Join our online event discussing everything fatigue
Thursday 15th June 2023, 09:30 - 16:00
Tickets available now!
Our Speakers: fatigue - an online conference
Alex Westcombe - Clinical Psychologist
I have worked clinically with people with long term health conditions, including persistent pain and fatigue, for the past 17 years. This has focused on practical interventions and supporting people managing their symptoms and the impacts on their lives.
Dr Wendy Molefi - Menopause Specialist
Dr Molefi is an award winning Menopause Specialist and Founder of Vital Wellness Clinic. She has a special interest in the psychological impact of the menopause on women’s quality of life, and with her background in wellness coaching and mindfulness teaching, she brings a holistic and preventative approach to her clinical practice and menopause service. She provides training to raise awareness of the impact of menopause in the workplace. Dr Molefi is an accomplished international keynote speaker on topics pertaining to women’s health, menopause and mental wellbeing in the workplace.
Emma Taylor - Independent Occupational Therapist
Emma qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 1994, initially working within community housing and adaptation services. This began a curiosity around how people engage with their environment and so she completed an MSc in Health Ergonomics. This interest expanded further into exploring the relationships between people and their work environments and when she subsequently moved to teach at Sheffield Hallam University, Emma became the course leader on the MSc Vocational Rehabilitation programme. After 14 years in higher education, Emma now works as an independent occupational therapist working with a range of clients as well as running training around vocational rehabilitation, ergonomics, and occupational health.
Maxine Haylock - Specialist Occupational Therapist
I have been working as an Occupational Therapist in pain and fatigue for 18 years, working in a variety of rehabilitation settings including tertiary NHS specialist services, Military rehabilitation and private sector. I am passionate about the importance of the interaction with clients and building a therapeutic alliance that can have such a positive impact on their experience.
Dr Gerald Coakley - Consultant Rheumatologist & Physician
Dr Gerald Coakley has worked in the NHS for over 30 years. After training in London and Nottingham, he won an Arthritis Research Campaign Fellowship, allowing him to conduct research in the immunogenetics of Felty’s syndrome at Guy’s Hospital. In the NHS, he treats a wide variety of autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and vasculitis. He was Chair of the Education and Training Committee at the British Society for Rheumatology from 2019-2022. Since 2001 he has treated people with ME/CFS and runs a private fatigue clinic at London Bridge and at the Harley Street Clinic.
Fiona Mckechnie - Occupational Therapist and mindfulness based Therapist and Coach
Fiona has worked in fatigue services for 25 years and currently works for Bristol ME service as a senior clinician and mindfulness lead and as an associate with Vitality360. She has an MSc from the centre for mindfulness research practice and has investigated the use of mindfulness in ME/CFS services. Fiona has also qualified as coach, yoga teacher and EMDR therapist. She has developed a mindfulness programme within the Bristol ME/CFS service which is being published as a book in autumn 2023 and is particularly interested in pragmatic approaches that support individuals goals, for example the workplace. Fiona is currently developing online mindfulness courses and training for people with fatiguing conditions who cannot access them via local services.
Charlie Adler - Specialist Occupational Therapist
Charlie has worked in the field of pain and fatigue with Vitality360 for a number of years. She spent 18 years working in the NHS ME/CFS service in Dorset with training and experience first gained in Romford, Essex initially. Charlie is a qualified coach and is on the board of trustees for BACME (British Association of Clinicians in ME/CFS). She is passionate about helping people to find the resources that help them to help themselves.
Mandy Whalley - Independent Occupational Therapist in Occupational Health Founder of the Empowerment Passport Ltd
Mandy is a motivated Occupational Therapist with over 34 years’ experience in the NHS, and 3 years independent practice specialising in complex and long-term health conditions such as chronic pain, ABI, MS and cancer in the workplace. Recognised for assessing, coaching and supporting people with Autism, ADHD, dyslexia and learning disabilities to access or maintain work, Mandy has a special interest in the Equality Act and reasonable adjustments to improve staff retention and well-being. Providing leadership for Occupational Therapy in the field of Occupational Health, Mandy is an expert by experience, providing consultancy to OH, HR and Local authorities. Founder of Empowerment Passport™.
Amanda Mason - Career and Employment Consultant
Amanda is a Career and Employment Consultant, with over 20 years’ experience working in the private, voluntary, and statutory sectors. She now works for Vitality360 delivering career redirection and coaching to people with chronic health conditions. Her background as a qualified Career Guidance professional enables her to help client’s make realistic career choices and help them identify the practical steps to do this in a sustainable way. She has also delivered training, written blogs and contributed to articles.
Sue Luscombe RD MBDA - Nutrition and Diet Consultant
Sue is a Registered Dietitian with an extensive NHS career spanning over 44 years, mostly working in Bedfordshire. She has over 15 years’ experience in ME/CFS and has been part of the Vitality360 team for 10 years. Sue has been in demand as a speaker, workshop leader, and writer on ME/CFS and Long Covid. She has written for the British Dietetic Association “Food Facts: Diet and Long Covid”, in addition to contributing to “Food Facts: Diet and ME/CFS”. Sue is the ME Association’s Honorary Dietetic Advisor and has helped write two ME cookbooks, published in 2021 and 2022.
Dr Helen Brunger - Health Psychologist
Dr Helen Brunger is a Health Psychologist working in neurorehabilitation and specialising in the assessment and management of persistent post-concussion symptoms. Dr Brunger has extensive experience of working within both the public and private sectors, and currently leads the UK MoD’s mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and vestibular service based at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) Stanford Hall. She also provides specialist sport-related and other concussion and vestibular rehabilitation services to clients across the country who experience an array of difficulties post-injury.
Dr Pete Gladwell - Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist
Pete has lived experience of cancer-related fatigue and will be talking about this. He also works clinically in the Bristol ME service, has worked with ME/CFS -related charities. He also teaches, and has carried out PhD research in persistent pain.
Tom Cave - Clinical Academic Lecturer and Adult Therapies Pathway Lead – Oncology and Haematology
I am a physiotherapist by background and have specialised in cancer care since 2016. I currently have 2 job roles. I manage a team of inpatient and outpatient Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists in the Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre. I am also a Lecturer at the University of the West of England teaching on various Nursing and Allied Health Professional courses. The management of Cancer – Related Fatigue has been at the heart of our practice and we aim to empower individuals to find opportunities to live the lives they wish for.
Ros - Lived experience
Ros is joining us to share her lived experience with fatigue.
Charlotte Bray - Clinical Lead
Charlotte will be speaking about her lived experience of fatigue due to a brain injury last year. Charlotte is a respected nurse with a career spanning over 30 years. She is Clinical Lead at Legal & General where she manages all the third-party providers and supports the team from a clinical perspective.