Women’s Mental Health
When your body changes and your mind follows
Counselling for women navigating perimenopause and menopause — anxiety, mood changes, sleep, identity, and relationships. Online nationwide and face-to-face across England.
NCPS Organisational Member
Professionally registered therapists
Free 15-minute consultation
★ ★ ★ ★ ★“I thought I was losing my mind. The anxiety came from nowhere. My counsellor helped me understand what was happening and gave me ways to cope — alongside the HRT my GP prescribed.”
Client who sought support during perimenopause
5,000+
People supported
90+
Qualified therapists
5 ★
Website testimonials
20+
Counties across England
This page is part of our women’s mental health hub — visit for a full overview of how we support women.
The Hormonal Reality
This is not in your head — and it is not just hot flushes
The conversation around menopause has improved in recent years, but it still tends to focus on the physical symptoms — hot flushes, night sweats, weight changes. What gets less attention is the psychological impact, which for many women is the hardest part: the anxiety that arrives without warning, the low mood that settles like fog, the feeling that your emotional thermostat has been recalibrated without your consent.
Around 70 per cent of women experience some degree of psychological impact during perimenopause and menopause. For some, this means manageable mood fluctuations. For others, it means severe anxiety, panic attacks, depression, cognitive difficulties, and a sense of losing themselves that can be genuinely frightening — especially if they have never experienced mental health difficulties before.
This is not weakness. It is not “just your age.” Oestrogen and progesterone directly affect the brain’s regulation of mood, stress response, sleep, and cognitive function. When these hormones fluctuate and decline, the effects are real, measurable, and deserving of proper support.
What You Might Be Experiencing
Perimenopause, anxiety, and mood
Anxiety and panic
New or intensified anxiety — racing thoughts, a sense of dread, physical panic symptoms — that seems to have no proportionate cause. Many women experience this for the first time during perimenopause.
Low mood and depression
A persistent flatness, tearfulness, loss of motivation, or a feeling that the colour has drained from things that used to bring pleasure.
Sleep disruption
Difficulty falling asleep, waking in the early hours, or night sweats that leave you exhausted — compounding every other symptom and making everything harder to cope with.
Irritability and rage
A shorter fuse than usual. Disproportionate reactions to minor frustrations. A simmering anger that feels unfamiliar and hard to control.
Brain fog and concentration
Difficulty concentrating, forgetting words, losing your train of thought — symptoms that can be alarming, especially in a professional context.
Loss of confidence
A creeping sense that you are no longer capable, attractive, or relevant — often at odds with the reality of your life and achievements.
Beyond the Symptoms
Identity, relationships, and grief
Perimenopause and menopause are not just hormonal events. They are life transitions that can touch every part of how you see yourself and how you relate to the people around you.
For some women, menopause brings a kind of grief — for fertility, for youth, for a version of yourself that is changing. For others, it coincides with children leaving home, ageing parents, career reassessment, or relationship strain. The physical changes can affect how you feel in your body, your confidence, and your sense of desirability. And the cultural messages around ageing and womanhood — however much progress has been made — can make all of this harder to carry.
These are not trivial concerns. They are the psychological reality of a major life transition, and counselling offers a space to process them honestly — not to be told to accept them, but to work out what they mean for you and how you want to respond.
If your symptoms follow a cyclical pattern linked to your menstrual cycle, you may be experiencing PMDD — visit our dedicated PMDD hub for detailed information and support.
How Counselling Helps
Working alongside medical treatment — not instead of it
Counselling for perimenopause and menopause is not an alternative to HRT or other medical treatment. It works alongside it — addressing the emotional and psychological experience that hormones alone cannot resolve. Many women find that even with effective HRT, they still carry anxiety, grief, relationship strain, or identity questions that benefit from a different kind of support.
CBT is specifically recommended by NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) for managing the psychological symptoms of menopause, including anxiety, low mood, and sleep difficulties. Research also shows that CBT can help women cope with hot flushes and night sweats — reducing their impact on daily life even where the physical symptoms persist.
