Sexual & Relationship Therapy & Sexual Medicine

The Porterbrook Clinic, formerly known as the Marital and Sexual Problems Clinic was established at the Whiteley Wood Site in 1974. Our name derives from the Porter Brook in the valley of Whiteley Woods. We relocated to Nether Edge in January 2000. The Clinic has established itself as a centre of excellence for the treatment of patients with psychosexual problems. In recent years there has been a consolidation of services provided from the Clinic with some exciting new ventures and opportunities for patients in the Sheffield and North Trent area. Increasingly, referrals have been received from outside our home city. Several members of the staff participate in local and national representative committees, societies, associations and journals.

The core activities of the Clinic are:

1 Providing a diagnostic assessment, therapeutic and treatment programme for people with problems in their sexual lives. The most common problems involve difficulties in responding sexually (especially erectile problems in men & vaginismus and difficulties achieving orgasm in women). Other problems such as loss of desire, sexual aversion and unusual sexual preferences (such as fetishism and sexual behaviours which constitute an offence) are seen within the Clinic. In many cases, the couple relationship may be affected by these problems.

The main stay of assessments in this area is a careful sexual history. All therapists within the clinic have considerable experience in working within this field. Partners are encouraged to attend the Clinic. Where appropriate further investigations can be carried out by members of the team. The Clinic has immediate access to provocative and nocturnal RigiScan tumescence and rigidity monitoring machines as well as the MIDUS clinic Doppler Ultrasound machine & the NEVA machine. We have also recently aquired a GSA machine for neurological testing and nerve conduction studies. Phlebotomy services and immediate access to members of the team from different multidisciplinary backgrounds ensures a premier assessment and diagnostic service to all patients attending the Clinic. All staff attend weekly supervision sessions including an externally led group session on a fortnightly basis. It is anticipated that all staff will meet criteria for recognition as supervisors in the newly created position of accredited supervisor recently introduced by BASRT in September 1998.

Treatment includes simple advice, supportive counselling, psychotherapy (which includes bahavioral, cognitive, psychodynamic and systemic, or a combinaton of these), sex therapy, couples therapy, pharmacological or hormonal treatment, use of mechanical devices and appropriate onward referrals to other specialists.

2. Undergraduate training. Sheffield has a long history of teaching the medical undergraduates about human sexuality. This has been a core part of the syllabus for many years within the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and more recently within Community Medicine. Trainees are provided with lectures as well as a half day seminar in small groups to understand the impact of sexual and relationship problems on an individual and the couples' general well being. The interface between medicine and sexuality is core to the teaching programme.

3. Postgraduate training. The Sheffield Clinic was one of the first in the country to offer a Postgraduate multidisciplinary training in human sexuality. It remains one of only 4 approved and established sites within the UK to provide a comprehensive training programme in assessment and diagnostic practice as well as clinical application primarily from a psychotherapeutic sense but also integrating modern physical treatments for the whole range of problems seen in psychosexual medicine. The Clinic offers a 3 year part time (44 weeks a year) programme at both Postgraduate Diploma level and MSc Level. The course is validated by the Sheffield Hallam University. It is also approved for recognition towards individual therapist accreditation by the British Association for Sexual and Marital Therapy. We also provide input into programmes for obstetric & gynaecology doctors, family planning practitioners, midwives, group psychotherapists, CMHN's and social workers.

4. A regional gender dysphoria service. This is for patients with concerns about sexual orientation, transgenderism or transsexualism. Patients may be seeking sex reassignment surgery or simply advice. We offer an initial assessment programme which may take up to 6 months participation. For patients where recommendation for progression into the treatment programme is obtained from the multidisciplinary team, the ‘real life experience' is encouraged. The individual is encouraged to live fully in the chosen gender role with advice, support and hormonal treatment from staff in the Clinic including a doctor, nurse, psychotherapist, speech therapist, style counsellor, pastor and district nurse with support from a technician and secretary made available. Referral to a surgeon for sex reassignment surgery after a second opinion, subject to local health authority funding, is part of the overall package.

5. Clinical research. The need for clinical outcome studies continues to be of paramount importance in all fields of psychotherapy and the Clinic is actively involved in a medium to long term outcome study. There is also active research with physiological and psychological assessment of various patient groups attending the Clinic. These include patients with male erectile disorder, FSD, vulvodynia and concerns about penis size as well as patients with co-morbid psychiatric disorder.

6. The Clinic is actively involved with clinical audit and enjoys a favourable integration within other psychotherapeutic disciplines through connections at Central clinic, Brunswick House and the Sheffield Centre for Therapeutic Studies.

7. Liaison groups. The recent introduction of Clinical Case Conferences has been established which is open to all professionals working in the field of human sexuality in and around Sheffield. These are held twice a month on Thursday lunch times. A list is available from Diane Smith or our web site. We also offer consultancy supervision for therapists working outside of the clinic to allow other therapists to continue good clinical practice by being supervised by a BASRT accredited therapist. We also provide lectures for other groups of professionals.

Referrals to the Clinic. Referrals are received from any health professional and we do not discriminate between heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual or persons with any disability. We offer services to individuals of all ethnic and racial backgrounds and can offer confidential translation facilities.

We can now offer a five day service including early evening appointments. The average waiting time for a new appointment is around 12 weeks (except gender dysphoria). This may vary depending upon the requirement for a particular gender of therapist or time of appointment requested by the patient or couple.

The Porterbrook Clinic uses rooms at Nether Edge Hospital. The Porterbrook Clinical Lead is Dr Kevan Wylie. We are part of SHSC, part of the NHS.

We have partnership working arrangements with the Andrology department at the Department of Urology at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital (contact Melanie Hawley on 0114 271 3334).

Services are provided from the Porterbrook Clinic by Dr Kevan Wylie, Dr Anita Taylor, Julie Fitter, Betty Ann Muir, Llynwen Wilson, Caren Shepperd, Brian Daines, David Steward, Debbie Davies-South, Sally Robbins-Cherry, Jennifer May, Carol Daniels, Roy Levin, Mark Hayter, Ursula Eastwood, Jane Thornton & other staff members.

Secretarial staff are Katie Naylor (Clinic Administrator), Janet Reynolds (Reception and General Enquiries), Naomi Lewis (Training & MSc programmes), Emma Morris (PA to Prof Dr Kevan Wylie), Teresa Luckhurst (Clinic Secretary).

Our telephone number is (0114) 271 6671 and our fax number is (0114) 271 8693.

Our e-mail address is mail@porterbrookclinic.org.uk and our web site is http://www.porterbrookclinic.org.uk