This self-access class helps therapists understand if and how Service User sexual difficulties are related to cancer history, and what strategies can be used to support them in clinical practice.
Participants will be given an overview of different cancers and possible treatments that may impact a sexual function. This includes the potential anatomical & physiological changes that may occur. Using a bio-psycho-social approach the seminar will explore management strategies and interventions to help Service Users with sexual pain, gaining an understanding of the Psychosexual and Relationship Therapist’s therapist role alongside that of other health care professionals.
This session is part of a series which includes Sex & Cancer: Erectile and Ejaculatory Changes and Sex & Cancer: LGBT+ considerations.
**This self-access is a recording of a 3-hour live session which took place on October 2024. All of the discussions that took place during the live session have been removed from the recording, following editing of group discussions and study sessions, this recording is only 1hour and 19 minutes long.
The session includes:
- Prevalence of sexual pain following cancer
- Refresher of anatomy and causes of sexual pain.
- Overview of cancers and treatments that may impact on sexual function.
- Possible anatomical & physiological changes due to treatment
- Types of sexual pain.
- Psychological impacts.
- Bio-psycho-social approaches and the role of the HCP & therapist (PLISSIT/BETTER).
- Management strategies & interventions to address sexual pain.
- Grief & adjustment to permanent changes in sexual function, role & relationship dynamic.
About the Trainer
Lynn Buckley is a COSRT Accredited Psychosexual and Relationship Therapist working in private practice.
She has worked in the NHS as a lead gynae-oncology clinical nurse specialist and advanced nurse practitioner delivering holistic care patients with gynaecological cancer. Her motivation to become a Psychosexual and Relationship Therapist was as a direct result of the patients in her care who experienced devastating changes to their sexual lives due to a cancer diagnosis and treatment.
During her career she worked to develop survivorship services nationally to support those living with and beyond cancer. Lynn writes and presents extensively on the impact of cancer on sexual well-being and has authored national guidance on management of gynaecological cancer. She continues to work with cancer charities and other agencies supporting their work with this, often overlooked, aspect of care.
