Hormonal Mood Disorders (PMS / PMDD) Naturopath
My PMS and PMDD clients often tell me that they feel like someone else between ovulation and their period. But this is not normal: there should be no lead-up at all to your period. I can can help you to feel happier and have more balanced moods through effective naturopathic treatment.
Improve your overall quality of life
When your hormones are balanced, moods and hormonal changes don’t impact your life and relationships.
Better cope with day-to-day life
Naturopathic treatment can help you get off the hormone roller coaster and live with less erratic ups and downs.
Intimately understand your body
I'll help you get to know the ins and outs of your cycle so you can live without the burden of hormone fluctuations.
Your journey starts at home
Before we meet for the first time, I'll ask you to complete some preliminary health assessment forms and share the results of any recent medical test results and investigations. I'll also ask you to record your menstrual cycle and period symptoms for at least one full cycle. This allows me to approach the initial consultation with full knowledge of your particular circumstances.
The initial consultation
In our first consultation I will thoroughly explore your whole health, hormone / reproductive health, gut health, nervous system, immune system, lifestyle, diet, medical history and genetics to identify the cause of your symptoms and areas of imbalance.
We’ll talk about how your PMS / PMDD is impacting you with sufficient time to formulate a detailed plan for the best way to proceed. We work together to develop a plan that works for you and you'll go home with some nutritional and lifestyle recommendations to get started on right away.
Hormone testing and treatment plan
Baseline hormone testing may be necessary or I may refer you to your GP for routine pathology.
Now that you have a treatment plan, you can start implementing my recommendations. I generally allow 3 weeks for this stage, to allow adequate time to see some changes and identify any obstacles. During this time you might need to track your symptoms and menstrual cycle and record a food/lifestyle diary.
Follow-up consultations
Three weeks later we will meet for your first follow-up consultation. By now you will have implemented some of the diet and lifestyle changes and started on naturopathic supplements. We will have the results from any hormone testing and can discuss your progress and ongoing goals.
We may need to adjust the prescription of supplements, set new goals for your treatment, and schedule future appointments. I will give you an idea of how long it will take to see results.
Ongoing support
As a minimum, I recommend at least two follow up appointments over three months. A realistic timeframe for working on hormonal mood disorders is three to six months but this varies from person to person as every woman responds to treatment differently.
An investment in your quality of life
$
220
1st COnsult
Includes:
1 hour initial consultation – $220
- Diet and lifestyle assessment and health review
- Detailed personalised treatment plan
- Hormone testing if necessary*
- Prescription of nutritional, herbal and therapeutic supplements*
40 minute follow-up consultation – $110
- Modified plan for the next stage of treatment
- Motivational coaching and education
- Adjust or repeat prescription of supplements
- Implement the next stage of your treatment
As a minimum, I recommend at least two follow up appointments over three months, but many of my clients continue to work with me for longer to keep working on their health goals.
Additional maintenance consultations ($55) are available depending on your circumstances. You can book 15-minute maintenance mini-appointments as needed to check-in, make minor modifications to your treatment plan, re-prescribe, and review pathology / investigations.
* Functional testing and supplements not included in consultation price.
Qualified clinical naturopath
Bachelor of Health Science (Naturopathy)
Torrens University Australia
Australian Natural Therapists Association
Professional member
Registered for Pathology and Hormone Testing
Functional health practitioner
Naturopath and Herbalists Association of Australia
Accredited naturopath
Complementary Medicine Practitioner Association Council
Registered member
Australian National Register of Accredited Natural Therapists
Registered member
Understanding premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)
PMS & PMDD share similar symptoms to depression, the difference being that these conditions improve once menstruation begins. It's worth putting in the extra effort to distinguish between these two as untreated PMS & PMDD can be misdiagnosed as depression.
You're probably not surprised to hear that women are at greater risk of affective mood disorders than men. We are two to three times more likely to suffer from depression than men due to the involvement of reproductive hormones.
PMS and PMDD aren't just about "low moods and tears": symptoms can be emotional and physical and they can impact on work, school, social life, home life and relationships. Sometimes diagnosed as depression, anxiety, IBS or “just hormones” – especially in teenagers – misdiagnosis of PMS and PMDD can be immensely damaging.
These conditions are so common that they are generally accepted as normal. But I want people to see that it is NOT normal: there is a direct link between hormone dysregulation and mental health.
Your symptoms are NOT normal and help IS available.
How I can help
As a naturopath I can be helpful in relieving psychological and/or physical symptoms of premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Effective treatment of PMS and PMDD often requires supplementation as well as dietary and lifestyle modification, and research has shown nutritional and herbal medicine to be promising solutions.
I have found that different strategies work for different women because there are many variables to consider. We need to find the underlying cause of PMS/PMDD and I like to use a comprehensive case-taking approach, leaving no stone unturned, including functional pathology if needed.
Improving general underlying health is the most effective way to relieve premenstrual mood symptoms.
What you can expect from working with me
Dietary and lifestyle review
We start by reviewing your personal circumstances and providing guidance on making sustainable practical changes that will work for you.
Coaching, counselling and education
I want to help you understand how your body works to get to the root cause of your hormonal imbalance. I see my role as coaching and motivating you to make sustainable changes to get results. You will gain knowledge and resources to enable you to manage your own health and wellbeing independently when our journey together is over.
Nutritional and herbal supplements
Aiming to achieve the best possible outcomes, I often prescribe high-quality, nutritional, herbal, and therapeutic supplements. With deep working knowledge of supplements to address many kinds of health issues, I am familiar with all the major suppliers in Australia.
Functional testing and investigations
Further testing and investigations may help uncover the causes of your symptoms and point us to the best treatment pathways. As a fully qualified and certified general health practitioner, I can refer you for further testing and investigations. I am registered with a range of pathology partners Australia-wide, including Australian Clinical Labs, NutriPath, InterClinical Laboratories, RN Labs, Genova Diagnostics, and MetaBiome.
Personalised treatment plan
Working closely with you one-to-one, we will create a tailored treatment plan with dietary and lifestyle recommendations designed to support your health and treat the symptoms of PMS or PMDD.
