Changing how women experience menopause at work…one conversation at a time.
MenoMinds was created by Victoria Brookbank and Haley White, two workplace wellbeing specialists who came to menopause from different paths but shared the same realisation: even with years of training in mental health, neither of them had been prepared for how profoundly perimenopause could affect the mind.
Their professional backgrounds gave them tools and insight, but their lived experiences gave them purpose.
Both found themselves facing symptoms they couldn’t explain: anxiety that didn’t respond to the usual techniques, brain fog that disrupted work they’d once done effortlessly, and a growing sense that something was missing from the wellbeing conversation.
That “missing piece” became their shared mission: to close the gap between menopause education and mental health support, especially for women running their own businesses, where there’s no HR department, paid leave or safety net to fall back on.
Together, they bring compassion, credibility, and hard-won understanding to every session they deliver.
They’ve lived what they teach, and they’ve turned that experience into a programme that helps women feel calm, confident, and capable again.
MENTAL HEALTH EXPERT
Victoria Brookbank
Victoria Brookbank is a workplace wellbeing specialist, psychotherapist, and mindfulness instructor.
She’s the founder of Minds That Work and has spent 14 years in the mental health space supporting organisations like the NHS, Network Rail, the police force, local government and universities to build mentally healthy workplace cultures.
Around 45, Victoria noticed her focus fading and anxiety rising, changes that didn’t respond to the usual wellbeing tools she’d taught for years. When a GP finally mentioned perimenopause, it connected dots she didn’t even realise were missing. That insight lifted years of self-blame and became the spark for MenoMinds.
-
I’ve worked in mental health for most of my career, first as CEO of a mental health charity, and now as a business owner helping others manage stress and wellbeing at work. I thought I understood the mind inside out.
But around 45, something changed. My focus vanished. My patience shrank. My confidence quietly left the room. I’d forget what I was about to say in training sessions or lose track of what I was meant to be doing next. As someone who’s lived with anxiety and depression since my teens, I recognised those patterns, but this time, they were sharper and more unpredictable.
When a locum GP finally mentioned the word perimenopause, I was stunned. I realised that even as a mental-health professional, I had a huge blind spot. I knew the tools, but I’d never connected hormones with how my brain was functioning.
Moving from London to Devon helped calm my nervous system, but what truly helped was community and finding other women who said, “Me too.” It reminded me that I wasn’t broken; I was changing.
Now, that experience shapes everything I do. I want women to have the knowledge, language, and support I wish I’d had earlier, before the panic, self-doubt, and shame set in.
“Even with all my training, I wasn’t prepared for this.”
Today, Victoria co-leads MenoMinds, designing and delivering evidence-based sessions that help self-employed women and those working in micro-businesses to understand what’s happening to their minds and rediscover their confidence.
MENOPAUSE EXPERT
Haley White
Haley White is a workplace wellbeing and mental health trainer with a degree and master’s in organisational psychology. She’s delivered wellbeing training for organisations across the UK and internationally, from universities and NHS Trusts to global businesses in construction, hospitality, and tech. She is also the founder of Menospace, a consultancy helping employers create menopause-inclusive cultures.
Haley had spent her career helping organisations build healthier cultures. But at 41, she was blindsided by anxiety, fog, and cognitive changes she couldn’t explain. Learning she was perimenopausal was both shocking and liberating. It also exposed a gap no one was addressing: the mental side of menopause. That discovery led to Menospace, and later to co-founding MenoMinds with Victoria.
-
When the 2020 lockdowns began, I was 40 and working across London, running wellbeing and mental health sessions for corporate clients. Then my own wellbeing changed. I started forgetting words, losing focus, and feeling sudden, overwhelming anxiety. After months of tests, a consultant told me I was perimenopausal — at 41.
I was completely shocked. I’d never even heard the word perimenopause before. Like so many women, I thought menopause was something that happened much later in life.
Coming from a wellbeing background, I couldn’t believe how little awareness there was. When I found a survey showing that one in ten women were leaving work because of menopause, I decided to do something about it. That’s how Menospace began. I wanted to help organisations understand menopause properly and support their people better.
But as I worked with companies across the UK and beyond, one gap kept appearing: the mental health impact of menopause still wasn’t being discussed. And as a founder working largely alone, I was feeling that gap myself.
