A Hero's Welcome Podcast
A Hero’s Welcome Podcast
Hosted by Liliana Baylon and Maria Laquerre Diego, both LMFT-S and RPT-S
A Hero’s Welcome is a podcast for therapists, supervisors, and mental health professionals who want honest, culturally responsive conversations about clinical work, trauma, play therapy, supervision, and the humanity of being a helper. Each episode brings practical insight, real stories, and thoughtful reflection for clinicians who want to serve with depth, humility, and courage.
We discuss mental health topics, including psychotherapy models, clinical interventions, trauma-informed practices, and the role of cultural humility in therapeutic work. Our guests share their experiences serving children, families, and communities impacted by systemic stressors, offering insights and practical tools for fellow practitioners.
Whether you're looking to deepen your understanding of culturally competent care or seeking a community that values diversity and inclusion, A Hero’s Welcome offers a space for reflection, learning, and growth.
Hosts:
Liliana Baylon
liliana@lilianabaylon.com
Maria Laquerre-Diego
maria@anewhopetc.org
A Hero's Welcome Podcast
Menstrual Health & Mental Well-Being in Therapy with Jessica Kruckeberg
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Are you curious about how menstrual cycle health can revolutionize therapy? Discover the often-overlooked connection between hormonal shifts, mental health, and physical well-being in our enlightening episode featuring Jessica Krukerberg, a licensed marriage and family therapist and certified sex therapist. Jessica shares invaluable insights on how chronic pelvic pain, menstrual dysfunction, autoimmune diseases, and neurodivergent conditions like autism and ADHD intersect with mental health. You’ll learn to approach these complexities in therapy by considering menstrual cycles, medication, and holistic health strategies.
Unpack the misinterpretations of women's health within the medical model alongside Jessica, who highlights the pitfalls of labeling symptoms as purely psychosomatic. We'll discuss actionable steps for therapists, such as tracking clients' moods throughout their menstrual cycles and understanding their medication history. This conversation also sheds light on how birth control can impact mental health, advocating for informed, holistic approaches to care that prioritize both physical and mental health considerations.
Gain insights into your female clients' lived experiences to support them effectively in a predominantly reactive medical system. Jessica emphasizes the importance of empathy, continuous education, and open communication in therapy. Hear personal anecdotes and professional insights that underscore the value of addressing menstrual health and hormonal changes in treatment. This episode is a call to action for clinicians to challenge societal stigmas and support their clients with a proactive, comprehensive approach to mental and physical well-being.
Jessica Info:
Jessica Kruckeberg, LMFT-S, CST
Phone: 1-720-288-0645
Email: info@areasofgrowth.com
www.areasofgrowth.com
IG: https://www.instagram.com/areasofgrowth
A Hero's Welcome Podcast © Maria Laquerre-Diego & Liliana Baylon
Understanding Menstrual Cycle Health in Therapy
Speaker 1Thank you for joining us on today's episode of the Heroes Welcome podcast . I'm Maria and I'm here with my co-host , that's me , Liliana , and we're here with a special guest .
Speaker 2Jessica , how would you like to introduce yourself ?
Speaker 3I mean you just said Jessica , so I'm Jessica Krukerberg . I mean , like you said about all the letters after your name , like , okay , so I'm a licensed marriage and family therapist , amft approved supervisor , a sex sex . There's certified sex therapist . I forget all what the letters mean . Yeah .
Speaker 2So those are all my letters .
Speaker 3I have a private practice and where's your private practice ? Down in Centennial , Colorado , and I specialize in working with people with chronic pelvic pain but not just pelvic pain , chronic pain , I should say and menstrual dysfunction , now autoimmune diseases . I feel like I'm now getting a specialty in neurodivergency because I see that a lot . So autism and ADHD .
Speaker 2Yeah .
Speaker 3And then how all those things coalesce in one person .
Speaker 1Excellent , and that's kind of where we're headed for our chat today . Right , we're going to talk a little bit specifically about menstrual cycle function , or the theory that it can function healthily , and the dysfunction and what that what clinicians in general need to know .
