About this course
Hormones are among the most powerful yet overlooked influences on mental health, appetite, energy, and mood. While many clinicians are familiar with how external factors like trauma and stress affect emotional regulation, fewer are trained to recognize how hormonal fluctuations-especially across the female menstrual cycle-can drive patterns in anxiety, depression, appetite changes, and disordered eating behaviors. This presentation introduces mental health professionals to foundational knowledge of hormonal rhythms across the menstrual cycle, offering a practical and compassionate framework for understanding how biological changes can shape behavior, mood, and eating patterns. Participants will explore the physiological impact of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone as they fluctuate across the four phases of the cycle: follicular, ovulatory, luteal, and menstrual. Through clinical examples and research-backed evidence, the training emphasizes how these hormonal shifts affect neurotransmitters, energy levels, stress sensitivity, and appetite regulation. Using an EcoMap framework, this presentation highlights how hormone-related symptoms interact with social, psychological, and environmental factors. This systemic lens helps clinicians better support clients who feel 'stuck' in behavioral cycles such as binge-restrict eating, emotional dysregulation, or perceived lack of motivation-especially when those patterns follow a monthly rhythm. Participants will learn how hormone fluctuations influence hunger and fullness cues, including the roles of ghrelin, leptin, and glucose sensitivity. These biological realities often mimic or intensify symptoms seen in anxiety, depression, ADHD, and eating disorders. Practical tools for identifying these patterns-such as journaling prompts, mood tracking, and intuitive eating strategies-will be introduced to help clinicians apply this knowledge directly in their work with clients struggling with food-related concerns. The presentation will include common clinical themes observed in clients navigating eating disorders and body image distress, particularly as they relate to changes in mood, appetite, and emotional regulation across the cycle. Attendees will explore how increasing hormonal awareness can help clients gain insight, reduce shame, and better align treatment interventions with their body's rhythms. By the end of this training, participants will have an expanded understanding of how hormonal rhythms intersect with disordered eating patterns, emotional regulation, and client readiness for change. Emphasis will be placed on using this knowledge to promote self-compassion, reduce shame, and increase client agency through psychoeducation and cycle-informed support strategies. This presentation is designed for therapists, dietitians, and other professionals working in the field of eating disorders. It offers a blend of didactic content and experiential learning through reflective prompts, case themes, and actionable tools. A list of resources and recommended tracking tools will be provided for further learning.
