Understanding & Treating Sex & Pornography Addiction’, ‘Sex Addiction – The Partner’s Perspective’ and ‘Sex Addiction – A Guide for Couples’. She has been published in a number of peer-reviewed journals and contributed to national media on sexual and relationship issues.
Silva Neves
Silva Neves is a COSRT Accredited Psychosexual and Relationship Therapist and Supervisor. He is a Pink Therapy Clinical Associate.
Silva is a member of the editorial board for the leading international journal Sexual and Relationship Therapy.
Silva is the author of two books: ‘Compulsive Sexual Behaviours, A Psycho-Sexual Treatment Guide for Clinicians’ and ‘Sexology: The Basics’. He has also co-edited textbooks, contributed chapters to various publications, and is on the Editorial Board of COSRT’s Journal of Sexual and Relationship Therapy,
Silva was the recipient of the Sexual Freedom Ally Award in 2023. He speaks internationally.
Ariel Nathanson
Ariel Nathanson (MA, MPsych) is a Consultant Child, Adolescent and Adult Psychotherapist. He is a member of the Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP), the Bowlby Centre and the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).
He has specialised in working with young people who present as risky and harmful to others. Other patients Ariel works with, both young and adult, present with other forms of problematic sexual behaviours, fantasies and addictions. Ariel’s work at the Portman Clinic in London (part of the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust) is focused on these issues.
Ariel has published, focusing on clinical forensic work and organisational consultation
Professor Kirstin Mitchell
Kirstin Mitchell is Professor of Social Science and Public Health at the University of Glasgow and leads a programme of work on Intimate Relationships and Health. She co-leads the British National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal) which provides decennial ‘snap shots’ of sexual behaviour in Britain.
Kirstin’s research focuses on young people. She currently leads a project to design better measures of sex, gender identity and sexuality for health surveys with young people. She also leads a national evaluation of a whole-school approach to Gender Based Violence in Scottish secondary schools, and contributes to an Action-research project promoting involvement of young people in Scotland’s sexual health policy and service provision.