Speaker 3Well , I was thinking about this earlier and we're all MFT , so I feel like we're all going to just like nod our heads and be like , yeah , because this is part of the system , right ? So when we view things , you know , I have a problem when we view depression and anxiety as the diagnosis full stop , rather than the symptom and how , when we miss talking to our clients about the menstrual cycle . If they don't have a menstrual cycle , maybe they're on birth control , maybe they're post-menopausal or pregnant , right , and thinking of all the reasons somebody might not have a or , you know , with the uterus might not have a menstrual cycle . Those are still conversations we have to have because those are impacting our clients . The hormones are impacting how our clients view the world , interpret the world , experience the world .
Speaker 2I love that . So for everyone who's out there listening , I just want you to know that I was very privileged to attend one of Jessica's presentation and my mind just kept like blowing up . And then someone asked , jessica , but what about when you're working with teenagers ? And I was like , yes , most of us were working with females who are preteens and teens and their cycle is becoming earlier and earlier . How come we don't have access to this information so that we don't dismiss it into anxiety or depression , when their hormones are affecting them , how they perceive the world ?
Speaker 3Right , I mean , I think we're just dismissing women in general , not just teenage women , right , like that . This is just anxiety or depression .
Speaker 2Yeah .
Speaker 1Yes , thank you for saying that and bringing it in the room .
Speaker 2For all all listeners . Maria and I tend to talk a lot about how , when we go to the ER , we get dismissed quite often into having panic attacks or just anxiety . And for me that I have the privilege of knowing Jessica is original to Jessica and it's like this is what's happening and for her to organize it in order for me to advocate for myself . So thank you for all the videos that you have sent me so that I can learn about my body and I can advocate in a different way . But how can we empower others who do not have access to you the way that I do ?
Speaker 3Right ? Oh , because I think too . I was watching a YouTube video which I did send you , liliana , earlier today , and the person was talking about having to manage ourselves . I don't love the way she phrased that , but when she explained what she meant , I was like , okay , I can get behind it , but we can't rely on doctors to manage what our experience is and to ask the right questions and have the full experience . And so we need to do the research , we need to do the readings and I think , as clinicians , that's where we can support our clients , because we see our clients way more frequently than their medical providers right ? And to help them understand and not perpetuate the societal and medical system gaslighting that this isn't worth talking about , right ? Whatever this is it could be their pain , it could be the menstrual cycle , it could be , you know , their gut health , right ? You know , I see so many people go . I don't think this is right , I don't think I think something is wrong , but then that symptom is dismissed .
Speaker 1Right Labs always look fine or they're like , especially with hormones . They're like your estrogen level is normal , like it's still taboo . Why is it that we're not having this information , not just for our own health , but like to then be able to pass this along to our female presenting clients ?
Speaker 3I mean one . Our society doesn't like talking about periods , why ? Right , Because we're told they're like these . It's a secret , right ? We're told , even right , when you carry a tampon to the bathroom you hide it and we're told it's dirty , we're told it's messy , we're told it's inconvenient . Right , that's a huge pitch , for birth control is like periods , inconvenient . Here , take continuous birth control and never have one and don't get me wrong , I can get behind that for a moment but they're inconvenient and they tell so much , right , this like fifth vital sign .
Speaker 3And then I think , as therapists and clinicians , the theories we practice , the trainings we get , don't incorporate it . Yeah , theories we practice , the trainings we get , don't incorporate it . Yeah , right , they're just like . You know , I'm gonna throw eft under the bus for a second , but right , eft is like okay , this is what you know , you're showing up , it's an attachment style . It's an attachment style . I'm like yeah , but but what about if you're , you know , like , in the luteal phase and you just don't want to be touched ? Yeah , right , like . Or there's a menstrual cycle happening too . So many things , see , I think I'm not taught to do it .
Speaker 1Yeah , no , and I love that there can be , um , you know , multiple answers that could be correct for the same question . Um , because I think that's the other thing is like you get told this is it period . End of sentence . We are not going to discuss this further . There is no other options to look at . You know , regardless , you know , depending on like what the situation is , um , but yeah , I think , I think it's still considered very dirty and and taboo and it's like what it's happening to half the population .
Speaker 3Yeah , right now there's women walking around menstruating shocking .
Speaker 1If you're listening to this doing grocery shopping , that's probably either you or the woman next to you in the grocery store but um .
