A trauma informed approach to hormonal sensitivity
Sensitive brains, bodies, nervous systems and hormones.
Helping hormonally sensitive women to understand the links between early life stress, attachment wounds, adverse childhood experiences and the nervous system.
My Story
"Do you feel like you are drowning?"
Looking at the image of a middle-aged woman, completely distressed with head in her hands, I immediately self-identified and felt completely seen and heard.
According to this well-renowned Menopause Specialist, my increasing feelings of anxiety, panic, irritability, mood swings, lack of focus, brain fog, burnout and overwhelm were due to perimenopause and my decreasing hormone levels.
This experience has led me to where I am today having navigated this extremely difficult experience and understanding the unique challenges that come with the menopause transition combined with neurodivergence, being a complex trauma survivor and a hormonally sensitive woman.
My method, My Mission
What is my brain body method?
Our life stories are written into our nervous systems through genetics and epigenetics. This process starts in the womb. Our neurodivergence, hormonal profiles and our unique biology and psychology are heavily shaped and influenced by our sensitive childhood and teenage experiences.
You cannot separate your life story, nervous system, environment and hormonal profile.
Early life stress, attachment wounds, disruptions and adverse childhood experiences pave the trajectory for neurodivergence, nervous system dysregulation, hormonal sensitivity and multiple overlapping neurobiological and neuroendocrine risk factors, such as those listed below.
- Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex PTSD
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and AuDHD
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Highly Sensitive People
- PMS and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)
- Postnatal anxiety & depression
- Heightened perimenopause and post menopause symptoms including cognitive, psychological and bodily symptoms
- Endometriosis
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
- Anxiety & Depression
- OCD
- Bipolar Disorder
- Borderline Personality Disorder
- Auto-immune diseases
- Hypothyroidism
- Ehler Dahnlos Syndrome
My sole mission is to raise awareness of the science of hormonal sensitivity and the nervous system and the extensive cross-overs in women’s physical, psychological, cognitive and emotional health. The Brain Body Method® provides a safe space where women can talk about their experiences without shame and stigma.
Welcome to a new integrated strengths-based, trauma-informed and neuroaffirming approach to hormonal sensitivity. Empowering women to take back control through post-traumatic growth, resilience and evidence-based psychoeducation.
What makes this Tribe special?
Education
This is a safe, trauma informed and neuro-affirming community exclusively designed for sensitive women who want to co-regulate and heal. Learning to apply evidence based brain and body regulation skills and techniques to navigate through perimenopause into your Second Spring and beyond is central to our work.
Empowerment
Equipping you with the tools and knowledge to take ownership. Learn how to remove stress, fear and panic as well as regulate emotions. Manage your negative and critical thinking, harness self-compassion and healing by tapping into your unique personal neurobiology and power!
Authenticity
Never apologise for being you!
Your sensitivity can be your superpower! Learn how to connect to your true essence and harness your essential and ‘true’ self all within a safe and secure space.
Holistic
We now know from extensive research, that emotional, psychological and physical human health cannot be separated. The brain, body and mind and indeed all of our human dynamic systems work as a team, not in silos. This is a true bio-psychosocial, evidence based approach. Be open to exploring everything that might be holding you back.
Community
You are not alone! This is a voyage of transformation and a problem shared is a problem halved.
Join our community of inspiring and authentic sensitive women and to share your experiences and learn from others.
Journey
From an ethical perspective personal trauma therapy should always be facilitated and conducted on a purely 1-1 basis*. Deeply personal and Individual trauma therapy cannot be addressed within a group setting. A vital component of 1-1 therapy and successful outcomes are heavily influenced by the client and therapist relationship (Therapeutic Alliance).
*Trauma-informed group psychoeducation is appropriate for learning and understanding hormonal sensitivity. It is also perfect for co-regulation, community psychoeducation and social support but it does not replace 1-1 trauma therapy or trauma recovery. If there are deeper issues that require more in-depth support this should be done on a 1-1 basis.
A lifetime of experience
A bit more about me
Psychology, post-traumatic growth and resilience is at the core of my work.
I grew up in an abusive and toxic family environment. Dealing with an emotionally detached mother and narcissistic father who also exhibited domestic violence, alcoholism, emotional abuse and unrecognised ADHD has had a direct impact on my nervous system, hormonal sensitivity and biological and psychological health.
My own childhood resulted in multiple adverse childhood experiences including physical, emotional, psychological and sexual abuse.
All of my own lived experiences, including my ADHD diagnosis and the traumatic birth of my son, subsequent postnatal depression and my PMS/PMDD allow me to truly step into the shoes of hormonally sensitive women with compassion, empathy and authenticity.
Having been through a frightening, confusing and totally overwhelming perimenopause experience in 2017 I have dedicated my time and energy to making the complex scientific links between female neurobiological and neuropsychological health.
The current mental health approach used by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) labels multiple complex and overlapping female health conditions and personality traits as ‘disorders’ and places them in individual silos.
However, my investigations have uncovered that they are all connected through early life stress, attachment wounds, ACEs, trauma and the nervous system. This results in overlapping neuro-bio-psycho-social symptomology.
My book ‘Hormonally sensitive women, a trauma informed approach’ and personal story outline the critical importance of the requirement to shift towards a more trauma-informed medical model.
