PMDD Coaching & Online Support
Providing You With Tools, Resources & Compassionate Care
Are you struggling with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), trying to navigate feelings of depression, anxiety, isolation, guilt, shame, anger, frustration, confusion, exhaustion and more?
Have you been secretly blaming yourself and/or your body, feeling scared of your monthly cycle, and wondering why you cannot seem to function normally?
Perhaps you’ve been turning to comfort foods and/or substances in an attempt to mitigate both the physical and emotional symptoms that are difficult to understand, communicate and cope with every month. Or maybe you’re tired of feeling like you’re on a rollercoaster, with little to no control over your thoughts, emotions, reactions, relationships and body. It might be that you’re having a hard time at work and/or with family and friends, missing important events, and feeling isolated in shame, anger and guilt.
Are you seeking support and someone to talk to who understands PMDD from the inside-out that can help you feel validated and understood? Do you want help making medical decisions from a PMDD specialist who can serve as an advocate? Are you looking for tools, techniques, resources and overall wellbeing support to help you better understand and manage PMDD and the fluctuations that you experience every month?
You Are Not Alone
It’s extremely common to feel confused and isolated when experiencing PMDD, but I am here to tell you that you are not alone.
As a licensed therapist in Colorado who focuses on supporting women and AFAB (assigned female at birth) individuals with PMDD and PME (premenstrual exacerbation), a woman who lived with PMDD for 14 years, and now as a PMDD coach offering online support, I know both personally and professionally the shame, anger, depression, anxiety, frustration, feelings of isolation, and oftentimes debilitating physical and emotional symptoms that come with living with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder.
The lack of support and understanding I experienced in the Western medical model while going through PMDD inspired me to make a career change more than a decade ago and dedicate my professional work—first as a PMDD therapist and now also as a PMDD coach—to helping women navigate the complexities of these often chronic conditions.
PMDD affects roughly 1 in 20 women, although I’ve also seen studies suggesting that it’s 1 in 12 women; however, we still know very little about what causes this disorder and why it affects certain women. There is evidence, however, that suggests that women who experienced trauma, particularly sexual trauma, may be at higher risk for developing premenstrual dysphoric disorder and premenstrual exacerbation (PME), which can cause pre-existing conditions, such as major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and other mood disorders and physical disorders, such as migraines, epilepsy, asthma and more, to flare up one to two weeks prior to menstruation.
PMDD and PME, both severe hormone-based mood disorders, can have a serious impact on a woman’s quality of life, generally causing debilitating symptoms in the latter half of the monthly menstrual cycle. This information and more can be found on the International Association For Premenstrual Disorders (IAPMD) website, a credible and comprehensive source for support , information and other resources.
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PMDD Coaching & Online PMDD Support Can Help
Because of the severe hormonal fluctuations throughout the month, many women report feeling as though they are living two different lives, which can be highly confusing and frustrating for both them and their loved ones. It can be hard to communicate your experience, especially when you might not fully understand it yourself, and feelings of depression, anxiety, isolation and even desperation may be compounding your distress.
While there is no cure-all for PMDD, there are things that you can do and support that you can receive to help make your life—both internally and externally—feel more manageable.
Through PMDD coaching, I validate your experience, help you feel fully seen and heard, and offer you both practical tools and emotional support as you begin to learn how to find comfort in the distress. I can help you learn how to extend compassion to yourself, communicate effectively with others, and better understand your experience with PMDD. You can also learn and begin implementing new skills, tools and resources that can mitigate PMDD symptoms and support you in living with more ease.
PMDD Coaching Can Help Calm The Chaos
It’s not uncommon for the PMDD experience to feel crazy and chaotic, especially when distressing and often debilitating symptoms are present for half of every month. As someone who has lived with PMDD, studied it extensively, and worked with other women with PMDD for more than a decade, I am here to help.
I began PMDD coaching so I could reach and help women outside of Colorado with this condition that is still misunderstood and often misdiagnosed in the medical world, and certainly not understood, supported and talked about openly in our culture.
I approach all of my PMDD coaching relationships with warmth and compassion, as well as with understanding, given my own journey with PMDD. I’ve been there, lived it, and know first-hand how difficult the physical symptoms and mood fluctuations can be.
