2022 Annual Zoom Event, Panel 1
UK psychological support for adults with VSC within state-run (NHS) gynaecology services

This year’s annual zoom event in September 2022 will take the form of three themed panels, spread across dates and time zones.

Register here by 19th September 2022:

https://waikato.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0kCorzjdTx4AnLU

Panel 1: Details below

Panel 2: Details

Panel 3: Details

Panel 1 Overview

Julie Alderson: The UK service landscape – what is provided? PAG/ CGA service landscape

Rachel Hamblin: Psychological care in practice

Michelle Lipton: Peer support group work as part of hospital care

Charlie Bishop: Working with a psychologist

Panel 1 Presenters

Julie Alderson is a UK National Health Service Consultant Clinical Psychologist with a CORST Level 7 Professional Certificate in Psychosexual Therapy from the Contemporary Institute of Clinical Sexology. She has worked in the field of Intersex with Adults, Young People, Children and parents of babies for 25 years. In recent years she has been working with UK health service commissioning to develop psychology services for children and young people growing up with diverse sex development.

Rachel Hamblin has recently established clinical psychology as part of a multi-professional health service within a gynaecology setting in a UK specialist centre. With a strong background as a specialist clinical psychologist in health, Rachel began training in Intersex/DSD in 2014 and now works in both adult and paediatric services for people affected by DSD diagnoses. She uses a range of therapeutic models with individuals and teams including ACT, third wave CBT and narrative approaches.

Michelle Lipton is a Clinical Health Psychologist who has worked as a specialist within the field of Intersex/DSD and adolescent gynaecology for the past 14 years. She is part of a multidisciplinary team at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital and works in adult services. Over the years in her post, she has supported those with psychological approaches to adjust to a wide range of difficulties and has contributed to the development of the service and the field as a whole. She is also a trustee of MRKH Connect.

Charlie Bishop is the Director of MRKH Connect a registered charity founded in 2014 supporting those with MRKH Syndrome. Diagnosed with MRKH herself at 17, over 20 years ago now, there was very limited support available and like many of her peers, her mental health was affected as she processed what this meant for her. Keen to do something to support the community (both peer and professional) that helped her, she became involved in advocacy 8 years ago, starting a personal blog to raise awareness for MRKH and then eventually being invited to take over MRKH Connect in 2019 building on its strong foundations. The volunteer-run charity completely relaunched in 2020. It has been involved in numerous research studies on mental health and the psychological impact of MRKH and runs events aiming to Connect those with MRKH together whilst providing valuable resources for the community and the public. In her day job she is a project manager in the space sector working with satellite imagery to support a range of applications.