Tracey Allport

founder of MOTH TLC

MENOPAUSE IMPACTED EVERY AREA OF MY LIFE, AT HOME & AT WORK

Back in 2012-2014 having undergone several gynaecological surgeries; perimenopause was triggered as a result of the distress that I had experienced over those two years.

Various medications were trialled and my consultant held up his hands and admitted defeat. Everything that he tried was making me feel worse!

Aside from being told I was in perimenopause, no other advise was provided. He suggested I "go forth and find complementary therapies".

At that stage, I had been an Occupational Therapist for 25 years, and frankly, I didn't know where to start with complementary therapies. Fortunately, I found an aromatherapy student who needed a case study client.

Those weekly treatments became the medicine that I needed. The therapist held space for me to talk, and my nervous system regulated so that I could gain some clarity of thought again. I was by no means "fixed", but now that I was feeling calmer, I was able to create my therapeutic plan, using my occupational therapy knowledge. I embarked on finding some purposeful activity, to focus my thoughts and create meaning in my days. This drive led me to study massage therapy: learning something new, stimulated my mind and I benefited from the feel-good hormones from the positive touch of massage.

But it was an extremely tough time. There were some very dark moments when I thought I was broken and there was no way back!

My job of 13 years that I loved, became a chore. I struggled to concentrate, multi-tasking became difficult, I suffered with mood swings, fatigue, low motivation and brain fog (just to name a few things), and I also had zero support from my employer, partly because I didn't feel I could explain the impact menopause was having on me.

I went on a journey of discovery to find the things that would help me feel whole again and then trained in those therapies.

The plan was never to create my own business

When the self-discovery journey began, I had no choice but to heal myself. I certainly hadn't heard of a Menopause Coach back then, and so my tenacity and occupational therapy knowledge paid dividends to find a way through the darkness by myself!

Honestly, it took me many years of studying, and who actually has the time for this in the real world, when you need the answers now?

I had a light bulb moment!

When I was treating my massage case study clients, I discovered that there were more women just like me, feeling lost in their perimenopause! I found that the biggest driver for their symptoms was the stress they were feeling from their jobs, home life or previous trauma.

What was so amazing, is that I was able to combine my many years of occupational therapy experience with my new found skills, to help these women.

I simply could not ignore the fact that women needed support as it was sorely lacking in our communities. Due to their suffering many were leaving work, reducing their hours, or taking on lesser roles, so that they could cope.

MOTH TLC was born, to guide women out of the darkness and into the light, so they could learn how to thrive and not just survive.

What happened next? Things developed further....

For a while I juggled my career working in acquired brain injury rehabilitation, whilst establishing the new business, but it became evident that it wasn't sensible for my own well-being to keep doing that, and demand for services was increasing all of the time!

So in 2017 I left my job and committed to MOTH Therapies full time, which was the year when I won the Gold award for "Best Home Based Business" at The Kent Health and Beauty awards, just as my best friend suddenly died from Leukaemia.

This time of life is tough! Midlife people have A LOT on their plates!

They are the sandwich generation, with elderly parents to care for and who may have started their own family later in life, so they have young children to nurture too.

Relationships can break down, illness can occur, social networks diminish and work can became a massive challenge.

The career that you have worked long and hard for, and very much loved, has become one plate too many to spin. But it doesn't have to be like that, there is a way through, to find balance and maintain the career you deserve.

Despite the tough moments, I have achieved this…....

01

I have won multiple business awards.

02

I was nominated for Occupational Therapist of the year.

03

I have qualified as a Massage Therapist, Aromatherapist, Meditation leader, Remedial Hypnotist, Therapeutic Coach and a Leadership Coach. The list of completed CPD courses is extensive!

04

I have developed a passion for supporting more menopausal women, so they can thrive and not just survive: and so MOTH TLC was created to provide Therapies, Learning and Coaching in the workplace.