What Is the Best Therapy for PMDD in London?

When a woman in London searches for the “best therapy for PMDD,” she often finds a disheartening list of options centred on symptom suppression. Yet Camilla Clare Brinkworth offers a very different path—one that doesn’t deny the pain, but asks: why is this happening? In her London-based PMDD naturopath service, Camilla addresses hormonal sensitivity through nutrition, plant medicine, nervous system support and emotional healing. Below is a deep dive into how her approach differs—and often surpasses—conventional therapy models in treating PMDD in London.

Conventional Therapies: Strengths, Limits and London Context

Before exploring Camilla’s approach, it helps to see how conventional therapies work in London—and where they fall short.

Talk Therapy (CBT and Others)

In London’s mental health system, women with PMDD are often referred to talking therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) via IAPT or private therapy services. While CBT can help a person reframe thoughts or manage anxiety, it rarely addresses the hormonal-sensitivity, nutrient imbalances or systemic inflammation that underlie PMDD. And the public services in the UK are notoriously overburdened, with long wait times and limited integration with physical health.

Antidepressants (SSRIs / SNRIs)

SSRIs (and sometimes SNRIs) remain a first-line pharmacologic therapy for PMDD, prescribed continuously or only in the luteal phase. They often reduce mood swings, irritability and anxiety. But their limitations are real: side effects (nausea, fatigue, sexual dysfunction), dose escalation, and emotional blunting. Crucially, these medications don’t address the metabolic, endocrine or gut disturbances that often co-exist in PMDD.

Hormonal Therapies & Contraceptives

Many London clinics—including specialist women’s health or PMDD clinics—offer hormonal interventions: combined oral contraceptives, progestogens, or even bioidentical hormone therapy. For example, London’s hormone clinics emphasise “personalised hormone health” and bioidentical hormones in managing PMS/PMDD. Some patients benefit. Yet for others, these treatments suppress symptoms rather than heal sensitivity: some women worsen in mood; others feel disconnected or are limited by fertility intentions.

Painkillers, NSAIDs, GnRH Analogs & Surgery

Over-the-counter analgesics can target cramps and headaches, but are purely symptomatic. More extreme options—like GnRH analogues to induce temporary menopause, or surgical removal of ovaries/uterus—are rarely used in London save for the most refractory cases. Such interventions bear risks: bone loss, surgical menopause, and irreversible consequences.

Supplement Protocols (Conventional)

Conventional medical advice may suggest calcium, vitamin B6 or magnesium supplements for premenstrual symptoms, but these are rarely tailored to individual context. They seldom consider absorption issues, gut health or interactions with other therapies. The Green-Top guidelines for PMS mention that nonpharmacological options deserve attention, though evidence in PMDD is limited.

In sum: London’s conventional offerings provide relief for many, but seldom target the core drivers of PMDD in a holistic, personalised way.

Camilla Brinkworth’s PMDD Naturopath Service: A Deeper Path

Camilla Clare Brinkworth brings her London-based naturopath practice into the PMDD arena with a philosophy grounded in root-cause healing, trauma awareness, and personalised care. Here’s what distinguishes her service.

1. A Root-Cause Lens

Camilla views PMDD not as an inevitable side effect of hormones, but as the body signalling hypersensitivity in the brain, nervous system and metabolism. That sensitivity often arises from:

• Chronic stress (emotional, environmental)
  
  
  

• Nutrient deficiencies (magnesium, B vitamins, zinc, vitamin D)
  
  
  

• Gut dysbiosis or impaired detoxification
  
  
  

• Unprocessed trauma or intergenerational emotional patterns
  
  
  

Instead of silencing the symptom, her work is to remove the blocks so the system can re-balance. Her treatment philosophy embodies core naturopathic tenets: identify the cause, treat the whole person, do no harm and support the body’s innate healing power.

2. Personalised Nutrition & Anti-Inflammatory Diets

In London, dietary habits are diverse—and stress, commuting and convenience often push many into sugar, refined carbs, takeaways or processed foods. Camilla’s service offers tailored dietary guidance:

• Low glycaemic, nutrient-dense meals with vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds
  
  
  

• Rotation of plant proteins (e.g. lentils, chickpeas, tofu, quinoa, hemp) carefully combined for amino acid completeness
  
  
  

• Reduction of inflammatory triggers (refined sugar, alcohol, processed fats)
  
  
  

• Support for liver detox (via crucifers, fibre, phytonutrients) and stabilising blood sugar fluctuations
  
  
  

This approach supports neurotransmitter balance (serotonin, GABA), moderates insulin spikes, and calms systemic inflammation.

3. Herbal Medicine & Targeted Nutrient Support

Rather than generic supplement stacks, Camilla integrates botanical medicine and targeted nutrients based on testing and client history:

• Adaptogens (e.g. ashwagandha, holy basil) to modulate cortisol
  
  
  

• Nervines (e.g. lemon balm, passionflower) to soothe anxiety
  
  
  

• Magnesium (often glycinate, malate) to support GABA and muscle tone
  
  
  

• Calcium or vitamin D when indicated
  
  
  

• Liver-support herbs (e.g. milk thistle, dandelion) and detox pathways
  
  
  

She monitors absorption, potential interactions and individual responses—exactly what conventional protocols rarely do.

