The CTWPS practice has always been dedicated to addressing the specific mental health needs of women. Our clinicians are passionate about the need for increased understanding of, and compassion for the particular biological, psychological and socio-cultural experiences of women. In our psychotherapy work, we often support women in developing greater insight around the ways in which their womanhood impacts their thoughts, feelings and behavior on a daily basis; and ultimately, how aspects of their womanhood influences their mental health.
Given my exposure to many women at many different stages of life (e.g. perinatally, postpartum, premenopausal, menopausal) ,over the years, I have developed a wealth of clinical experience that continuously reinforces my belief that there can be close ties between a woman’s reproductive cycle and her mental state. This is not to say that every woman experiences the same fluctuations in mood and mental state at similar points in the reproductive cycle; but simply, each woman responds to the rise and fall of estrogen and progesterone in her body at different points throughout her cycle, to differing degrees, in different ways. Furthermore, the multitude of changes I have observed and tracked with my patients over time are not limited only to the days leading up one’s menstrual period, as popular culture’s interpretation of “PMS” might suggest. A woman’s body, mind and mood is truly influenced by fluctuating hormones throughout the full reproductive cycle - all month long, month after month. Notably and thankfully, these hormonal fluctuations do not always have a negative impact on life! In fact, some women report feeling energized, experiencing greater clarity of thought, and having increased libido at certain points of their cycle.
Just as I have become more convinced of how tightly woven reproductive hormones are in women’s daily lives, I have also become increasingly aware of how infrequently this topic is brought into the therapy room. As normal as it is, menstruation is, and always has been, stigmatized around the world. Historically, menarche and menstruation has symbolized religious impurity and contamination, been linked to witchcraft and evil, and been blamed as the cause of hysteria, disease and disorder. Unfortunately, to this day, playful words, disparaging metaphors and misogynistic themes persist when describing menstruation, (if it is mentioned at all). These tendencies undoubtedly perpetuate the embarrassment, shame and discomfort many women continue to feel about their body and its functions.
Thus, I and my colleagues at CTWPS make it our business to (gently!) inquire about the menstrual cycle with each of our female clients. We encourage exploration of how each woman experiences her cycle, and actively support the destigmatization of these topics. We help women track and assess changes in their mental state, mood and functioning alongside their monthly cycle, in order to better understand when interventions might be most beneficial to alleviate the negative impact of reproductive hormones. We assist women in developing (and following through with) plans for making lifestyle changes and/or medication changes to address difficulties they experience at different points in their cycle. And of course, we continuously educate our clients (male and female alike!), about the role of reproductive hormones in women’s lives, to encourage increased awareness, understanding and compassion for the full range of female experience.
As a female-focused psychotherapy practice, CTWPS is committed to honoring all that it means to be a woman in today’s world. If you or anyone you know would benefit from our expertise treating menstrually-related mood disorders (e.g. PMS, PMDD, Perimenopausal Depression) or mood disorders that tend to be exacerbated by hormonal fluctuations (e.g. depression, anxiety, OCD, and insomnia for example), please reach out to schedule a consultation.
* A note about inclusivity: The aforementioned writing uses terms such as “woman” and “female” to reference individuals whose biological sex assigned at birth is female, and who possess female reproductive organs. We acknowledge that some cisgender women don’t have periods due to menopause, stress, disease or a hysterectomy. They may have never started menstruating due to a variety of medical conditions or they may be transgender or intersex. We also acknowledge there are people who menstruate who aren’t cisgender women. They might be trans men, intersex, genderqueer or nonbinary.