Person-centred counselling offers something different: a space to explore what this transition means for you — your identity, your relationships, your sense of purpose — without an agenda or a set of techniques to follow. Some women benefit from one approach; others find a combination most helpful. Your therapist will work with you to find what fits.
Sessions are 50 minutes, confidential, and available online or face-to-face.
Our Approach
How we work with perimenopause and menopause
Our booking team and your therapist will discuss which approach — or combination — feels most appropriate for what you are bringing. You do not need to know which is right before you start.
What our clients say
Real experiences
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I thought I was losing my mind. The anxiety came from nowhere. My counsellor helped me understand what was happening and gave me ways to cope — alongside the HRT my GP prescribed.
Client who sought support during perimenopause
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I’d been bottling everything up for years. Having someone who actually listened — without rushing me or telling me what to do — made me realise I didn’t have to keep carrying it all on my own.
Sarah, who sought support for anger and relationships
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Nobody had ever explained to me that what I was feeling could be hormonal. Just understanding that changed everything. The CBT gave me practical tools on top.
Client who sought support for menopause-related anxiety
Client experiences are unique. Results vary between individuals.
Getting started
How it works
Starting counselling can feel like a big step. Here is how it works.
1
Free consultation
A brief, no-pressure 15-minute conversation. We listen and find out whether we can help.
2
Matched with a therapist
We match you with a therapist experienced in supporting women through perimenopause and menopause.
3
Your first session
A chance to talk about what you are experiencing. No pressure, no rush.
4
Ongoing support
Weekly sessions at your pace. No fixed commitment.
Most clients hear back from us the same working day, and typically begin sessions within a week of the free consultation — depending on your preferences and therapist availability.
Standards you can trust
How we match you with the right therapist for perimenopause and menopause
Choosing a therapist is a personal decision, and we take time to get the match right.
A careful match, not a long list
Therapist availability changes from week to week, so rather than asking you to choose from a directory, we take time during your free 15-minute consultation to understand what you are looking for — and then match you with a therapist suited to your needs.
During the consultation, we will ask about:
- What you would like the work to focus on, and any specific concerns
- Whether you would prefer face-to-face, online, or combination or both
- Any preferences around therapy approach (counselling, CBT, EMDR, hypnotherapy, mindfulness, ACT, compassion focused therapy and others)
- Day and time availability
- Any specialisms (LGBTQIA+ affirming, neurodiversity-affirming, particular life experiences)
- Practical preferences (therapist gender, age range, shared lived experience)
All therapists we work with are qualified and registered with appropriate UK professional bodies, and we will confirm the most suitable options with you before any sessions begin.
Professional standards across our team
Hope Therapy & Counselling Services has been operating since 2014, and we hold Organisational Membership with the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS). We work in line with the NCPS Code of Ethics and BACP Good Practice, and our wider clinical standards include:
- Qualified, professionally registered therapists across the team — registrations vary per therapist and are confirmed before matching
- Ongoing clinical supervision in line with professional body requirements
- Continuing professional development to maintain and develop practice
- Clear confidentiality standards, with limits explained before sessions begin
- Client-centred, non-judgemental and inclusive practice across all areas of identity and experience
- Founder-led clinical oversight from Ian Stockbridge — MBACP (Senior Accredited) – who continues to lead the practice and oversee its standards
Whether you choose face-to-face counselling near you or online therapy from anywhere in the UK, you can expect to be matched with a therapist who is appropriately qualified and suited to the support you are looking for.
Transparent Pricing
Our fees
No hidden costs. Your therapist and fees are discussed during your free consultation.
Counselling
From £65
per 50-minute session
- Person-centred or integrative approach
- Online via Zoom or telephone
- Face-to-face where available
CBT
From £85
per 50-minute session
- Structured, goal-focused approach
- Practical tools and strategies
- Online or face-to-face
EMDR
From £95
per 50-minute session
- For trauma experiences
- Evidence-based approach
- Online or face-to-face
Looking for a more affordable option? We may be able to offer sessions at a reduced rate — just ask during your free consultation.