Speaker 2So you know , for all of us who are working with these clients and I love that you mentioned specifically amado , because I think all models are so messed up not talking about this , especially when we're talking from an attachment perspective so if you're working with couples , if you're working with um , any female presenting right like what is it that we need to ask ? I love how emdr now is asking us do not go to depression automatically . Can we go and find out if they have any deficiencies in their bodies ? Can we rule those out ? Before you go here ? And there's other models who are asking us already . Are you asking these questions ?
Speaker 2We have not gone to the level of becoming aware in regards to menstrual cycle , which this is why I love having conversations with you and that's why I also think everyone else needs to know about you . I cannot just be me or Maria , but even in your training , when you were talking about the role of estrogen and I was like hold on what ? And I remember like I was like not writing fast enough , we were like talking about it because I was like holy shit , I didn't even consider that , yeah , estrogen is a fantastic hormone .
Speaker 3Yes , it is . And I mean to go back to your question what do we need to be asking clients ? My first question is are you on birth control and how long have you been there ? Because birth control doesn't give us estrogen , even if it is the you know , the dual one , where it does have estrogen , it's not chemically identical to the body's estrogen and there's been study after study after study outside of the United States about how birth control contributes to anxiety and depression , like there's a strong connection . Those studies aren't in the US because they're like no , no , no , no , no , no .
Speaker 3I don't want to hear it , but no , Right . And so to me again . Like you know , don't go straight to depression or anxiety . Yeah , If someone's on birth control , I'm not going to be like , yes , you have anxiety until they're off birth control for like six months and I can see how they show up .
Speaker 2Yeah , and even I share with you right now that premenopausal yes , all of you who are listening , this is exactly what's happening in my body . Guess what ? The first attempt to help me with all these night sweats and my face turning red everywhere I go . Thank you for pointing it out in pictures . Um , what is happening now is that they are prescribing me a combination of depression and anxiety pills to hit that part of the brain so that I can have some sleep , so that I'm not waking up . But we're even using those pills to help me with this , which is something that not everyone is talking about it either , because there's no awareness . People are in shock when I share that piece .
Speaker 3And then those same pills kill your sex drive . And then you show back up in my office going we have mismatched like sex drives , Like no , you don't , You're on anti-anxiety because you've been on birth control for a decade . And let's start peeling back those layers .
Speaker 1I think it fits the conversation in terms of like the symptoms , the diagnoses that show up in clinicians' office are symptoms of a probably underlying biological concern or issue . Would you also agree , Jessica , that that's the case ?
Speaker 3A lot of it , yes , especially like if we just look at the menstrual cycle . A lot of it , yes , especially like if we just look at the menstrual cycle . I mean , I'm looking at also people who are experiencing autoimmune diseases , you know neurodivergencies like who are going . I don't think something's right , but no one believes me . And so , even if it's not a dysfunction , even if the menstrual cycle is functioning exactly how it's supposed to function , it's still impacting our moods , it's impacting our cognitions , it's impacting our energy levels .
Speaker 1So even a healthy person with not even an ounce of dysfunction is still being impacted by this we love that right , and so we're supposed to function as though everything is normal right you and there's capitalism for you .
Speaker 3Yeah , there's that system . And I think , too , I get frustrated because the clients that end up in my office ,
Navigating Women's Health in Therapy
Speaker 399% of them are referred by a medical provider and I always have to . I love those medical providers , I network with them , you know , I talk to them a lot , but I have to take it with a grain of salt because I don't want to perpetuate that gaslighting and say this is psychosomatic . Yeah , and you know , and I feel like a lot of our theories and a lot of the ways we practice perpetuate that .
Speaker 1Yeah , well , we work in that medical model . Yes , right , so if you're working with insurance and needing reimbursement , then we are held to those standards for sure , and that the longer . The larger conversation that we seem to be having more and more , liliana , is that what we see as mental health not always , you know , we're not going to put an absolute on it , but more often than not those diagnoses are actually symptoms of something else that's actually going on .
Speaker 2Yeah . So for everyone who's listening , especially in the last episodes , we're being actually talking more and more that clients are not coming to you because of depression . They're not coming to you because of anxiety . They're coming to you because the symptoms that they have with this . We have to use those labels .