4. Trauma-Informed Emotional Healing

One of the critical differentiators: Camilla integrates modalities such as Family Constellations and Rapid Core Healing to address emotional wounds, ancestral patterns and unconscious beliefs. Many women with PMDD carry internalised intergenerational stress, self-silencing, or internal narratives of inadequacy. By bringing non-judgmental consciousness to these, she helps clients widen their window of tolerance. The result? Reduced reactivity to hormonal shifts.

5. Nervous System Regulation & Lifestyle Coaching

PMDD thrives in states of chronic stress. Camilla teaches systemic nervous system support:

• Somatic practices (e.g. gentle movement, breathwork)
  
  
  

• Yoga Nidra or restorative yoga for sleep and parasympathetic balance
  
  
  

• Sleep hygiene and circadian alignment
  
  
  

• Sensible daily movement (walking, Qi Gong) rather than high-stress training during sensitive phases
  
  
  

These interventions reduce allostatic load and build resilience over time.

6. Empowerment & Collaboration

Camilla does not view clients as passive recipients. She co-creates treatment plans, teaches cycle awareness, tracks biomarkers, and fosters self-efficacy. Her role is guide and facilitator—not authoritarian prescriber. Through education and partnership, clients learn to listen to their bodies. Because knowledge is healing.

Why Camilla’s Approach Often Outperforms Conventional Models in London

Putting the two approaches side by side, several advantages emerge.

A. Treating Rather Than Suppressing

Where SSRIs or hormonal contraceptives suppress mood or ovulation, Camilla works to restore tolerance. The difference is akin to patching a leak vs renewing the foundation.

B. Fewer Side Effects, Safer Long Term

Because her protocols use food, herbs and lifestyle, side effects are minimal— especially compared to surgical menopause, hormonal suppression or high-dose pharmaceuticals.

C. Deep Personalisation

Camilla tailors every element—diet, herbs, emotional work—to the individual’s history, genetics, preferences and reproductive goals. This contrasts with many conventional models, which adopt “one size” protocols.

D. Emotional & Psychological Integration

Conventional care treats mind and body separately. Camilla integrates both, recognising that unresolved emotional patterns often potentiate physiological reactivity.

E. Fertility Compatibility

For women in London who wish to conceive in future, Camilla’s service honours reproductive potential. It doesn’t suppress cycles or force menopause. It works with the body’s biology.

F. Sustainability & Self-Reliance

Rather than “take this pill forever,” clients emerge with skills, awareness and tools to maintain balance between cycles. The goal is gradual self-regulation, rather than chronic dependence.

Local Strengths: Why London Women Benefit from Camilla’s Service

Camilla’s London location and deep knowledge of the city’s context bring added advantages:

• Proximity & flexibility — Clients across zones (e.g. Islington, Camden, Richmond, Southwark) can attend in person or hybrid sessions
  
  
  

• London-specific lifestyle calibration — She tailors recommendations cognisant of commuting, shift work, food deserts or stressors common to London life
  
  
  

• Connections with local labs and practitioners — Camilla can coordinate with London diagnostic services, GPs or integrative clinics when necessary
  
  
  

• Understanding of London’s rich cultural diversity — She adapts nutritional, spiritual, emotional modalities in culturally respectful ways
  
  
  

Moreover, compared to specialist PMDD clinics in London (e.g. Westminster Women’s PMDD clinic in Chelsea) or hormone clinics offering bioidentical hormones, Camilla offers a deeper, more integrated bridge between natural, nutritional, emotional and systemic care.

A Real-Life Scenario

Imagine a woman based in Hackney who cycles between working 10-hour days at a start-up, commuting on the Tube, and managing family life. Every luteal phase, she spirals into irritability, fatigue, cravings, brain fog and crying spells. She tries SSRIs, hormonal contraception, CBT—but still feels disconnected, frustrated and out of control.

Camilla meets her, maps her cycle, orders nutritional and hormone testing, co-creates a plant-forward diet plan she can sustain in London life, prescribes calming botanicals, introduces trauma-aware shadow work, teaches daily parasympathetic tools and supports her to track symptoms. Over months, the cycle pressure softens; she reclaims agency, mood stabilises, and she feels safer in her own body.

That is the kind of transformation her London clients often describe.

Summary & Takeaway

When Londoners ask: “What is the best therapy for PMDD?”, the true answer isn’t a single pill, diet or talk session. The best therapy is the one that listens to you, treats your roots, supports your emotions—and equips you for life. In Camilla Clare Brinkworth’s London-based PMDD naturopath service, the therapy isn't about suppressing the body’s voice—it is about understanding it.

Compared to conventional therapies in London—CBT, SSRIs, hormonal suppression, pain control—Camilla’s approach offers deeper relief, fewer side effects, integration of emotional healing, and tools for sustainable resilience. For women seeking more than symptom management—women who long for restoration, awareness and lived wellbeing—her services stand apart.