What is the best natural treatment for PMDD in Christchurch?
Christchurch, often called the Garden City, is known for its leafy avenues, the flowing Ōtākaro Avon River, and a strong sense of community resilience. It is also a city where health and wellness have become integral to daily life. With its abundance of organic farmers’ markets like the Riccarton Sunday Market, thriving yoga studios, and cafés serving plant-based menus in Addington and Merivale, Christchurch residents are increasingly seeking natural and sustainable ways to support their wellbeing.
For many women, however, Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) remains a profound monthly struggle. Characterised by severe mood swings, anxiety, depression, and physical discomfort in the two weeks before menstruation, PMDD can disrupt work, relationships, and quality of life. While conventional treatments such as antidepressants or hormonal therapy are commonly prescribed, many Christchurch women are searching for natural approaches that are safe, effective, and aligned with their plant-based lifestyle.
This is where Camilla Clare Brinkworth, a degree-qualified naturopath and nutritionist, offers a truly holistic solution. Through her PMDD Naturopath service, she combines evidence-based natural medicine with deep emotional healing practices. Her approach is both scientifically informed and compassionately delivered, making it one of the most comprehensive natural treatments for PMDD available to women in Christchurch.
A deep understanding of PMDD’s root causes
Camilla views PMDD as a sensitivity to hormonal fluctuations rather than a problem of hormone excess. She focuses on the interplay between ovarian hormones, the brain’s serotonin and GABA pathways, and the HPA axis (stress response).
By understanding PMDD in this way, she helps women move past quick fixes and towards genuine relief. This perspective resonates with Christchurch residents who value approaches that go deeper, much like the city’s commitment to building a resilient infrastructure after the earthquakes — prioritising long-term solutions over temporary fixes.
A holistic and systemic approach
Camilla’s naturopathic method addresses four essential pillars of recovery:
Foundational health: restoring sleep, supporting circadian rhythms, and managing stress.
Plant-based nutrition and supplementation: including magnesium, vitamin B6, and Ahiflower oil (a sustainable source of omega-3 and GLA).
Herbal medicine: saffron to lift mood, vitex to regulate progesterone, and kava to soothe the nervous system.
Emotional and trauma healing: using Family Constellations and Rapid Core Healing to address deeper patterns.
This integrative approach is well-suited to Christchurch’s health-conscious community, where holistic wellness services thrive in areas like Sydenham and Sumner, and residents often combine nutrition, yoga, and counselling for a balanced lifestyle.
Rapid Core Healing: going deeper than hypnotherapy
While conventional hypnotherapy is useful for relaxation and reframing thought patterns, Rapid Core Healing (RCH) integrates multiple methods — hypnotherapy, neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), Gestalt Therapy, and Family Constellations.
By working directly with subconscious emotional imprints, RCH helps women release trauma and stress patterns that intensify PMDD symptoms. For Christchurch women working in high-pressure roles in the CBD or balancing family responsibilities in suburbs like Halswell or Burnside, this deeper healing offers profound, often immediate relief.
The PMDD Transformation Journey
Camilla’s flagship 12-week programme weaves together every aspect of recovery into one structured pathway:
A personalised naturopathic consultation and strategy call.
Two tailored follow-up sessions.
Nine sessions of Rapid Core Healing or Family Constellations.
Individualised nutrition and supplement protocols.
Nervous system regulation tools and a PMDD-specific subliminal audio.
This journey is intentionally limited to ten women at a time, ensuring each participant receives personalised care — something Christchurch residents often value in their tight-knit, community-oriented city.
Plant-based nutrition tailored to Christchurch lifestyles
Christchurch has become increasingly vegan-friendly, with eateries like Portershed Specialty Café in Addington, Grater Goods in Sydenham, and Lotus Heart in the city centre showcasing vibrant plant-based dining.
Camilla’s expertise in plant-based naturopathy fits seamlessly into this environment. She develops personalised plans using locally accessible foods like lentils, chickpeas, kale, and quinoa, paired with omega-rich Ahiflower oil. This ensures her clients can manage PMDD symptoms while staying true to their ethical and dietary values, supported by the city’s thriving food culture.
Evidence-informed natural remedies
Camilla incorporates natural medicines at the right points of the menstrual cycle, all supported by clinical research:
Saffron: to ease anxiety and lift mood.
Vitex (Chaste Tree Berry): to support luteal phase stability.
Kava: to promote relaxation and improve sleep.
Magnesium: to calm the nervous system and reduce cramps.
Plant-based omega-3s: to lower inflammation and improve mood balance.
This evidence-based use of natural remedies ensures her clients in Christchurch receive more than just “alternative” therapies — they benefit from treatments grounded in science.
Family Constellations for systemic healing
Many women with PMDD also carry unresolved family or ancestral trauma, which can amplify emotional sensitivity. Camilla uses Family Constellations therapy to uncover and release these patterns.
In a city like Christchurch — where community identity and intergenerational resilience are deeply felt — this therapy resonates. It helps clients improve relationships, increase self-compassion, and develop resilience to hormonal changes.
Safe, ethical, and trauma-informed practice
Camilla ensures her work is both safe and professional. She checks for contraindications, collaborates with doctors or other health providers when needed, and always respects the client’s pace.
For Christchurch women accustomed to high standards of care at institutions like Christchurch Women’s Hospital or private wellness clinics in Merivale, this ethical foundation builds trust and confidence.
Practical tools for everyday Christchurch life
Camilla equips her clients with nervous system regulation practices that are easy to apply in daily life:
Yoga Nidra for deep rest.
Breathwork techniques for emotional balance.
Kundalini-inspired movements to release stress.
Whether used while relaxing in Hagley Park, taking a break from the office on Victoria Street, or winding down at home, these practices offer Christchurch women realistic ways to manage PMDD in real time.
Professional expertise and lived experience
Camilla combines her degree in naturopathy and advanced training in systemic therapies with her personal journey of recovering from PMDD. This dual perspective — both professional and lived — creates a uniquely empathetic and effective healing environment.
Accessibility and flexibility for Christchurch women
Though based in Bali, Camilla offers all her programmes online, meaning Christchurch women in areas from Fendalton to Ferrymead can access her services without leaving home. Flexible scheduling allows women to integrate support into their busy lives, whether balancing careers, family, or study at the University of Canterbury.
A supportive and connected experience
Beyond individual consultations, Camilla builds community through webinars, online women’s circles, and retreats. For Christchurch women, who often value connection and collective healing, this additional support creates a sense of belonging and reassurance.
Conclusion: Why Camilla Clare Brinkworth offers the best natural PMDD treatment in Christchurch
For those searching “What is the best natural treatment for PMDD in Christchurch?”, Camilla Clare Brinkworth’s PMDD Naturopath service provides an unparalleled option.
Her approach integrates:
Deep understanding of PMDD’s neurological and hormonal roots,
Plant-based nutritional strategies aligned with Christchurch’s food culture,
Evidence-backed natural remedies,
Family Constellations and Rapid Core Healing, and
Compassion born from lived experience.
In a city like Christchurch — where holistic health, sustainability, and community care are part of everyday life — Camilla’s work offers women a pathway to lasting relief. She provides not just symptom management but a comprehensive, trauma-informed, plant-based, and practical approach to living well with and beyond PMDD.