Speaker 2If you're working with systems in order to get pay and justify services with systems in order to get pay and justify services , but you are working with the whole individual and that includes , as Jessica is pointing out , if you're having a cycle , are you on birth control ? What are you taking ? How often are your blood levels are being tested ? And again , I love how Jessica even started saying like but in that moment when you were tested , these are the numbers . This is what they diagnosed you or not diagnosed you . And this is where most of us who are clients go on into .
Speaker 2Something does not feel right . The expectation is that I function , but I have no energy , or I have no sex drive , but I have no energy , or I have no sex drive , or I feel like I'm going crazy . And to be minimized with what are your stressors ? Tell me about your anxiety ? Is that the service to the client in front of you and when you work with systems , especially with couples , is that the service not sharing this with both in the session in order for the significant other to be attentive to this and learn about this ? If you use EFT and we're working from an attachment lens , how are we going to use this information to bring them in and join in the person who's going through this ? I wish all the listeners will see our faces right now .
Speaker 3Because we're all like yep .
Speaker 1So where do we start , jessica ? Where do clinicians start ? Where do women and people who love women start looking for this information ? And perhaps like integrating it or even just I mean we can talk a whole separate piece on advocacy , but like let's get , where do people start for this information ? Because , as all present female presenting women here , this is not information that I had readily available to myself growing up or even well into my adulthood had readily available to myself growing up or even well into my adulthood .
Speaker 3Right , I had a dig for this information and I'm still putting it together and I talk about it every day , all day . But it's to me , step one is understanding the menstrual cycle and all the parts and , like I said , I talk about it every day . And so I started , even for my own clients , recording videos in which I break it down so we're not having to talk about it every day . And so I started , even for my own clients , recording videos in which I break it down so we're not having to talk about it in session . They can go see the video between sessions or before their first session , so we can jump right in and understand and start tracking it .
Speaker 3Right , even if it's just something small , like , okay , what's my mood like on day one ? What's my mood like on day 14 ? What's my mood like on day 14 ? Day 14 is the best day , right , like right before you ovulate . Everything is jiving , you have a sex drive , you feel confident , like you could take on the world , you're sleeping great , like it's delightful . But we're not all on day 14 . Like we just need estrogen all the time . That is like the peak of estrogen , the peak of testosterone , we get the peak of everything .
Speaker 3So , understanding that cycle and so that if you're a clinician you can ask your clients you know , I personally ask them on my intake what medicines and medications and supplements are you on ? I personally ask them on my intake what medicines and medications and supplements are you on , including birth control ? And I want to know how long they've been on birth control . I want to know why they're on birth control , because I always joke I have a love hate relationship with birth control , right Like , birth control has a messy history and you know it's changed the world , it's changed economies by allowing women to contribute financially to the economy and it's killing women . Um , we know it's killing women . The johnson and johnson covid vaccine killed six people and they pulled it . And then we're killing hundreds of women with birth control and they're like it's fine because we're not talking about it when you share that I was like wait
Speaker 3what ? Yes , and so you know , just knowing that I'm never going to tell my client , oh my God , your birth control could be killing you , because I need to understand why they're using it so I can have empathy and then , when the time is right , or if the time is right , to say like , hey , could this be a contributing factor to your anxiety and depression symptoms . You know , maybe I don't know until I get off of it and we can see Right , and some of them are like , like maybe , but I choose to stay on it .
Speaker 1Okay , at least having them have that awareness right so they can make a decision right . Because you know you get the birth control packet . They give you that like long rolls out for miles pieces of paper with all of the possible symptoms , side effects , blah , blah , blah , contraindications . Nobody reads it , nobody reads it , um , nobody reads it . And it comes in like eight languages now , like that's fantastic , but the conversation piece is also missing of like . Here are the real risks and symptoms and side effects that you need to be aware of , and I know my own personal history . I was placed on birth control very young , um later being diagnosed with endometriosis . Like they're like we're gonna put you on this and it'll stop all the things we don't need it to be doing , um , and then just like left for decades of like stay on it . Stay on it , yeah , because on it .
Speaker 3Yeah , because there's like you don't need to be doing this . Okay , but you weren't at a place in your life to understand what you were getting . Yeah .
Speaker 2No .
Speaker 3Other than pain and terrible , terrible pain .
