September marks a special day on Cabrini’s calendar with the second birthday of our Women’s Mental Health Service.

The centre, which opened in 2021 is the first Women’s private mental health service in the country.

Cabrini chief of mental health and outreach Sharon Sherwood said that since opening its doors, the service has helped over 500 women.

“We saw that during lockdown, women were disproportionately affected by mental health issues and we also knew that many women didn’t feel comfortable seeking help at co-gendered centres,” she said.

“We saw a real need for a place like this and the results have really served as vindication of the leap of faith we took in setting this up.”

The service provides treatment for women suffering from a range of issues, including anxiety, depression, burnout, addiction, as well as being a pioneer in treatment of complex trauma and Pre-Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD).

“For many years PMDD wasn’t taken seriously, it was just brushed off while women suffered.

“PMDD affects about 10 to 15 per cent of the reproductive female population. It’s a severe, debilitating depression with high morbidity and mortality. The symptoms are associated with significant distress or interference with work, school, usual social activities, or relationships with others.

“We’re proud to be the only service in Australia offering hormonal therapy to treat this and from what we’ve seen in the space of just a few short years, the outcomes have been life-changing.

As part of the broader suite of treatment options, psychologists are on hand, providing 8 hours of evidence based group therapy on a daily basis.

“Everyone is different and mental health conditions can cause different symptoms for different people,” Sharon said.

To learn more about Cabrini’s women’s mental health service, visit: https://www.cabrini.com.au/services/womens-mental-health/