London clients: Location-adjusted rates may apply. Please ask during your free consultation and we will confirm the exact fee before you commit to anything.
FAQ
Common questions about menopause and counselling
Does perimenopause cause anxiety?
Yes. Anxiety is one of the most common psychological symptoms of perimenopause, affecting around 70 per cent of women to some degree. Fluctuating oestrogen and progesterone levels directly affect the brain’s regulation of mood, stress response, and sleep. Many women experience anxiety for the first time during perimenopause, or find that pre-existing anxiety significantly worsens. It is not imagined and it is not “just stress” — it has a hormonal basis, and counselling can help you manage it.
Can counselling help with menopause?
Yes. CBT is specifically recommended by NICE for managing the psychological symptoms of menopause, including anxiety, low mood, and sleep disruption. Person-centred counselling can also help you process the identity changes, relationship strain, and grief that often accompany this transition. Counselling works alongside medical treatment such as HRT — it addresses the emotional and psychological experience, not just the symptoms.
How is menopause different from PMDD?
PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder) is a cyclical condition linked to the menstrual cycle, causing severe mood and physical symptoms in the days before a period. Menopause is the permanent end of menstruation, and perimenopause is the transition leading up to it. Some women with PMDD find their symptoms change during perimenopause — sometimes improving, sometimes worsening. We have a dedicated PMDD hub with extensive information if that is relevant to you.
Can counselling work alongside HRT?
Absolutely. Counselling and HRT address different aspects of the menopause experience. HRT manages the hormonal changes; counselling helps you process the emotional impact — the anxiety, the identity shifts, the relationship strain, and the grief that hormones alone cannot resolve. Many women find the combination of medical and psychological support is the most effective approach.
Is everything I say in counselling confidential?
Yes. Sessions are confidential in line with professional ethical standards. There are some limited exceptions — for example, where there is a serious risk of harm to you or someone else — and your therapist will explain these clearly before you begin.
How much does counselling cost?
Individual counselling sessions start from £65 for a 50-minute session. CBT starts from £85 and EMDR from £95. The free 15-minute consultation carries no cost and no obligation.
Related Support
You might also find these helpful
Related conditions
Therapy approaches
Meet Our Founder
Built by someone who saw the need from the inside
★
SCoPEd Band C
MBACP & SNCPS Senior Accredited
“Having worked for more than 25 years in senior management, I saw the same thing repeatedly — people struggling with mental health and relationship challenges, and so often struggling to access the right support when it was needed. It was out of this recognition of human need that Hope was born.”
Ian Stockbridge founded Hope Therapy after 25+ years leading large commercial teams – watching colleagues carry stress, anxiety, and personal difficulty with nowhere to turn. He retrained rigorously, now holding Senior Accredited status with both the BACP and NCPS, alongside SCoPEd Band C — the highest independent competence verification in the UK counselling profession.
He remains a practising therapist, clinical supervisor, published author of PMDD Uncovered, and co-presenter of The Talk Room Podcast. Hope Therapy was built on the things he saw were most broken – and designed, from the ground up, to do better.
MBACP (Senior Accredited)
SNCPS (Acc)
SCoPEd Band C
BSc (Hons) CBT
PGCert Supervision L7
Quality Award 2024 — 95%+
You do not have to wait until something breaks
A free, no-obligation 15-minute conversation. No pressure, no script — just a chance to be heard, ask questions, and see whether we feel like the right fit.
Get in Touch
Start your enquiry
Not sure where to start? Send us a message and a member of our team will get back to you. All enquiries are treated in the strictest confidence.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“From the very first phone call, I felt heard. They didn’t rush me — they helped me work out what I needed.”
Hope Therapy enquiry feedback
NCPS Organisational Member
Est 2014
90+ Qualified Therapists
National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society
British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
British Association for Behavioural & Cognitive Psychotherapies
Individual registrations vary per therapist. Last reviewed: May 2026.