Speaker 1Yes , terrible , terrible pain and that was not the solution . Right , and they tell you this isn't a cure . Right , because I know doesn't have a cure right now and like so there's not a cure . But like this will . This will ease it up and it'll make it . You know , it'll make it so that you can still function . Yeah , thanks , but in the long run it's also killing me . Probably should have been told that .
Speaker 3Right .
Speaker 1And in the long run , how well are you functioning right ? Yeah , yeah , and I do , I do . I mean , I still see , we will still see intakes of women coming in . Even young adult women who are just like , oh yeah , I've been from you is like ask , well , why ? Yeah , yeah , even if there was , because of a heavy period .
Speaker 3That's usually right . The I was started on it as a teenager because of heavy period , or . And then you're talking to women in their late 20s , early 30s , mid 30s and you'd be like but you haven't had a period at this age . What did it look like ? Like , what would it look like if you got off of it ? But they're terrified . They're terrified . They'll have the period of their 17 year old self .
Speaker 2Yeah , yeah , or right , cause I was for years without birth control , which was so fantastic for me , and I went without birth control , having heavy periods because of other medical issues , but I still was able to function . It's not until we get to certain medical issues , then you cannot function . Jessica had the privilege of seeing me in one of those flares where I couldn't walk and she was like I'll walk you to your car , and she did . By the way , she walked me to my car .
Speaker 2But again , we're not educated and I'm thinking as a mental health therapist if I'm not asking these questions
Empowering Women's Health in Therapy
Speaker 2to any female presenting in my office , if I'm not understanding how this is affecting them female presenting in my office , if I'm not understanding how this is affecting them and we continue in the medical model , just giving pills , giving diagnosis so they can get pill , this is not a service to our clients , right ? So what do we do when we have the messiness of a medical field who's here to be reactive and want to fix everything with surgery or appeal Instead of being proactive ? And this is where we come in . So how do we identify these issues and how do we help our clients ? And then , how do we help them so they can advocate , knowing that it's a system that does not like to be corrected by a client .
Speaker 3You know , the phrase I find most helpful to clients is I don't know , because I don't know everything . And so when I say , like I don't know if your depression is going to help when you stop birth control , I don't know if this birth control is going to help with your PMDD , right , I don't know , but I can keep track of how you're showing up in my office today and then I'll compare it to how you show up in my office in a month and I'll compare it to how you show up in my office in 90 days . And so if we're going to jump off this cliff , I'll do it with you and you will like , and I will you know like , and you will , it's the oldest daughter in me .
Speaker 3Jumping off a cliff let's do it , and I think that's how we can help clients is like let's just try it and I'll be here with you yeah because the family , your family's too close to you to see the difference . Your doctors are too far away from you to see the difference .
Speaker 2Your doctors are too far away from you to see the difference .
Speaker 1Oh beautiful . I love that you can hold that space of in between with them .
Speaker 3Yeah , and that doesn't fall into any therapeutic model , right ? No , anything we learned in school doesn't say , okay , this is how you do it . The closest I got got . You know , in sex therapy we learn the implicit model . Is that permission ?
Speaker 1yeah , I know liliana shared that after attending that , that training that , like more clinicians not outside of being a sex therapist and going for that credential need to be aware of this information and need to have access to this information . What is the best way for them to do that ?
Speaker 3I mean their own research . I keep going back to that . I think if you're somebody with a uterus I think that's where it starts is understanding your own experience , Because if you blow past that in order to try to help clients , then I don't know what like then you're missing something , You're missing empathy , You're missing the ability to hold that space when you'd be like . I know what that feels like , Right , I know what that feels like , you know , when you hit the luteal phase and now all your energy and motivation for that project that you had two , three days ago is gone and it gives them permission to have those feelings .
Speaker 3And when I was sitting at the ASEC conference a couple of weeks ago and I was listening to a male sex therapist present about it was a case conceptualization and it was a cis female that the client and I was like and he would say something . I was like what ? No , Right ? And so I think , if you don't have a uterus , you really need to lean into the lived experiences . You need to be reading about them on Reddit . You need to be listening to family members who have these experiences . You need to be checking your friends when there's a joke about somebody being on their period and being moody . By ignoring this piece , we are making women one-dimensional and we complain when we have characters on TV or characters in books and females that are one dimensional . Yeah , Like , unless they're talking about periods , they're one dimensional , recognizing how much depth this experience adds to female lives .
