What is the Best Therapy for PMDD in Cardiff?
For women in Cardiff struggling with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), finding an effective and sustainable therapy can be challenging. The city offers a range of conventional treatment options — from NHS talking therapies to private prescriptions of SSRIs and hormonal contraception — but many women find that these approaches only provide partial relief. That’s where Camilla Clare Brinkworth, founder of Camilla Clare Holistic Health, offers something different. Her PMDD Naturopath service brings a root-cause, trauma-informed, and plant-rich approach to women’s hormonal health, combining naturopathic medicine, herbal therapy, emotional healing, and nervous system support.
Drawing upon both science and deep compassion, Camilla’s practice is helping women across Cardiff — from Pontcanna and Roath to Llandaff, Rhiwbina, and Cardiff Bay — to finally understand and address the deeper patterns driving their PMDD symptoms.
Conventional Therapies for PMDD in Cardiff
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Within Cardiff’s mental health system, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is often the first line of psychological support offered to women with PMDD. The Cardiff and Vale University Health Board provides CBT through the NHS Talking Therapies programme, but waiting lists are long and the model itself focuses on behaviour modification rather than physiological regulation. CBT may help a woman in Canton recognise and challenge negative thoughts, yet it cannot replenish magnesium stores, correct gut imbalances, or stabilise hormonal sensitivity — all key factors in PMDD.
SSRIs and SNRIs
Across GP surgeries from Cathays to Penylan, doctors frequently prescribe antidepressants such as sertraline, fluoxetine, or venlafaxine. These can ease low mood and irritability during the luteal phase but often produce side effects — insomnia, fatigue, or emotional flatness — and do not resolve the underlying neuroendocrine sensitivity that causes PMDD to recur cycle after cycle. While medication may be helpful in the short term, it rarely restores the body’s natural resilience to hormonal change.
Hormonal Contraceptives
Some Cardiff women turn to hormonal contraception, either via their GP or private clinics such as Spire Cardiff Hospital in Pentwyn or Nuffield Health Cardiff Bay Hospital. These pills suppress ovulation to minimise hormonal fluctuations, but their success is mixed. For some, they improve mood; for others, they exacerbate anxiety or depression. Hormonal suppression may also conflict with fertility goals — a limitation for those seeking to conceive or to maintain a natural cycle.
Painkillers and Anti-Inflammatories
Over-the-counter painkillers from Queen Street pharmacies or Heath High Level chemists offer temporary relief from cramps and headaches but fail to address the biochemical sensitivity that drives PMDD’s emotional storms.
GnRH Analogues and Surgical Options
In extreme cases, specialists may use GnRH analogues to induce a reversible menopause or even recommend oophorectomy (removal of ovaries). Such interventions are drastic, carrying risks like bone density loss, and are unsuitable for those wishing to retain reproductive function. These measures silence the cycle rather than heal the sensitivity beneath it.
Why Camilla Clare Brinkworth’s PMDD Naturopath Service is Different
Root-Cause Philosophy
Camilla approaches PMDD not as a disease to be suppressed, but as a communication from the body — a sign that the nervous system, endocrine system, and emotional field have become overstimulated. Her method follows the six principles of naturopathy: identify and treat the cause, treat the whole person, do no harm, harness nature’s healing power, teach self-awareness, and prevent recurrence.
By examining diet, gut health, nutrient status, stress physiology, and emotional inheritance, she helps Cardiff women uncover why their cycles trigger such intense reactions. Instead of symptom management, her aim is deep regulation — restoring balance where the body has lost it.
Nutrition That Fits Cardiff Lifestyles
Camilla’s dietary approach integrates beautifully into Cardiff life. She encourages clients to shop locally at Cardiff Central Market, Riverside Farmers Market, or Roath Market, where seasonal produce — such as Welsh kale, root vegetables, legumes, nuts, and berries — supports anti-inflammatory, hormone-balancing nutrition.
