Pioneering menstrual health & education
Menstrual Cycle Support's mission is to ease menstrual suffering. Our clinically-backed, menstrual health course is the first globally to be available through GPs on social prescription.
Menstrual Education - for all
Trusted. Accessible. Relatable
We believe in universal menstrual education to support society to better manage period pain and alleviate (and mitigate) a lifetime of menstrual suffering.
We work with established UK referral pathways
Primary, secondary & allied health care
Healthcare (and HR) professionals can confidently recommend our service and those with a menstrual cycle can self-refer any time to our trusted support.
NHS-Approved Menstrual Health Research
We are working with an NHS-Approved research methodology, within a strict data ethics framework, to deliver and publish much-needed menstrual health research to help end health inequalities and close the gender pain gap.
Kate Shepherd Cohen - Founder
Award-winning menstrual health pioneer
After struggling with her own cycle and finding simple menstrual education helped ease her suffering, she committed to innovating mainstream menstrual healthcare so that patients could easily receive the same supportive information alongside any medical treatment and investigations.
Kate calls herself a 'menstrualist' and the global menstrual movement, 'menstrualism'
Meet the rest of the team
Rosaria Marraffino
Instructional DesignFor the last decade Rosaria has helped international organisations to imagine and develop meaningful learning experiences. Clients have including CERN, Geneva University Hospitals, HUG, Centre hospitalier universitaire vaudois, CHUV, University Hospital Zurich, USZ, Institut de Radiophysique, IRA. She's currently completing her MSc in Learning and Teaching Technologies (MALTT) at the University of Geneva. www.rosariamarraffino.com
Neelam Heera
Equality Diversity Inclusivity ConsultantNeelam Heera is the CEO of Cysters charity and a campaigner for improved menstrual health in marginalised communities. She founded Cysters after facing her own battles around diagnosis and care for PCOS, Endometriosis and PMDD. She saw first-hand the disparities in healthcare for people of colour and other marginalized groups, thus Cysters was born. www.cysters.org
Gani Naylor
Film & FacilitationGani is an international creative facilitator and filmmaker specialising in short form online content, using a variety of art forms to create a safe space for connection, self expression and community empowerment. He's worked on a number of initiatives that explore trauma, social connection and reducing isolation and depression. www.ganinaylor.com
Trudi Holden
Campaign Outreach ConsultantTrudi brings a superb blend of marketing and campaign outreach experience, including from within the WASH sector, for Water Aid, alongside a deep understanding of menstrual suffering through her work with hundreds of women as a natural health therapist and holistic womb healer for her Cornwall-based business, www.wildsamsara.co.uk.
Clinical and Research Advisory Board
Dr Stewart Smith
Senior Partner GP (Primary care social prescribing specialist)Under the care of Dr Stewart Smith, St Austell Healthcare was an early adopter of social prescribing, which has now become available in every UK GP surgery and grown to become an international movement. Menstrual Cycle Support ran our pilot programme with St Austell Healthcare patients in 2021.
Kate Williamson
Osteopath (allied health professions) & Healthcare Outreach ConsultantKate Williamson provides consultancy for our Healthcare Outreach Campaign and is a Registered Osteopath with nearly twenty years' experience and a particular interest in working with those experiencing chronic pain. A strong feminist and a mother to teenage girls, she has always had an interest in women's health, not just within her clinical setting.
Michael Dooley
NHS Consultant Gynaecologist (secondary care), Fellow of the RCOGMichael provides an integrated patient-centred approach to women’s healthcare offering the most appropriate evidence-based choice of conventional and complementary treatments to address the patients’ wishes, beliefs and needs.
He leads on Women's Health for the College of Medicine and Integrated Health.
Amy McKeown
Mental Health StrategistA pioneer for Women’s Health and activist for women's rights in the workplace (currently campaigning to change the Equality Act 2010), Amy is an award-winning mental health and women's wellbeing strategist. She has spent 20 years helping organisations to implement evidence-based, measurable and sustainable mental health programmes, including global strategies for FTSE 100s. In 2021, she set up the first digital conference combining Women's Health, Mental Health and Business. She holds MSc distinction in Health Informatics and is an Honorary Research Assistant at UCL. www.amymckeown.com
Dr Helena Tucker
Clinical PsychologistDr Helena Tucker brings a wealth of clinical experience and specialism in premenstrual difficulties, as well as a lived experience of PMDD. Alongside her clinical work she runs a coaching business that specifically supports entrepreneurs experiencing PMS & PMDD using scientifically backed psychological methods.
Dr Gemma Sharp
Associate Professor of Reproductive & Mental Health EpidemiologyDr Gemma Sharp is a specialist in women's mental and reproductive health and early life influences on health and wellbeing, currently based in the School of Psychology at the University of Exeter where she teaches undergraduate, postgraduate and CPD courses in molecular epidemiology and reproductive health. She is founder of the Menarche, Menstruation, Menopause & Mental Health (4M) Consortium, (University of Bristol, Bath, Cardiff and Exeter) and holds an honorary position at the University of Bristol MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit.
Advisory Board
James Harrison
Tech EntrepreneurJames is a tech entrepreneur and seasoned tech executive who has built 2 companies from inception to exit. He has >11 years CEO and board experience leading global VC backed companies. James is passionate about fighting climate change and equality.
Clare Shephard
Tech CommunicationsClare has worked in the PR industry for 25+ years, and now specialises in coaching ambitious brands on how to define, develop and amplify their stories.
Dr Richard Pratt
GP and Health Tech SpecialistRich is a GP in Cornwall with a background in digital health. He’s been focused over the last 8 years on the deceptively simple question - how can we use tech to improve the quality of conversations with healthcare providers? This has led him to his current roles of Clinical Director at Eva Health Technologies and Primary Care Lead at ORCHA.
Thomas Podkolinski
EntrepreneurSerial entrepreneur, award winning designer, and company executive, with nearly 20 years’ experience in successfully starting, developing and commercialising projects within a range of different sectors. Has a profound passion for natural history, technology, and philosophy, with positive environmental and human change a founding principle in every venture.
Simon Cohen
Brand & CommunicationsSimon is a peace activist, keynote speaker and communications specialist. Simon has managed the communications for world leaders, charities and other social impact groups around the world. Simon is on the Faculty of The Amani Institute, Vice President of the Mattie Stepanek Peace Foundation, and Global Brain Trust for Boma. He is passionate about women’s rights and the role of women and girls to help heal our world. https://mrsimoncohen.com/
Jennifer Parkin
Systemic Change SpecialistJen works with groups of people from a range of communities and organisations, helping them to work together to solve deep rooted systemic issues. Jen draws from systems thinking and group dynamics theory to facilitate experiential group work that shifts both personal mindset and collectively held beliefs. Jen believes that systems can consciously and intentionally change and she holds the space for this to happen.
Clinical and Professional Input
With thanks to all of those that input into Menstrual Cycle Support, including Leading Menstrual Health Researcher, Dr Sally King; Period Positive Founder and Menstrual Literacy Expert, Chella Quint, Advanced Clinical Practitioner Gynaecology & Specialist Advisor to Endometriosis-UK, Joanne Hanley; Alexandra Pope & Sjanie Hugo-Wurlilzer, co-Founders Red School, Annie Bosnall, NHS Occupational Therapist; Sarah Hinds, Counsellor; Dr Natalie Chong, GP; Dr Lucy Matthews, GP.
And many more clinicians and professionals in the field of menstrual health and wellbeing that have contributed.
Finally, thank you to all course participants for their invaluable input and feedback, who help improve menstrual cycle support.
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