CAROLINE COURTNEY

BSc Psychology, PGDip Relationship & Psychosexual Therapy, Qualified Nurse, MCOSRT (Accred)

Caroline is an Accredited Psychosexual and Relationship Therapist and a Qualified Nurse. She has been providing psychosexual and relationship therapy in the NHS, in addition to her private practice, since 2016. Caroline is a lecturer on the Affinity Advanced Diploma in Contemporary Relationship Therapy. Caroline draws on knowledge from a 22-year career as an RGN, in the NHS and The Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne, to her work as a therapist. Caroline has worked as a sexual health and contraception clinical nurse specialist, and a menopause nurse specialist, as well as worked in cancer care, gynaecology, vulval dermatology, HIV management, as an outreach nurse working in schools and colleges and also in Covid 19 vaccination clinics. Caroline keeps up to date in her areas of special interest, such as the Vulval Pain Society lectures and conferences. Caroline took the decision to let her registration lapse in 2023 to focus on her work as a therapist.

Having worked as a menopause nurse specialist in Melbourne, she has a strong interest in menopause and sexuality (both spontaneous menopause and menopause precipitated by cancer treatment). Caroline is passionate about helping empower women to live a full, rich and fulfilling life through these years of change.  She works with individuals and couples using an integrative approach with flexibly draws on a variety of approaches including Acceptable and Commitment Therapy, CBT, Mindfulness and Internal Family Systems.

Caroline is passionate about her work and helping clients work through a wide variety of sexual and relationship difficulties. She strives to build collaborative relationships with her clients, to foster a dialogue approach, respecting and encouraging the clients’ autonomy, free will and responsibility. She is committed to diversity and inclusivity, experienced in working with non-binary clients, neurodiversity, and clients with Asperger’s syndrome and ADD adults.

Caroline supports couples through their individual challenges trying to conceive, and through the challenges some clients face during pregnancy, or after they have experienced trauma during childbirth.

She runs a regular specialist clinic in her NHS role, supporting women with individually tailored programmes to overcome sexual pain conditions like vaginismus, vulvodynia, pudendal neuralgia or previous birth trauma. This “hands-on” approach puts the client in charge and allows women to practice using their vaginal trainers (previously called dilators) with her, in comfort and privacy, in the room. Many of these clients have achieved their goals, whether that was to become pregnant, been able to have smears, or been able to enjoy more satisfying sexual intimacy with their partners.

Specialisms:

• Sexual dysfunctions including arousal difficulties
• Sexual pain and Vaginismus
• Erectile Dysfunction
• Premature Ejaculation
• Low/no desire
• Relationship issues including infidelity, conflict and communication
• Menopause
• Sexuality and Gender
• Gender Transitioning
• Sexual compulsivity including porn
• Adjustment to parenthood/life changes
• Childbirth trauma
• ADHD/ADD