This case study demonstrates a new codesigned psychotherapy programme for premenstrual change, suggesting improved acceptability for individuals experiencing PMC.
Tailored and comprehensive psychotherapy options have been requested by individuals experiencing negative premenstrual change (PMC) – inclusive of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and premenstrual exacerbation (PME). Whilst some studies present psychotherapy programmes or interventions for PMC, few provide detailed descriptions of the session contents or the rationale behind them. Only a small number of studies have explored participants’ acceptability of these programmes, and none have been codesigned with individuals who experience PMC themselves. This paper addresses the need for practice-led research by outlining the development process and session content of a codesigned psychotherapy programme tailored to PMC: a person-centred programme involving internal family systems (IFS) aspects and arts-based therapeutic activities. A case study using a single participant who completed the programme is used to illustrate the sessions, and the rationale behind them is discussed.
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Buys et al. (2026) studied this question.
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