The first ABIL face-to-face conference since March 2020, and what a way to make a comeback!   We had four outstanding presenters, each with very thought-provoking presentations, and they have kindly given us permission to upload these to our website (see below). We would like to say a big thank you to them for providing us with a hugely successful conference and so much to think about!

Rehabilitation of Sexual needs and Relationships after TBI 

Dr Catriona McIntosh, Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist, Yorkshire Neuropsychology

Practical issues with sex, rights and relationships (Working within the law to support sexual expression and intimacy for people with brain injuries, with some practical scenarios)

Professor Claire de Than, Chair, The Outsiders trust, and the Sexual Health and Disability Alliance, Head of School of Law and Social Sciences, Regent Chair of the Jersey Law Commission, Expert Witness

Supporting Intimacy in Couples Relationships following Brain Injury

Dr Giles Yeates, Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist, Couples Therapist & Chair, Thames Valley Brain Injury Forum

Supporting social opportunities for people living with acquired brain injury in residential and hospital services 

Dr Keith G Jenkins, Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist & Lead Psychologist for the Neuropsychiatry Division of St Andrew’s Healthcare, Northampton

Thank you too to the delegates who attended and gave us so much positive feedback on the day, and via social media. To get a flavour of these, some feedback is shown below:

Wow. The moment – ideas, relationships, connection, possibility, innovation

Thanks for putting on such an interesting afternoon; left the study day feeling reassured, better informed and with plenty of new ideas to share with the people I work with who are wanting to explore relationships/sexuality following ABI

A really interesting and thought provoking day at the ABIL forum Relationships after Brain Injury conference today. Brilliant speakers all round

Thanks to all our amazing speakers for such thoughtful and sensitive presentations on relationships and sex after ABI

What a fabulous conference on sexuality and relationships after brain injury. Very thought provoking and extremely insightful

I have learnt so much today

My head is buzzing with things the presenters have said. I’m taking so much away from this conference

The presentations can be downloaded below:

[Dr Yates referred to a specific publication “The Use of Attachment Theory to Inform Psycho-Sexual Couples Work in Neuro-rehabilitation”]

A final thank you to the hard-working ABIL Committee for putting this conference together and thank you as always to Irwin Mitchell for their invaluable ongoing support.

Tony Hart – Chair of ABIL