Speaker 2Yeah , I love . First of all , I have never been speechless , so I'm like , oh my God , no one is going to recognize this . But two is , I truly believe that this is where they share experience . So , if you're not female , you know , asking these questions to family , to friends to stop also with the jokes , because that's something that I had to talk in my home Like , let's talk about this , because this does not add to me . Being able to be present with you adds to the shame and I don't want to carry . That , adds to the guilt and I don't want to carry that anymore . That's too heavy . That's another thing that I do not want to carry . So , because of my relationship with you and all the videos that you're sending me , it's just a different awareness , right .
Speaker 2But even the shared experience because now I'm asking clients , now I'm asking even in couples , right , like , tell me about this part , what is it that you know ? What is it that you don't know ? What is it that we minimize when this comes up , even when in couples , especially even with families , when I'm working with teenagers and they go , they had an episode . Now , for me that's a trigger because it was like an episode or a flare . There is a difference between that word . An episode is bothersome to you . A flare is something that we have no control and invites empathy to Right . So even words have an impact , especially when you have a uterus Like . We need more empathy , the empathy that you're talking about , jessica , which is I love everything that you're saying here and I truly believe that everyone , everyone who works with anyone who has a uterus needs to know . And how can they find out more about you ? Because I feel like we need a part two from this . This is just not going to be enough .
Speaker 2Everyone else you would have seen Jessica's face like , wait , what ? Yes , we're going to do a part two . You would have seen like Jessica's face like , wait , what ? Yes , we're going to do a part two . But how can they find about you , about your presentations , consultations that you can do for them , and I know you're a busy therapist , like here in Colorado . For everyone who's listening , she has a waiting list . So all of us were referring to Jessica . We're like telling our clients and you're just going to have to wait because there's not a lot , a lot therapists like you , who has this specialty , who understands this , who's doing a lot of research , all the all the stuff that you're doing to help us understand that , like how can they contact you to learn more about ? It's not just a menstrual cycle . Let's not diminish it with jokes or labels such as anxiety and depression . Let's actually go and understand this more . How can they get a hold of you for all of this ?
Speaker 3I mean , my website's the easiest place , which is areasofgrowthcom , my website's the easiest place , which is areas of growthcom , and I'm actually building out , as we speak , like a platform for my videos and so clients , you know , will have access to them , but so will non clients , and to be able to understand . So , yeah , as those people , I call it the Disney world experience . So if you've ever sat in a queue in Disney World , right , they entertain you while you're in the queue so that you don't realize you've been standing there for two hours . And so I was like , okay , how do I entertain people in my queue and keep them motivated and optimistic ? And so I came up with this idea of creating kind of like a membership .
Speaker 3Maybe , I guess is the best example where there's videos , there's going to be PDFs that are downloadable , things like that . I still have to , like you know , flesh it out a little bit , but I'm recording those videos every week and trying to get them ready to go . I needed like a good chunk of them before it went live . So , hopefully sooner than later ready to go , I needed like a good chunk of them before it went live , so hopefully sooner than later .
Speaker 1I love that , and I love that you're offering that information to those in waiting as well , because I think that's the other piece right . Like we're talking about menstrual cycles they're going to happen every 28 days , um and so being able to give them something to listen to and look at and consider while waiting for a much needed , but also like you're going to have a wait list because you're doing what you're doing , I think that's phenomenal . What about clinicians who might want to follow a similar path as you and be able to offer similar information to their clients ? What does that look like ?
Speaker 3So I'm still also trying to do a version of this for providers , so not just mental health providers , but also medical providers , cause a lot of my PTs don't know the mental health side , um , you know , and it's not like the piece that they're missing , isn't this dramatic piece ? It could be a small thing they can bring into their treatment rooms , and so I'm hoping to arm them with that . But I mean , I encourage people to email me , like if you have a question . I'm like I'm approachable , right . I always joke with my students because I have a private practice
Exploring Menstrual Cycle Awareness in Therapy
Speaker 3and people want to ask me about private practice , or people want to ask me about women's sexual health . It's like if you will buy me a hot chocolate , I will talk to you for an hour , you know , and yeah , I have things in place . If you want something more formal , you know , like a true like advisory position , yeah , there's information on my website , but I'm cheap . I want a good hot chocolate . It really means good , and I will get picky .
