- Infertility and different routes to parenthood
- The roles of fathers and mothers
- The changing role of the parent
- The modern family
- Disability and parenting
Content is focused around four, one-hour classes:
Chapter one: Tracey Sainsbury – The Importance of Narrative
Chapter two: Dr Anna Machin – Becoming Dad: The science and psychology of fatherhood
Chapter three: Helen Davies – Having a child with special educational needs or disabilities – impacts on love and life
Chapter four: Dr Markie Twist – Parenting in Modern Times: Gender, Sexual, Erotic, and Relational Diversity Considerations and Clinical Implications
About the Speakers
Tracey Sainsbury
Tracey Sainsbury is a senior fertility counsellor overseeing the patient and donor support team with the London Women’s Clinic, London Egg Bank and London Sperm Bank; she has worked in the field of fertility for over 20 years, starting with iSSUE, one of the charities that merged to become Fertility Network UK, where she remains as a member of their Advisory Panel.
Tracey is an Accredited Counsellor with the National Fertility Society and the British Infertility Counselling Association and served as a member of the BICA Executive Committee, and as a member of the National Donation Strategy Group/ Lifecycle Editorial Board for the HFEA and is a Trustee for the Sperm Egg & Embryo Donation (SEED) Trust.
Dr Anna Machin
Dr. Anna Machin is an evolutionary anthropologist, writer and broadcaster. She is world renowned for her work exploring the science behind our closest human relationships including those between lovers, parents and children and friends. She has a particular interest in the science of fatherhood including the biological changes a man undergoes as he transitions to fatherhood, the nature and development of the attachment between father and child and the role for fathers in child development. She is passionate about campaigning for support and recognition for fathers as co-parents. She is the author of The Life of Dad: The Making of the Modern Father (Simon & Schuster 2018).
Helen Davies
Helen Davies is mother to a 10 year old child with profound and multiple physical and learning disabilities and a 3 year old non-disabled child. She spent 20 years as a senior marketing manager and consultant until parenting a child with additional needs became incompatible with working in the ‘rat race’. Now working for Ruby’s Fund a charity which supports families of SEND children and a freelance trainer. Married, but it’s been a challenge.
Dr Markie Twist
Markie Louise Christianson (L. C.) Twist (she/her/they/them), Ph.D. is an award-winning sexuality educator, sexologist, relationship therapist, author and international speaker. Dr. Twist is the Program Coordinator of the Graduate Certificate in Sex Therapy Program, and Professor in the Human Development and Family Studies Department and Marriage and Family Therapy Program at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. Dr. Twist is also a licensed marriage and family therapist and mental health counselor, as well as a clinical fellow and approved supervisor of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, and certified sexuality educator and supervisor through the American Association for Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists. Dr. Twist is co-author of the books, The Internet Family: Technology in Couple and Family Relationships and Focused Genograms: Intergenerational Assessment of Individuals, Couples, and Families (2nd ed.). Dr. Twist also serves as the Editor-in-Chief of Sexual and Relationship Therapy: International Perspectives on Theory, Research and Practice and is co-editor of the book Eco-Informed Practice: Family Therapy in Age of Ecological Peril. In addition, Dr. Twist serves as an adjunct faculty member in the School of Public Health at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, as well as a session instructor at the University of Guelph. To learn more about Dr. Twist visit: drmarkie.com.
