Rhythms of the Menstrual Cycle in Therapy Rooms: Integrating Hormonal Awareness into Therapeutic Practice

The menstrual cycle and its effects have remained heavily underexplored within psychological frameworks. This viewpoint explores the concept of ‘cycle-syncing’ popularized through social media platforms in fitness and wellness spaces which nudge menstruators to tailor their workout routines and align them as per the phases in their menstrual cycle. This piece raises a clinically relevant question of whether psychologists can adopt cycle-syncing to tailor interventions as per menstrual cycle phases to support emotional well-being within clients who menstruate. It explores the psychological and behavioral effects of hormonal fluctuations within menstruators. While amplifying the significance of menstrual cycle awareness in therapy rooms, it urges therapists to help banish the stigma around menstruation by nudging clients to listen closely to the rhythms of their bodies. It suggests that therapists should observe emotional or behavioral patterns, if any within the clients and design interventions accordingly for better-suited progress. This paper argues that the premenstrual onset of negative emotions or feelings should not be disregarded, as it could indicate underlying unresolved issues. While viewing the menstrual cycle from a biopsychosocial lens, it serves as a call to action for future research.