APN Clinical Focus Webinar Friday 29th November 2024 10am to 1pm

WEBINAR PRESENTATION - recording will be available to those who register

Promoting Mental Health over Menopause: Understanding the Evidence and Building Self-Compassion

Dr Lydia Brown, Clinical Psychologist, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, University of Melbourne

While mental health issues are not usually central to the experience of menopause, a subgroup of women are at greater risk of experiencing mental health symptoms or disorders over the menopause years. Moreover, some menopausal symptoms may overlap with or complicate common mental health disorders, and this should be factored in to assessment and treatment planning when working with midlife women. This seminar will provide a research update on the relationship between menopause and mental health, and share practical strategies that therapists can use to ensure menopause is adequately considered in assessment and treatment planning. Based on research on the relationship between self-compassion and resilience in menopause, the second half of this seminar will explore how self-compassion can be used to help clients build healthy cognitions and behaviours that promote mental health over perimenopause and beyond.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand current evidence on the relationship between menopause and mental health
• Gain skills incorporating menopause into clinical assessment and treatment planning
• Gain an introductory understanding of how self-compassion can be used to help clients build healthy thoughts and behaviours over menopause and beyond