Organising Committee
Elliott Kotze
SASHA President
Elliott Kotze is a counselling psychologist in private practice, where he spends most of his time working with queer, trans, and/or neurodivergent adolescents and young adults. His adolescent work forms part of a larger project with Avri Spilka, aimed at rethinking and reimagining love and family. Elliott is the president of the South African Sexual Health Association where he gets to geek out about sex and pleasure with other professionals in the field. He believes psychologists should aim to work themselves out of a job, and when that day comes, he hopes to become a subsistence farmer.
Avri Spilka
Conference Convenor
Avri is a Counselling Psychologist in private practice in Johannesburg and co-Director of the Southern African Sexual Health Association (SASHA). She sees individuals, couples and polycules for psychotherapy, and has a special interest in issues of erotic, sexual and relational liberation. Her background spans (photo)journalism, advocacy and activism, community psychology, and sexology. Her greatest pleasure, provocation and praxis continue to be her family and children; a daily reminder and inspiration to work toward justice for all families. She is excited to be engaged with Elliott in queering and rethinking family and love, and to be convening this year’s SASHA conference: Into The Fray: Provocations and Possibilities in Sexual Health.
Prof Corlia Brandt
SASHA Exec
Prof Corlia Brandt started working in private practice in 2000, whereafter she entered the academic field and obtained a Master`s and PhD degree at the University of the Free State, and an MSc in Epidemiology (Implementation Science) at the University of the Witwatersrand. Her main areas of interest are Epidemiology, Neuromusculoskeletal, Sport, Pelvic and Women`s Health, and research. Currently she is the chair of the Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation Speciality Group of the International Urogynaecology Association (IUGA), as well as on the IUGA Africa Advisory Board; the President on the International Organisation for Physiotherapists in Pelvic and Women’s Health (World Physiotherapy), chair of the Professional Development Portfolio on the National Executive Committee (SASP), Past-President of the South African Sexual Health Association; and on the editorial board for the African Journal of Primary Health Care and Family Medicine. She has published several papers in international journals and has presented at international congresses, where her research has also been nominated for awards. She has facilitated the establishment of pelvic floor units as a collaboration between academia, researchers, and private practitioners. She is currently an associate professor at the University of the Witwatersrand – continuing her passion for integrating research, clinical practice, and teaching – and developing Pelvic and Women`s Health clinics suitable for a South African context and as part of the WiSH research group.
Jonathan Cohen
SASHA Exec
Jonathan Cohen is a business leader, executive coach, and mental health practitioner in training who works at the intersection of human development, leadership, and organisational transformation. With more than 20 years of experience building and scaling businesses across mobility, wellness, hospitality, and property, he has consistently created high-performance environments characterised by strong culture, operational excellence, and psychological safety. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Jonathan undertook a deliberate and deeply personal transition toward his long-standing vocation: enabling individuals and systems to heal, grow, and thrive. He returned to full-time academic study while continuing to lead businesses and support his family, completing his Honours degree in Psychology at the South African College of Applied Psychology in 2025 and currently applying for a Master’s in Counselling Psychology. He is also completing his Lifeline Counselling training. Jonathan holds a postgraduate qualification in business and commerce and a business/executive coaching qualification from GIBS Business School and works with individuals, couples, schools, and organisations to develop emotionally healthy, psychologically safe, and purpose-driven environments. His approach integrates evidence based psychology, coaching, mindfulness, and systems thinking. He is a certified mindfulness facilitator (IMISA), breathwork coach (Breathwork Africa), and Five Lens Enneagram practitioner (Five Lens People Development Academy) and is an active member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF), the South African Sexual Health Association (SASHA – Executive Board), and IMISA. In addition to his professional work, Jonathan serves on the leadership team of the Sandringham High School Alumni Association, where he is actively involved in initiatives to restore infrastructure, strengthen educational outcomes, and improve student safety and development after a decade of institutional decline. His work is driven by a single guiding intention: to contribute to the creation of environments—in education, organisations, and communities - where people who were previously excluded from opportunity are able not only to access it but also to flourish.
Dr Pieter Ekermans
SASHA Exec
Dr. Pieter Ekermans completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Stellenbosch, where he completed a MBChB degree in 2003. He pursued his postgraduate studies at the University of Witwatersrand, obtaining an MMed (ClinPath) degree in Clinical Pathology in 2012. In addition, he completed a DTM&H in 2006 at the same institution. After this, he spent two years working in the Eastern Cape, based in Gqeberha at the National Health Laboratory Services. Since September 2014, Dr. Ekermans has been part of the Department of Medical Microbiology at the National Reference Laboratory of Ampath Laboratories in Centurion. He has a particular interest in mycobacterial diseases, with a focus on non-tuberculous mycobacterial disease. In the sexual health field, he as a particular interest in the screening approach for sexually transmitted infections in men who have sex with men.
Dr Monique Koopman
SASHA Exec
Monique Koopman is a pelvic health physiotherapist providing specialised care to people of all ages and genders, from children to adults, who have a pelvis. Her clinical practice includes the assessment and treatment of bladder, bowel, sexual, and pelvic pain conditions using a trauma-informed, patient-centred approach that prioritises safety, consent, and dignity. She is an experienced clinician with a strong interest in complex pelvic floor dysfunction, persistent pelvic pain, and the impact of trauma on the pelvic body. Her work integrates evidence-based pelvic floor rehabilitation with sensitive, inclusive care tailored to each patient’s lived experience. Monique serves on the executive committee of the Southern African Sexual Health Association (SASHA) and is the incoming President of the South African Society of Physiotherapy.
Dr Robyn Milton
SASHA Exec
Dr Robyn Milton (she/they) is a generalist medical practitioner with special interests in sexual, hormonal and metabolic health. She spent her twenties chasing dopamine as an advanced life support paramedic, but has now hung up her steel toe boots in favour of barefoot shoes. Her practice stems from her own experience as someone with ADHD, anxiety and polycystic ovarian syndrome, and as a member of various alternative lifestyle communities - queer, non-monogamous and covered in tattoos, to name a few. She is a Resuscitation Council of South Africa faculty member and holds post-graduate diplomas in Obstetrics and Disability studies. Robyn aims to approach each clinical scenario with the individual in mind, with a focus on empowering each patient or student to make decisions with the best information available. Her approach will always be on providing a patient-centric preventative and holistic plan first. She believes that with the right care and support, all persons are able to embody their best selves. Robyn lives in Cape Town with her partner and their two cats, and when not working enjoys weightlifting, talking about psychedelic harm reduction, and lots and lots of indie music.
Dr Craig Geoff Howes
SASHA Exec
Dr Craig Geoff Howes is a Palliative and General Practitioner with a special interest in medical education. He holds medical and postgraduate palliative care qualifications from the University of Cape Town (UCT), a Diploma in Emergency Medicine from the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa, and an MSc from the University of Glasgow, focusing on queer-inclusive palliative care education for healthcare workers. Geoff is currently based in the Republic of Ireland, and lectures online part-time at UCT. He is a board member of PALPRAC, and serves on the executive of SASHA in the role of co-treasurer. His work blends clinical care, advocacy, education, and research on health equity and access.
Lisa Welsh
Media and Marketing
Lisa Welsh is a Sex Educator accredited by My Sexual Health and a SASHA SAR Facilitator. A Marketing and Communications Specialist in the sexual health space, her clients include SASHA, My Sexual Health, and the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS), having served as Communications Lead for the last SASHA Conference and the last three WAS Congresses. Lisa has a particular passion for men's sexual wellness, and is dedicated to helping men explore and embrace their authentic sexual selves.