The menopause gap in therapist training

At Jennifer Young, we have always set out to improve the spa industry for everyone involved, especially when it comes to vulnerable clients. 

In practical terms, that has meant two things:

1. Empowering therapists with greater knowledge by filling gaps in their specialist training.
2. Improving the client experience in spa, beauty and wellbeing environments by personalising treatments and meeting individual needs.

The gap in supporting menopausal women

One of the areas in which therapists and clients have both been feeling exasperated and under supported in recent years is handling the menopause. That’s why we recently launched M+, which is now going into its second phase with the launch of our Hormonal Wellness Mentor and Coach diploma.

For women, there are a number of challenges in the way society and the medical profession currently handle menopause. There’s a general lack of understanding, conversation, information and options, with most of the women we speak to experiencing a blanket response at the GP surgery in the form of an HRT prescription.  

Spas and therapists, by nature, offer a nurturing environment where a client’s defensive walls instinctively come down. The intimacy of touch treatments creates a space for conversation and clients often feel safe in confiding their feelings and experiences. That’s an enormous privilege for those of us in the industry. However, despite knowing the natural correlation between touch treatments and verbal communication, menopause presents yet another area in which therapists are not equipped in their general training to provide tangible feedback and to be that proverbial shoulder to cry on. 

Much like we found in developing our oncology touch treatments, this lack of training can mean that therapists are expected to take on more of an emotional burden than they are professionally equipped for. However, it also means that many feel powerless to provide their clients with the right level of support, which can be frustrating for people who tend to be naturally caring and empathetic.

Discover the menopause challenges Meera Bhogal experienced

How therapists can support menopausal women

Where the medical profession has its own merits, the wellbeing industry has an opportunity to provide additional support for women who want to explore or include more holistic approaches to menopause. 

There’s a vast array of symptoms that women can experience (34 to be exact), from night sweats to brain fog, anxiety to depression, sleeplessness and more. Most people find that there’s no single ‘fix’ but that a variety of things help to support, nurture and help them manage those symptoms and emotions, as they come to terms with a new phase of life. This is where spas and therapists can offer a  wide variety of support.

For some the most helpful thing is having someone to talk to, for others it’s about treatments like aromatherapy or reflexology. 

Therapist, Naomi, said: “I think the menopause should be addressed holistically. As someone who as recently as yesterday was offered HRT when I don’t even need it, it would have been nice to be offered anything other than that. As therapists there’s a lot we can offer, sometimes it’s just a listening ear - people don’t always want advice, they want you not to judge them for what they’re going through. However, support is also in the treatments we give, nurturing treatments like reflexology and aromatherapy that are great for grounding women so they know they’re a person, they exist and they deserve that care.”

There’s also a community element to the spa industry - a sisterhood, if you like. Many therapists having experienced menopause themselves and are therefore able to offer a degree of empathy that many find lacking in other areas of their lives.

Therapist, Jane, who was also one of our models in our recent photoshoot, said: “I feel there should be practitioners out there who can do much more for menopausal women. I talk to women every day, I can relate to them, we joke about it and it makes them feel it’s not just them going through it, there are loads of women going through it.”

The Jennifer Young Hormonal Wellness Mentor and Coach diploma is about delivering the support that both therapists and clients need, as well as honing therapist skills and knowledge to better respond to client needs. If you would like to find out more, you can contact us any time, or follow the link below. 

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