Trauma and the Menstrual Cycle with Dr. Nancy Bancroft & Dr. Lara Owen

Welcome to Earth Body Podcast. I’m Kate Douglas, Fertility Awareness Educator and founder of Earth Body. Each week, we feature conversations, stories, and essays exploring cyclical wisdom in the modern world.

Today, we're talking about trauma and the menstrual cycle with Dr. Nancy Bancroft & Dr. Lara Owen.

Please note there is an allusion to SA in this episode.

KEY MOMENTS:

1:08 - Trauma, stress & the menstrual cycle
2:52 - The body & somatics in a therapeutic practice
6:04 - Internal Family Systems
9:47 - Using cycles as guides in the healing process
13:06 - Processing traumatic memories
16:05 - The luteal phase & traumatic memory
18:30 - Nancy & Lara’s upcoming retreat
21:18 - Working with other life cycles
22:20 - What is the most nourishing aspect of your work?

—

Dr Nancy Bancroft’s background is in NHS inpatient and community mental health services. She views psychological "symptoms" as normal responses to abnormal situations: communications from the body-mind signalling an absence of balance and safety. Nancy trains and delivers therapy from this trauma-informed perspective in private practice, with attention to the role of the body in emotional wellbeing. With expertise in the treatment of complex trauma, she integrates theory and evidence-based practice from the field of traumatology with holistic and spiritual perspectives to make sense of emotional distress from its developmental roots. Nancy's work celebrates the natural healing capacities of every individual, prioritising and supporting the ideal circumstances for holistic recovery, from the inside, out.

Dr. Lara Owen is recognised internationally for her pioneering and continuing work on menstruation. She is the author of the ground-breaking book, Her Blood Is Gold, holds a PhD in menstrual organization from Monash Business School, is a founding member of the Menstruation Research Network (UK) and an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of St Andrews. Lara’s fieldwork has explored menstruation and menopause across a wide range of contexts in the UK, USA and Australia. As a consultant she has worked for global institutions, corporations, governments, and the third sector. She lectures internationally and teaches a Master’s level course in Contemporary Menstrual Studies to students worldwide. Her most recent book, Reorganizing Menstruation, published by Oxford University Press, is now available.

Relevant Links:

• xxx

—

Earth Body aims to nurture cyclical wisdom through access to practices that bring us into dialogue with our inner and outer landscapes.

Through a range of guest artists and teachers, we share classes aimed to support the holistic health of our bodies, our communities, and our planet.

To subscribe to our newsletter, check out our upcoming knowledge shares, and more, visit us online at HelloEarthBody.com.

Episode recorded, mixed, and produced by Kate Douglas

Theme song is by Raina Sokolov-Gonzalez

All content is provided for general informational purposes only. It not medical advice, and should not be construed as such.