My Sexual Health Team Mentor:

Prof Elna McIntosh

MSH Mentor and Clinical Sexologist

In August 2018 I had my retirement function hosted by colleagues and friends from my wonderful journey as a Sexologist and Sexual Health Practitioner. Now in 2020, during lockdown and recovering from COVID, I realised, in this field one never retires – you just slowdown and continue to educate, research, and to read every possible new development in this every challenging and changing field of Human Sexuality.

I have been a Sexual Health Advisor, Educator, Researcher & Therapist for over 35 years.  My entire career has been aimed towards a single set of goals:  telling the truth about sexuality, helping people feel sexually normal and powerful and supporting the healthy sexual expression and exploration of women and men.

I pursue my goal of a sexually enlightened world through clinical work, lectures, writing, TV and radio work.  I have published over 200 articles in academic publications, peer reviews, student research papers and popular magazines.  I also have regular contributions to medical journals and a quarterly sexual health magazine.  I was the Sexpert for Health24.com a medical website for over 10 years. Facebook pages for: 4 Play: Sex tips for girls and the SABC1 TV series InterSEXions. Johns Hopkins awarded me a prestigious communications award in 2011 & 2012, for my contribution to the award-winning TV show, InterSEXions (11 SAFTA’s and a Peabody award in 2012). I co-presented a TV series for Mnet – Sex Etc, currently on Showmax.

I have given scores of keynote speeches, training programs and popular lectures to groups including the Department of Family Medicine at Wits Medical School, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, the Advanced Psychology Department at UNISA, University of Johannesburg Nursing Department, The School of Health Sciences at Pretoria University.

I have been elected a Lifelong member of the South African Sexual Health Association.  I am a member of the American College of Sexologists and held an Associate Professorship at the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality, San Francisco, California. However, the after almost 40 years the institute closed its doors in 2018.  I am also a member of the international Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health and a lecturer for the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care.  At present I am the president and founding member of the South African Society of Sexual Health Advisors, Educators, Researchers and Therapists (SASSERT). I am a board member of Pinkdrive, and my portfolio is Medical Ethics.

My social media involvement includes an Instagram page @mcintoshelna, @DISAclinic, Twitter @drelna FB –  DISA Clinic and Ask Me Anything.

I live in Sandton, with my enormous collection of books and my family.  I have run 7 Comrades marathons, climbed Kilimanjaro twice, a gold medalist in the Iron Man triathlon 5 times and completed 5 Dusi canoe marathons and hundreds of canoe races around South Africa and thousands of kilometres in many road races and cycling events.  I was the Safety Officer for the Gauteng canoe union for many years and my passion can still be seen with my involvement in the development programme at the Soweto Canoe Club and my love for the rivers and the outdoors. I was a finalist in the “Shoprite/ Checkers woman of the year” in 2005 for my work in Development Canoeing.

My greatest achievement to date has been surviving breast cancer twice.

Qualifications:

• Degree in nursing
• Master’s degree in Public Health
• PhD – Human sexuality
• D.Ed  – Sex education

Current projects:

• Supervision:

Supervision for therapists and sex therapists is available for practitioners who want to work individually with Dr. Elna McIntosh, a Ph.D. Board Certified member of the College of Sexology. Individual supervision gives you a chance to share your cases, hear ample feedback, receive interventions and get clinical direction from a Supervisor with expertise in couples therapy, sexuality, and infidelity.

• Sexual Attitude Reassessment (S.A.R.)

Erotic desensitization and revision, realities of our current sexual world.

Most therapists and professionals who work with sexuality face their own issues and countertransference around eroticism and intimacy as they start their career as sex therapists. Treatment protocols are unclear and normally they rely on their limited training or their own personal experiences. This can bring up awkward and uncomfortable feelings that can create blocks in the therapy. The personal bias of the therapist also can confuse the real issues in treatment and mirror pathology for the client.

Disclaimer:  MSH provides a platform for Sexual Health providers to network and learn in order to render the highest level of sexual health services to patients.  MSH does not take responsibility for the clinical practice of any of its members.  Any concerns can be directed towards info@mysexualhealth.co.za but misconduct needs to be reported to the registration body of the particular individual.