That’s when I connected with Victoria. Together we created MenoMinds and combined menopause education with mental health support so women could feel seen, informed, and steady again.
We designed MenoMinds because it’s all connected: hormones, mood, confidence, cognition. When women understand what’s happening, the shame lifts and they start to feel like themselves again.
“I’d spent years teaching workplace wellbeing, but no one was talking about this.”
Today, Haley continues to train organisations across sectors while co-leading MenoMinds, ensuring no woman navigating menopause must do it unsupported or unseen.
Our approach
Practical tools. Honest conversations. Evidence-based support.
Every MenoMinds session is shaped by a simple, evidence-based model called CARE.
It helps you understand what’s happening to your mind, manage symptoms, and move forward with confidence, at your own pace, and in a way that feels doable.
Redesign
Equip
Cultivate
Anchor
C - Cultivate knowledge and awareness
We begin by exploring what’s happening biologically and psychologically during perimenopause. You’ll learn how hormonal changes can influence mood, motivation, sleep, and cognitive function and why symptoms like low mood, anxiety, brain fog, and low confidence are so common.
By understanding the science behind your experiences, you’ll gain perspective and language that turn frustration into clarity.
A - Anchor with practical tools
Next, we translate understanding into action. You’ll learn evidence-based techniques to manage anxiety, regulate stress, and reduce rumination. We share practical tools from mindfulness, CBT, and nervous-system science.
These anchoring practices help calm racing thoughts, ease tension, and support restorative sleep. Nothing complicated, no jargon, just realistic approaches that fit into daily life.
R - Redesign routines and boundaries
This stage focuses on reclaiming rhythm and rest. Together, we look at how disrupted sleep, fluctuating energy, and inconsistent focus affect your day-to-day life.
You’ll explore ways to redesign routines that support better sleep hygiene, sustainable workload management, and balanced energy so you can protect your focus without burning out.
We also discuss gentle boundary-setting and micro-recovery moments to help you function well even when nights are difficult.
E - Equip for the future
Finally, we help you plan for what comes next. You’ll leave with credible signposts: NHS resources, mental health charities, trusted menopause education, and recommended reading, plus your own wellbeing action plan.
We’ll help you identify small, achievable changes that sustain progress over time and remind you where to turn if things become harder again.
What to Expect During a MenoMinds Session
Each MenoMinds session is a 2 hour and 30 mins live CPD accredited online workshop, hosted by Haley White and Victoria Brookbank.
It’s practical, interactive, and thoughtfully structured to help you learn, reflect, and connect with others who understand what you’re navigating.
We keep groups small so everyone has space to take part. Cameras stay on to help us create a genuine sense of presence.
You’ll take part in short teaching segments, guided exercises, and relaxed small-group discussions where ideas and experiences can be shared openly. The atmosphere is calm and respectful, no awkward icebreakers, no forced sharing, just honest conversation led with empathy and expertise.
Breaks are built in so you can stretch, grab a drink, or jot down reflections. The pace is steady, giving you time to absorb what’s being shared and think about how it applies to your own work and wellbeing.
By the end of the session, you’ll leave with practical tools, fresh perspective, and a sense of relief that these conversations are finally happening, for real, and with people who get it.
Session details
Duration: 2 hours 30 mins (with comfort breaks)
Format: Live online via Zoom
Facilitators: Haley White & Victoria Brookbank
Group size: Small, interactive groups for genuine discussion
Includes: Learning materials, wellbeing exercises, reflection prompts, and follow-up resources
CPD accredited: Receive a CPD accredited certificate upon completion
Our funding partner
MenoMinds is funded through NEBOSH’s Social Purpose Programme: a global initiative created to make a meaningful difference to health and wellbeing at work.
NEBOSH, an internationally recognised charity and awarding body, is best known for its qualifications in health, safety and environmental management. Through its Social Purpose Programme, NEBOSH extends that mission beyond training and supports projects that reach people often missed by traditional workplace wellbeing schemes, including self-employed and freelance workers and those working in micro-businesses.
Thanks to NEBOSH’s support, every MenoMinds session is completely free to attend, with no hidden costs, no upsells, and no catch.
“Our Social Purpose Programme is about reaching people who might not otherwise have access to wellbeing support. MenoMinds is a great example of how collaboration can make that possible — improving understanding and changing conversations around menopause and mental health for self-employed women.”
— Mariyah Sader, Social Development Manager, NEBOSH