Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, the large group education sessions are designed to be delivered to staff of all ages, men and women. Staff who have responsibility for the health and well being of employees should be encouraged to attend. Testimonial from a previous session. “It's the sort of workshop that would benefit all staff as it impacts a huge proportion of staff and will aid understanding of those working with menopausal women! Thanks for organising. Extremely worthwhile.”

I will explain what menopause is and the hormonal changes that happen at this time of life. We will spend time looking at the vast range of symptoms that women can experience, how these impact women in the work place and how colleagues can provide support. We discuss treatments that are available and also lifestyle changes that can help improve symptoms. I will give tips on how to prepare for an appointment at your doctors surgery and what to expect at this appointment. Ideally these sessions are an hour long but I can tailor them to each individual companies needs. I’ve run shorter lunch time sessions which have worked well.

Menopause education sessions should ideally be run yearly. This keeps the discussion alive and also ensures that new staff coming into the company benefit from this education. Those employees who wish to refresh their knowledge can also do this each year.

If your workplace does not already have a regular menopause support group I hope that following on from the large group education session you consider setting something up. Women who are going through the menopause are best placed to provide support to each other. I would recommend that I come along to this group from time to time to answer questions and give support where required. This is important to ensure that women are getting accurate and up to date advice. Now that menopause is a hot topic there is a lot of information online and sadly not all of it is accurate and safe.

Yes, both the large group education session and the support group support sessions can be delivered remotely via Teams or Zoom if required.

Please get in touch via the contact details on this site to discuss costs. I want to bring workplace menopause education to all businesses big and small. I appreciate that some small workplaces may have restrictions on their staff wellbeing and education budgets and will try to accommodate this. I also offer an annual package which consists of one large group education session and three support group sessions.

I am based in Edinburgh and I am happy to travel to deliver large group education sessions. I have found that delivering them in person can allow staff to open up to each other about their own experiences which enhances the session. I will be bringing these sessions to the Highlands and the West of Scotland in 2023.

Following on from the large group sessions I will provide you with resource sheets to share with your staff. These have links to trusted websites, social media pages, details of a phone app for tracking peri & menopausal symptoms, and a link to an NHS menopause symptom sheet that staff can complete and take to an appointment with their healthcare provider. I will also send you a FAQ’s sheet to cover any questions that were not asked at the end of the session.

I do not write policies as these need be tailored to each individual companies needs and resources. However, for clients I can share my menopause policy framework and work with your HR department on putting together a robust policy.

The list below gives an example of topics that can be covered in the small group support sessions, although I would encourage the women attending the group to choose what they want to discuss.

Perimenopause- How to recognise and record symptoms to aid timely recognition of perimenopause and when is the right time to see a GP/Nurse to discuss treatment options

GP/nurse appointments - Top tips and advice about how to ensure women get the most out of their appointment. I can provide an NHS Symptom sheet that I encourage women to fill out and take to their appointment which helps them have a productive discussion especially if they come across a clinician who is reluctant to prescribe HRT.

Alternative treatments- For those who either are unable or do not wish to take HRT

Lifestyle measures- Often women focus solely on HRT in the hope it will resolve all symptoms but it is important to use HRT along with lifestyle changes to maximize response to treatment.

Treatment options - Discussion around not one size fits all and importance of tailoring treatment to the individual women. I can give women suggestions about how to tweak their treatment which they can then discuss with their GP/Nurse.

Duration of treatment - Due to the lack of menopause training some GPs suggest/make women come off HRT after a set period of time. I will ensure that women have the knowledge to address this, there are no arbitrary time limits as long as it remains safe to continue.