Having supported hundreds of women with PMDD over the last decade, I’ve learned that PMDD education and developing an understanding of your own experience with it can feel empowering, or at least bring some relief at first. Tools, exercises and resources can help you make sense of your experience. Cognitive coaching can help you work through challenging emotions, such as shame, blame, guilt and self-loathing that often accompany the condition. And, practical techniques, such as tracking and calendar management, can help you feel more confident in knowing when to expect symptoms, which helps in planning activities, being more present in relationships and feeling more embodied in your life.
Essentially, my role as a PMDD coach is to help serve as your guide as you learn how to better navigate your PMDD journey, finding relief and building support and resources within yourself and in your family and community. With tracking, increased awareness, compassionate support, movement, nutritional changes, emotional regulation tools and other personal wellness strategies, you can develop ways to take better care of your whole self, communicate your needs, and function with a bit more ease.
Your PMDD Coaching & Support Sessions
Our work will begin with a general assessment. Based on your experience with PMDD and what your history, needs and goals are, early in our work together, I create an individualized coaching plan for you. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, as women often are by the time they find their way to me, we can start small and build gradually as you begin to feel more resourced. And, as gaining a better understanding of PMDD can help immensely, our work will likely also begin with psychoeducational information on PMDD and helping you to better articulate and communicate your personal experience with the disorder.
Goals are a big part of coaching, and together, we’ll identify any health, social/relational, family, work/career, educational and communication goals that you’d like to address and work toward throughout our time together.
Other issues/tools/techniques/supports that we can talk about and incorporate into our work together include:
Tracking
Calendar management
Journaling exercises
Mindfulness techniques
Sleep, movement, nutrition and other personal wellness strategies
Communication skills and strategies—both how you communicate with yourself and others
Supportive ways to find comfort and relief in moments of distress
Navigating the healthcare system and making medical decisions
Exploring natural/holistic forms of care
Cognitive coaching for support with challenging emotions
Personalized PMDD Support
Your coaching plan will be tailored to your needs, goals and what is most important to you. Our work together and all sessions are all focused to what you need at the moment—whether you are feeling good or having a challenging day.
For instance, on days that you are feeling energetic and focused, we can address the more practical aspects of PMDD care, such as tracking your cycle, calendar management and ways you can tend to your overall health. On days when you’re feeling more sensitive, we may focus on emotions and where and how you can find a sense of calm and comfort in moments of distress.
Essentially, this is your time. I am here to support you, am open to hearing what resonates with you, and will be with you through what is often a time of trial and error as we identify what works specifically for you. I am committed to providing you with a safe space for you to share, explore, and better understand your experience with premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and, importantly, for you to feel seen, heard, validated and understood.
It’s important to note that PMDD symptoms can cause significant and sometimes severe emotional distress that can lead to mood disorders, including chronic depression, severe anxiety and, for some women, suicidal ideation. Although I am a therapist who specializes in PMDD, I am only licensed to practice therapy in the state of Colorado, whereas, as a coach I can work with anyone, anywhere, offering online coaching and support.
If you’re already working with a therapist and/or if we decide that therapy would be helpful for you, upon signing a release, I can connect with your therapist so we can work together, offering you comprehensive, collaborative care.
PMDD Coaching & Support Provides You With Support, Tools & Relief
Although you may feel like you’re distraught, which is often the case for many—if not most women—by the time they contact me, please know that you’re not alone, and that with compassionate care, support, and practical tools, you can begin to experience some relief.
There are symptoms that can be mitigated and managed. You can begin to better understand and communicate your PMDD experience. And, you can find relief in knowing that you are not alone, your experience is real and valid, and that, with increased self-compassion, you can begin to honor and care for yourself in new ways.
Let’s Connect
I invite you to contact me today at the number and/or email below to schedule a complimentary call. I’m here to listen as you share your symptoms, PMDD history and experience, needs and personal goals with me. You can also ask me any questions you have about PMDD coaching and my practice, and we can discuss how to work together so I can best support you on your PMDD journey.
For more information on me and my practice, please visit my About page. Also, if you reside in the state of Colorado and feel that PMDD therapy may be a better fit for you, please visit Joanna Ford Counseling for more information and resources.