Therapy for PMDD + PME in Chicago
Identity-affirming care in an intentionally-small and inclusive environment in Logan Square and Avondale
Are you struggling with PMDD or PME?
Like so many issues in their lives, many women are told that drastic mood swings, anxiety, irritability, or physical changes are "just hormones" and to “deal with it.” But these experiences can disrupt your relationships, work, and sense of self; therapy at Common Thread Counseling Chicago can help.
At Common Thread Counseling, our therapists provide expert insight into the mental health concerns that are often overlooked, misdiagnosed, or minimized. If you're navigating PMDD, premenstrual exacerbation (PME), perimenopause, or changes in your body, we would love to give you the space to explore your experience and develop practical skills for navigating changes.
Our Specialized, Holistic Approach to Therapy for PMDD and PME
Our work together will consider you in a holistic context: your neurobiology, your life circumstances, your history, your strengths, and your unique goals.
We want to provide a space for you to feel heard and understood.
Hormonal shifts across the menstrual cycle, postpartum, perimenopause, and menopause can affect mood, sleep, energy, concentration, and emotional regulation; Combined with the sustained cultural pressure around appearance, having it ‘all together’, and carrying the majority of the mental load and caregiving, often in the ‘sandwich generation’, and you have a recipe for overwhelm, burnout, anxiety, and disconnection.
Therapists at Common Thread can help.
Techniques We Use at Our Therapy Practice
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The most evidence-backed approach for habits; focuses on the links between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and directly targets the patterns that maintain a habit.
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Helps you make room for uncomfortable urges/emotions without acting on them, while committing to actions aligned with your values, as well as practicing cognitive defusion.
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Dialectical behavioral therapy, which is useful when habits are tied to emotional regulation difficulties; teaches distress tolerance, mindfulness, and alternative coping skills.
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Reduce stress reactivity and improve your awareness of body sensations, emotions, and cycle-related patterns.
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Strengthens communication and support in your relationships, especially during role transitions and midlife changes.
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Support women whose symptoms are tied to past trauma or who feel disconnected from their bodies.
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)
PMDD is a severe, cyclical mood disorder that goes beyond typical PMS. Symptoms appear in the luteal phase and ease within a few days of your period starting.
They can include:
Intense irritability, anger, or conflict with others
Depression, hopelessness, or feeling overwhelmed
Anxiety, tension, or feeling "on edge"
Rapid mood swings or heightened sensitivity to rejection
Difficulty concentrating, fatigue, or changes in sleep and appetite
Physical symptoms such as bloating, breast tenderness, or headaches
How therapy helps with PMDD
Our therapists can support you as you change how you prepare for and move through difficult days. We help you with tools or gentle accountability to track your cycle and identify patterns, build coping strategies for the toughest phases, develop healthy, direct communication with partners, family, and employers, and manage the emotional responses to PMDD. We can help connect you with a medical professional if you’re interested in discussing medication options, as well.
Premenstrual Exacerbation (PME)
PME occurs when an existing condition, such as depression or anxiety, gets noticeably worse in the days before your period. Unlike PMDD, the symptoms are present throughout the month and intensify premenstrually rather than appearing only in the luteal phase.
Because the two look similar, accurate assessment is important. Symptom tracking over at least two cycles, along with input from your medical provider, can clarify which one you're experiencing.
How therapy helps with PME
Therapy can help with gentle accountability for cycle tracking, CBT tools like journaling, assisting you in preparing for premenstrual dips, developing more positive, empowering self-talk, validating your experience, and modifying expectations during those days. Therapy can also build a sustainable plan to rely on when coping tools are difficult to access.
Therapists at Common Thread can simultaneously treat your existing mental health condition as well as PME.
