Click here to read the transcript
A Journey of Transformation
Bonnie Williamson’s career began as a mental health nurse, a role she cherished and excelled in for over 25 years. Her fascination with the mind, behaviours, and wellness drove her passion. While she enjoyed her work, her interest in promoting wellness and mental health rather than addressing mental illness spurred her eventual transition to hypnotherapy. Reflecting on her career and personal experiences, Bonnie revealed that her own struggles with perimenopause significantly influenced her career pivot. “I started to very gradually lose my mojo, but it happens really, really slowly. And then it kicked in a bit more, like in my forties and fifties,” Bonnie recounted. Despite her resilience and professional background, she faced anxiety, brain fog, and a diminishing sense of confidence—symptoms she initially couldn’t attribute to perimenopause.
Understanding Perimenopause
Many women, like Bonnie, enter perimenopause with little knowledge about its broad range of symptoms. Traditionally, it is often associated primarily with hot flashes, but the reality encompasses much more, including profound emotional and mental health impacts. Bonnie emphasised the prevalence of misdiagnosis, where symptoms like anxiety and depression are mistakenly treated without considering hormonal changes. “It’s not just hot flashes—there’s anxiety, brain fog, and a drop in confidence. I was at my wit’s end,” Bonnie shared, underscoring the need for greater awareness and understanding of perimenopause.
Healthy Relationship with Food
A significant aspect of Bonnie’s work involves helping women establish a healthy relationship with food. Often, food serves as a coping mechanism for emotional distress, a pattern many are not even conscious of. Bonnie advocates for a balanced approach to eating, emphasising that maintaining nourishment is critical while allowing space for enjoyment. “People often use food to cope with emotions. Recognising the underlying needs is crucial,” Bonnie noted. Her 80/20 approach involves focusing 80% on nourishing foods and 20% on allowing indulgent foods, aiming for a balance that fosters both health and happiness.
Solution-Focused Therapy
Bonnie’s hypnotherapy practice is rooted in solution-focused techniques, which she found incredibly effective through her own experience with a positive, encouraging therapist. This approach centres on what clients want to achieve rather than dwelling on their problems. Bonnie elaborated on her methodology: “It’s about putting positive seeds in people’s minds and setting clear goals. Visualising a future without the problem helps shift various aspects of their lives,” Bonnie explained. Small, manageable steps can trigger significant positive changes, enhancing how clients feel and interact with others.
Hypnotherapy for Perimenopausal Women
Having personally grappled with perimenopausal challenges, Bonnie uniquely understands her clients’ struggles. Her approach integrates hypnotherapy techniques both in-person and online, offering accessibility and flexibility. “I work with perimenopausal women based on my own experience of not knowing about perimenopause and realising my symptoms were related to it,” Bonnie highlighted. Her firsthand insight enables her to empathise deeply and effectively support her clients.