The Therapy Room with Rhu
Menopause and Andropause support that meets the new legislation, and your people, properly.
Workplace menopause, andropause and wellness training and consultancy for organisations across Hampshire and the South Coast, delivered by a Level 5 functional practitioner, not a generic wellbeing trainer.
Rhu Strand | Level 5 Functional Wellness Practitioner | Workplace Wellness Consultant | Gosport, Hampshire
per·i·me·no·pause (noun) — the years before menopause, when oestrogen and progesterone fluctuate, often bringing brain fog, poor sleep and mood changes. Symptoms worsen under stress.
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an·dro·pause (noun) — the gradual decline in testosterone in men from their forties, sometimes called male menopause. Affects energy, motivation and focus, and worsens under stress.
April 26
Menopause Action Plans - Encouraged
Spring 27
Menopause Action Plans - MANDATORY
In September 2026, ISO published ISO 45010, the world's first international standard for supporting menstruation and menopause at work. It joins a legal framework that already applies to every employer, whatever their size.
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Under the Employment Rights Act 2025, large employers are encouraged from April 2026 to publish Menopause Action Plans alongside their gender pay gap data. From spring 2027, this becomes mandatory for organisations with 250 or more employees.
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Employers of every size already carry a duty of care under the Equality Act 2010 and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The 250-employee reporting threshold created by the Employment Rights Act decides who has to publish a plan, it does not decide who can be taken to tribunal. If a smaller business gets this wrong, the exposure is exactly the same, and tribunal awards for discrimination are uncapped. Where menopause symptoms are severe or long-lasting, reasonable adjustments are not optional under the Equality Act 2010, whatever the size of the organisation.
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I've created a free downloadable pdf guide in plain english for these changes here
Session-Based Support
One-off sessions for your team, whatever stage you're at.
Ongoing Support
For organisations ready to build something that lasts longer than a single session.
Menopause and Andropause Workplace Programme
A six or twelve month programme building deeper, lasting change across your workforce - Find Out More
Priced per package, get in touch
Metamorphosis Programme Access
Employer-sponsored access to my Metamorphosis Programme, the self-led twelve week course built around The Foundation Flow, nourish, sleep and peace, the three areas most disrupted in midlife. Twelve modules, videos, menus, education on menopause, a journal and practical tools, all at each employee's own pace, with their own private login, ideal for anyone needing additional support who might prefer something self-led to face to face options.
From £55 per seat
Lunchtime Awareness Session Topics
Every session is built around your team's actual needs, but here are five starting points.
​​Menopause Awareness for All Staff
What perimenopause and menopause actually involve, why symptoms show up the way they do, and what genuinely helps. Built for the whole team, not just those experiencing it.
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Andropause: The Hormone Health Conversation Nobody's Having
Male hormone health in midlife is rarely discussed and even more rarely understood. This session covers what andropause is, why it matters, and why it deserves the same seriousness as menopause.
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Stress, Cortisol and Hormonal Health
Why chronic workplace stress does not just feel bad, it actively disrupts the hormones behind energy, mood and focus for every member of your team, not only those in midlife.
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Blood Sugar and Energy at Work
The science behind the afternoon energy crash, and why blood sugar stability affects concentration, mood and productivity across your whole workforce, not only during midlife.
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Supporting Your Team Through Hormonal Change
A manager-focused session on recognising what's happening, having a confident first conversation, and knowing when and how to signpost further support.
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Looking for something with a bit more depth? The Hormonal Phase Gap is a standalone session, see above.
From £400
Testimonial
Kirsty: 'her knowledge, care, and encouragement have made such a difference"
Why Me
Most workplace menopause training is delivered by coaches with an awareness certificate. I am a Level 5 functional practitioner.
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Level 5 Functional Wellness Practitioner, recognised by the Federation of Holistic Therapies (FHT)
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Background in human resources, so I understand organisational structure and policy, not just biology
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Years of experience co-facilitating a local menopause support group in Gosport
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One of very few practitioners who addresses both perimenopause and andropause, because they frequently affect the same household and the same workplace
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Nutritional Advisor for a wellbeing app to support teachers - Teacher Restore ​
I could talk you through the legislation and leave it there. Plenty of consultants do. But I have my own standard for what a company owes the people who show up for it every day, and it goes further than a policy document nobody reads.
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I have been the person struggling quietly at work with no idea what was happening to her body or why nobody seemed to notice. I know what it costs someone to sit in a meeting holding it together, and I know what it costs a business to lose good people because nobody thought to ask.
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So when I work with you, checking you off against ISO 45010 or the Employment Rights Act is the easy part. What I actually want to know is whether your people would recognise your support as support, on an ordinary Tuesday, not just when someone's signed off. That is the bar I hold you to. The legislation gets you compliant. My standard gets you somewhere your staff will actually thank you for.
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Scroll down for a deeper dive into the new legislation and what that means for you.
I work alongside GP care, not instead of it. My role is to bring clarity, education, and practical tools, not to diagnose or replace medical advice. My focus is on the hormonal changes associated with ageing, including menopause and andropause, and if your organisation has specific questions about supporting transgender employees, I would always recommend working alongside a specialist gender health service in addition to any general wellbeing support I provide.​​
Why Andropause Too
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Hormonal change in midlife is not only a women's issue. Andropause, the gradual decline in testosterone many men experience from their forties onward, affects energy, motivation, mood and focus at work, and it is almost never named or addressed.
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I work with organisations on both sides of this conversation. In practice, this often means supporting couples going through it at the same time, and giving managers the confidence to recognise it in male colleagues who may not have the language for what they're experiencing.
