As we age, finding meaningful friendships is important for our health and wellbeing. For some, changes in their life circumstances can mean that it is difficult to maintain existing friendships or develop new ones.

This webinar will provide tips on how do we develop new friendships as we get older, and the importance of investing your time and energy into maintaining existing ones.

Dr Ray King is the co-founder of Older Men: New Ideas (OM:NI) a social group for men over 50.

Ray trained as a school teacher, taught in country schools, and qualified as a registered psychologist. He took up a lectureship at the University of Sydney in 1971, and studied at Cambridge, UK.

Ray retired from Sydney University as Associate Professor and accepted a Visiting Professorship at Charles Sturt University in 1990.  He was made Honorary Professor in 1995.  He has travelled extensively overseas, written and edited a dozen books and acquired professional qualifications in social work, teaching and law.

The Order of Australia (OAM) was presented in 2006 for work in mental health, suicide prevention and for older men.

He is active member of the Riverina community, volunteering for a number of organisations and groups.  He is passionate about the importance of social connections amongst older men.

Dr Jessimine Chen PhD, is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Senior Clinical Psychologist at the Macquarie University Lifespan Health & Wellbeing Research Centre.  She is a clinical researcher and practitioner with expertise in psychological interventions for anxiety and depression across the lifespan.

Her current research is focused on clinical trial of psychological interventions evaluating the effectiveness of improving social connections in in later life on mental health outcomes. Jessamine’s research is also focused on methods of delivering mental health services for older adults.  Clinically, Jessamine has specialised in the assessment and treatment of anxiety and related disorders across the lifespan for over 16 years.

Jessamine is passionate about mental health education and has regularly delivered invited talks to the community hosted by local Councils and community organisations to raise consumer and professional awareness of anxiety and depression in older adults.