Speaker 1If it's not , you know , I don't care , it's 95 degrees outside so we'll , we'll include her ideal hot chocolate list with her contact information , so that you're well prepared . Well prepared , but I prepared , but I appreciate that because I think that's the other thing that we you know we were talking about before was like there's , there's not a lot of crossover in terms of information sharing . Um , not within the all our own mental health you know our subsections but let alone mental health to physical health providers . Um , you know , I know , when we're , you know , told to collaborate , we send the ROI and it's like we're lucky if we get a response back of like received it .
Speaker 2Yeah , yeah , yeah . And again , I want more and more people to hear about this topic . And there's not a lot of you like , literally , there's not a lot like you , like literally , there's not a lot like you , jessica . But I'm thinking like , if you're working with trauma , if you're anyone who has uterus , if you're working with a teenager , don't dismiss it , as she's just hormonal . Please truly understand the whole being that is in front of you and how everything that she consumes or not consume is affecting her , which is my takeaway every time that I have a conversation with you . And right , how , just because you have a uterus , you get to be dismissed , quite often not just from family members , because we have made it a joke now , but also the medical system , because they , especially here in the US not that it's better , but especially here in the US , where there's not a lot of education when it comes to this topic .
Speaker 3Yeah , and we didn't really address it . It could be a whole other thing , because I'm currently obsessed with it right now , but the impact the menstrual cycle has on autism and ADHD right , the research that's coming out is remarkable . And so not only are we being dismissed by family and medical system , but I think we're dismissing ourselves because , you know , I have sensory processing disorder and I can tell you , literally 25 hours or 24 hours before my period starts , I cannot stand my clothes . I can tolerate my clothes the rest of the month , and the second I hit my door after the day is done , I'm stripping because I can't tolerate my clothes , and I was like , oh yeah , periods in 24 hours , cool , and that's the thing , researcher's backing that . And so I think all of us even if you're like , yeah , I only work with this neurodivergent population it impacts them greatly .
Speaker 1And they impact at least half right , half of us present with a uterus . Yeah , so , regardless of the other demographic pieces that you put on your clinical practice , unless it's strictly testosterone coming through that door , this is going to be applicable information .
Speaker 2Yes , Again , the smiles are just like priceless . So , oh God , how do we end ? Because this is like I don't want it to end and I'm aware of the time . So how do we end this ? What would be one nugget , Jessica , that you want everyone who's in mental health to take from this , Besides reaching out to you for consultation and not pay with hot chocolate ? I insist they need to pay the full fee . You are worth it .
Speaker 3If there was one thing I would ask you know , have everyone ask themselves can I confidently describe the menstrual cycle and the impact it has on a body ? And if the answer is no , then go do some research .
Speaker 2By the way , the answer will always be no , Because after I took that presentation , I'm like I have no idea .
Speaker 1So , the answer is we have them and we have them .
Speaker 1I think that is .
Speaker 1The other takeaway is like this has been a generational disservice that we don't talk about menstrual cycles , we don't talk about the effects of hormones on the body , other than just saying , like a woman is being moody because she's on her cycle , right , so one I want to extend grace like , yes , you did not , you do not know , you don't know , I don't know . And the next step then is to , like , pick up the ball and do the research and do the readings so that you do know . These are the bodies that we live in , these are the bodies that our clients are living in . We do need to be aware of that and take it upon ourselves to do some of this information gathering . And I'm going to go back and look at my own , our own intake paperwork and go do we ask about hormones and birth control ? Specifically Because I don't know that we do , and I think that that now is very , very important for us to help them track and also to help link that you know when your symptoms flare , perhaps there is another biological component to this .
Speaker 2Look at us changing the world . I love this . Thank you , jessica , for being here . I really honestly , whenever you want to come back and talk more , you know I'm going to be sending you more emails , but whenever you want to come back and talk more about this , please do so . We know so little and we need you . So thank you for being here . Thank you for having me , maria . Thank you so much .
Speaker 1Yeah , no , thank you . So so so much , and then until next time , guys , we'll leave Jessica's information below so that you can find her and find her favorite hot chocolates , and then we'll connect next time . Thanks , guys , bye .
