Hi, I’m Sue Lennon. My background has been in nursing for over 28 years, working in cancer care all my career, finishing with 14 years as a Macmillan Nurse specialising in Urology. I have a BSc (hons) degree in Cancer and Palliative Care and an MA in Healthcare Ethics and Law and I am a qualified prescriber and clinical supervisor.
I trained as a sex therapist in 2009 because in my nursing role I saw people struggling with the sexual impact of life-changing illnesses. People were suffering but few were enabled to talk about it, and beyond medical treatment for erectile dysfunction there was no help with the emotional impact or the relationship side of sexual challenges. Nor was there any consideration given to the notion that sexuality is more than ‘doing it’.
After suffering any life changing illness, sexual matters can be really tricky – as a specialist nurse I really wanted to be able to help.
I gained my Post Graduate Diploma in Psychosexual Therapy and afterwards was able to develop and run an NHS sexual recovery service at the hospital in Harrogate alongside my Macmillan role for a number of years. I also developed a small private practice and teaching practice.
I have spoken nationally and internationally at many nursing conferences, taught for a number of years at The University of Birmingham on their MSc in Clinical Oncology programme and at De Montford University on their Degree and Masters courses for Ostomy nurses. I have also run workshops with a colleague at all of the Spinal Centres in the UK and hosted live interviews for World IBD day, all with sexual recovery as the focus. I led a project to write ‘My Sexual Self ..after stoma surgery’ and continue to create new ways to support people – patients and professionals alike. I love my job!
I now live in France from where I run an online psychosexual therapy service specifically for those suffering the sexual consequences of life changes, or who cannot find or access therapy close to home. I also work with the Cauda Equina Champions Charity to provide therapy for their members. I have the same status as I would have in England, with the required insurance and so on. I am also a Clinical Supervisor offering analysis of practice on a 1:1 or small group basis, supporting other sex therapists as well as personal assistants who are employed by Spinally Injured clients.
You’ll find my contact page below…but there are some official things I have to cover before we connect – sorry, but it’s the law!