On 24 June 2022, skincare specialist and therapist trainer Jennifer Young will launch a new training course called Hormonal Wellness Touch Therapies.

The new qualification is designed to enable spa therapists to help guests address the physical and emotional consequences of menopause.

Delivered virtually, the course begins with an abridged version of Young’s existing Advance Menopause Awareness training to educate students about the theory of the menopause. Young delivers this content alongside three specialist medics, a psychotherapeutic counsellor and psychological therapist, among others.

Participants will then progress onto the practical element of the course where they’ll learn and practise facial and body treatment protocols. The new rituals have been designed specifically by Young to equip therapists with the ability to understand and provide tailored support to menopausal women.

Both treatment journeys begin with a consultation so therapists can gain information about the client – without being intrusive – and identify their most pressing symptoms.

Treatments are then tailored to each client’s needs using a combination of touch, acupressure and aromatherapy to support their hormonal wellbeing and circadian rhythm. The rituals incorporate Young’s recently launched Menopause Plus skincare and spa line powered by naturally-occurring plant oestrogens (phytohormones).

Once therapists complete the training and its necessary assessments, they can opt to be listed on Young’s website’s Hormonal Wellness Therapist Finder.

According to Young, the skincare line and its associated training was inspired by the many stories of women who don’t feel heard when it comes to their experience with menopause.

She says: “Therapists are in a powerful position to support women as they go through hormonal changes and also to guide them to have a positive experience of menopause.

“Our touch therapies are the result of two years of research and development. They work with individuals to address the unwanted side effects of hormonal change from cause to symptom.”

The touch therapy qualifications follow Young’s existing Diplomas of Hormonal Balance Mentoring and Coaching, launched with a view to giving therapists more resources through which to support menopausal clients.

“While therapists cannot provide medical support, most of the women we speak to aren’t looking for that,” she adds, “they simply want someone to listen and provide holistic support. Therapists are in a strong position to fill that gap.”

Young, an associate member of the Royal Society of Medicine, uses her degree in Biology along with her postgraduate qualifications in occupational health and law and combined with her therapy and wellness professional qualifications to help women in hormonal crises.