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I recommend treating andropause with the same seriousness as menopause, not as an afterthought.
If you have just received a message from me directly, thank you for taking the time to look further. This page exists so you can see exactly what I offer and why, without any pressure. There is no obligation attached to looking around, and I would always rather have an honest conversation than a rushed sale.
If you are working on your Equality Action Plan, or simply want to understand what good menopause support looks like for your organisation, I would be glad to talk.
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Or email rhu@rhustrand.co.uk directly
How I Can Help.
What the new legislation actually requires
These six areas are the same six areas ISO 45010 sets out. What follows works as both a legislative checklist and an alignment map against the new international standard.
Train managers
Managers able to spot what is happening and have a confident, sensitive first conversation.
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My workshops go beyond awareness, into the physiology behind what managers are seeing.
Support groups and networks
A regular, safe space for employees to talk to each other.
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I already run one in Gosport, so I can help build one that actually works.
Occupational health advice
Employees having somewhere to go for guidance, beyond their line manager.
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Employer-funded 1-on-1 support, alongside GP care, not instead of it.
Workplace adjustments
Flexible hours, temperature control, uniform changes, rest breaks.
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I help managers understand why these requests matter, so they are granted with understanding.
Menopause risk assessment
Checking ventilation, facilities, and shift patterns for anything worsening symptoms.
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Best run alongside any training I deliver.
Policies and procedures
Making sure absence and performance processes do not quietly penalise a health issue.
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My HR background means I can help sense-check this.
Free Menopause at work download
Want to keep all of this in one place? Download Menopause at Work, my free plain English guide, no email required. It covers everything above plus what it means if you are under 250 employees and a short note on the men in your workforce too.
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Click on the image to access immediately
Tick the Box, or Actually Stand Out
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If what you need right now is straightforward compliance training, awareness sessions and manager workshops that meet ISO 45010 and the Employment Rights Act, I can deliver that. Plenty of organisations start there, and there's nothing wrong with starting there.
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But if you want your business to be somewhere people actually want to work, rather than somewhere that just about scrapes compliance, that's the conversation I'm actually interested in having with you. It means champions trained to keep the conversation alive on the floor, not just on the day. It means feedback that comes back to HR in a form you can use, feeding into your risk assessments and your policy, not sitting in a folder. And it means I check back in, because a standard you only meet once during a launch week is not a standard.
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Both are available. Only one of them is what sets a business apart from every other employer doing the bare minimum.
Does this apply to me?
Large employer, 250 or more staff
Yes, directly. From spring 2027, you'll need an Equality Action Plan covering menopause support, alongside your gender pay gap data. Most organisations haven't started, and don't yet know which of the six actions to prioritise, or what good looks like once you get past the policy language. That's exactly where I come in.
Small or medium business
The mandatory reporting duty doesn't apply to you. But the Equality Act 2010 and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 already require you to make reasonable adjustments where symptoms are severe or long-lasting, whatever your size. For most SMEs, this isn't really about legislation. It's about not losing an experienced team member, or a manager finally knowing what to say instead of avoiding the conversation.
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ISO 45010, published September 2026, was written with organisations your size specifically in mind, and gives you a recognised standard to work towards even without a reporting deadline attached to it.
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Sole trader or self-employed
The legislation doesn't touch you directly, but the conversation probably still does. Most people at this stage of business know someone, a colleague, a partner, themselves, going through it. If that's you, the same support applies, just without an employer footing the bill.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to do anything if we have fewer than 250 employees?
The mandatory reporting duty in the Employment Rights Act 2025 only applies once you reach 250 employees, but that's not the same as being off the hook. You already carry a duty of care under the Equality Act 2010 and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, with uncapped tribunal awards if you get it wrong. And in September 2026, ISO published ISO 45010, the first international standard on supporting menstruation and menopause at work, written to apply to organisations of every size, with specific guidance for small and medium businesses. There's no reporting deadline attached, but there is now a recognised benchmark to work towards, whatever your size.
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How is this different from generic menopause awareness training?
Most workplace training tells people the topic exists. I go a layer deeper. As a Level 5 functional wellness practitioner, I explain why the symptoms happen, so managers understand what they're actually looking at, not just what a policy document tells them to do about it.
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Is the training accredited or certified?
It isn't a formal accredited qualification, and I'm upfront about that. What I offer is education and workplace training drawn from my own practice expertise, delivered the same way a nutritionist or an HR consultant would run a workshop. I work alongside GP care, not instead of it, and I never diagnose or prescribe.
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Do you only work with women, or with the whole organisation?The whole organisation. I cover both menopause and andropause, since the hormonal picture in midlife affects men too, and almost nobody is addressing that side. Group sessions run together where that makes sense, and separately where privacy matters more, so people can be honest. That often means supporting managers, HR teams, and couples where both partners are going through it at the same time.
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What does it cost?
A complimentary introduction session is available for HR and managers who want a feel for the approach first. The Hormonal Phase Gap, a standalone joint session for your whole team, starts from £500. Lunchtime awareness sessions start from £400. Manager and HR half-day workshops and Menopause Champion training both start from £750. Employee 1-on-1 support and the ongoing Menopause and Andropause Workplace Programme are both priced individually, get in touch to discuss what your organisation needs.
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Do you only work in Hampshire?
I deliver in person across Hampshire and the South Coast, and I work with organisations anywhere in the UK online.
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What are the terms and conditions?
Find these here.
If you'd rather share something gentler with a member of your team first, this page is designed for that.
The Phase Partnership | A trading name of Rhu Strand, Level 5 Functional Wellness Practitioner | rhu@rhustrand.co.uk | Gosport, UK