Let's Talk Intimacy

Wednesday 14th May 2025

9:30 am to 12:00 pm

Online

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Who should attend:

Anyone who recognises intimacy has a place in wellbeing . . . and those that don’t yet!

Let’s explore together intimacy beyond sex in the context of communication, relationships and connections, for the benefit of wellbeing.

This session is a great opportunity to challenge your thoughts on intimacy and break down some barriers, ask questions and learn about ways in supporting people living with a long-term condition with their wellbeing and intimacy.

Course Aims:

By the end of this session you will have explored the word intimacy, challenged its place in wellbeing and be able to look beyond physical intimacy to support the wellbeing of others and yourself

Objectives:

To feel more confident to have discussions with service users on intimacy
To explore the non-verbalised issues surrounding intimacy and discover ways to create opportunity for openness
To have knowledge on relevant resources that you can use for signposting your service users

Presented by

Amber Cave

Macmillan Creative Therapies Lead

Manisha Cook

Lecturer Practitioner and Specialist Physiotherapist

Manisha has been qualified physiotherapist for over 20 years, she is passionate about respiratory medicine and palliative care.

Manisha has worked as a specialist physiotherapist at The Hospice of St Francis for 9 years and previously has worked in community and acute healthcare settings in London and Hertfordshire.

Manisha has recently completed her level 4 Certificate in Teaching and Education, and is committed to providing a specialist palliative education programme for Allied Health Professionals and the wider multi-disciplinary team.

Amy Smissen

Lecturer Practitioner and Community Occupational Therapist

Amy is a qualified Occupational Therapist with 25 years experience working in both clinical and leadership roles. With a passion for the palliative rehab approach to empower patients to self-manage Amy enjoys sharing her knowledge and skills within the team and wider audiences.

Throughout her career she has worked in a range of settings including a community learning disability team, an inpatient neurological rehab unit and a local charity providing support to people living with long-term neurological conditions.

Amy joined the Hospice of St Francis in 2023 and works 3 days a week in the Community Team, bringing her unique OT perspective to enable community patients to optimise their function and ultimately, their overall quality of life. Amy has always enjoyed facilitating therapeutic groupwork sessions, running workshops and training sessions both for patients and carers and with fellow clinicians. These skills lend themselves well to her Lecturer Practitioner role, which she took on in early 2024.