Her PMDD nutrition framework includes:
Low-GI carbohydrates like quinoa, brown rice, and oats to steady blood sugar
Plant-based proteins such as lentils, chickpeas, tofu, tempeh, and hemp seeds for neurotransmitter production
Magnesium-rich foods (pumpkin seeds, spinach, almonds) to calm the nervous system
Ahiflower oil, flax, and chia seeds for omega-3 and GLA balance
Brightly coloured vegetables from local markets to reduce systemic inflammation
These food choices support steady energy, improve neurotransmitter function, and regulate hormonal fluctuations. Cardiff residents often find this approach empowering — especially those juggling city commutes or family life in Cyncoed or Pontprennau — because it uses everyday meals to create biological stability.
Herbal Medicine and Personalised Supplementation
Unlike general supplement advice found online, Camilla prescribes targeted nutrients based on each client’s physiology.
She may recommend:
Ashwagandha or holy basil to support adrenal balance
Vitex agnus-castus for luteal-phase progesterone support
Saffron for mood regulation
Passionflower or lemon balm for anxiety relief
Magnesium glycinate and B vitamins for neurotransmitter synthesis
Every formulation considers absorption, dosage timing, and synergy with diet — something generic protocols rarely do. By correcting underlying deficiencies, clients experience calmer moods and improved resilience across their menstrual cycle.
Trauma-Informed Emotional Healing
Cardiff’s pace — from corporate offices around Callaghan Square to the academic pressure of Cardiff University — often leaves women emotionally overextended. Many PMDD sufferers have histories of chronic stress or intergenerational trauma, which increase HPA-axis reactivity.
Camilla uses Family Constellations and Rapid Core Healing to uncover inherited emotional patterns — such as guilt, suppression, or self-denial — that heighten sensitivity during the luteal phase. By gently resolving these imprints, clients experience tangible emotional shifts and fewer hormonal flare-ups.
Nervous System Regulation in the Heart of the City
Cardiff’s natural spaces — Bute Park, Pontcanna Fields, and Roath Park Lake — provide perfect backdrops for the restorative practices Camilla teaches. Clients learn breathwork, mindful movement, and Yoga Nidra to calm the stress response and improve sleep. These techniques reduce cortisol levels, rebalance circadian rhythms, and train the body to exit “fight or flight” more quickly — an essential skill for PMDD recovery.
Collaboration and Empowerment
Unlike a prescriptive medical model, Camilla co-creates each client’s treatment plan. Women learn to chart their cycles, observe emotional triggers, and make sense of their patterns. This partnership transforms healing into an education in body literacy — empowering clients to sustain progress long after treatment ends.
Why Her Cardiff-Based Service Excels Over Conventional Approaches
Root Cause Resolution – Camilla targets the underlying issues driving PMDD — from inflammation and nutrient deficits to trauma and nervous system dysregulation.
Gentle and Sustainable – Her therapies work with the body, avoiding the side effects common with SSRIs or hormonal suppression.
Whole-Person Focus – She integrates nutrition, herbal medicine, emotional healing, and nervous system care into one cohesive plan.
Trauma-Informed Insight – Recognising inherited emotional patterns allows lasting change rather than surface-level management.
Education and Autonomy – Clients become active participants in their recovery, not passive recipients of prescriptions.
Cycle-Friendly Care – This approach supports fertility and honours natural rhythms instead of overriding them.
A Realistic Example
Imagine a woman living in Pontcanna, commuting daily to Cardiff city centre. Each month, two weeks before her period, she feels overwhelmed by exhaustion, rage, and sadness. SSRIs offered temporary relief but left her emotionally numb. Through Camilla’s PMDD Naturopath service, she learns that skipping breakfast spikes her blood sugar, intensifying mood swings. She begins morning smoothies with oats, flax, and greens sourced from Riverside Market, adds magnesium in the evening, and explores Family Constellations to resolve an inherited pattern of over-responsibility. Over several cycles, her symptoms soften, her sleep improves, and she feels grounded rather than reactive.
Conclusion
Cardiff offers numerous PMDD treatment options — from CBT and SSRIs to hormonal therapies — yet few address the full picture. Camilla Clare Brinkworth’s PMDD Naturopath service brings together plant-based nutrition, herbal medicine, trauma-informed therapy, and nervous-system regulation to heal PMDD at its source.
For Cardiff women seeking not just symptom relief but true hormonal and emotional balance, Camilla’s approach offers a grounded, evidence-informed, and deeply compassionate solution. It’s not about silencing the body — it’s about understanding its messages and restoring harmony, naturally and sustainably.