Outside of medicine, Rachael is an experienced wellbeing, career and leadership coach, accredited by the EMCC. She has completed an MSc in positive psychology and coaching psychology, which has allowed her to understand the science and practice of supporting wellbeing and flourishing in the contexts of life, work and health, which has had a hugely positive influence on her medical work.  She has completed research into the experiences of burnout in professional women during perimenopause.

Alongside this, she enjoys speaking to organisations and groups about women’s health and the impact on work to empower women to feel educated and informed, as well as support organisations to become more women’s health friendly.

Outside of work, she enjoys spending time in nature with her dog, running and travel; and benefits from practising yoga and teaches weekly classes in her local area.

Catherine qualified from the University of Birmingham in 1993 with honours in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. This started an interest in women’s health and she went on to gain additional qualifications including the Diploma of the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (DRCOG) and the Diploma of the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health (DFRSH). Catherine has undertaken her menopause training with the British Menopause Society (BMS) and has gained the Advanced Certificate in the Principles and Practice of Menopause Care. Catherine continues to be a member of the BMS and regular attends conferences with both the BMS and IMS (International Menopause Society).

Catherine has had a career long interest in helping and supporting women through the menopause transition, and has also undertaken teaching and training sessions for GPs on various subjects linked to menopause. Catherine works with two menopause charities in the Warwickshire areas – Lifeways Menopause Support Group and Action Menopause Warwickshire. She is keen that all women should have access to good, well balanced and reliable menopause information and advice. Within her practice she seeks to provide a personal touch with continuity of care at every appointment.

Away from work Catherine enjoys yoga, Pilates, swimming and art as well as singing with Stratford Upon Avon Choral Society. She is absolutely delighted to be working with Dr Zoe Hodson, Dr Rachael Chrystal and Dr Jennifer Horrocks at Manchester Menopause Hive. She has found in them, others with the same motivations, values and ethos in providing excellent menopause care to women.

Morecambe Bay is an area that is very poorly served in regards to Menopause care with no local menopause clinics, so she has been working hard to rectify this by setting up a GP-led menopause clinic within her practice and providing frequent training sessions for other staff within the local area through the local training hub.

When she’s not talking about the menopause, Jen will be found at home with her two young daughters and husband, tending to her garden and vegetable plot, running along the beach or exploring the nearby countryside of Arnside and Silverdale AONB and the Lake District.

fter 20 years in General Practice she decided to specialise in menopause care and established ‘Manchester Menopause Hive Ltd’. The aim of the clinic is to provide personalised, evidence-based care and listening ears.

Outside of the clinic Zoe continues to spend time working pro bono with groups who frequently have unmet needs. Over the last year this has included talks and events with Afrocats, the African and Carribean Mental Health Network, the local probation service, community groups in Bury, Stretford and Rochdale and the annual World Menopause Day at The Whitworth Art Gallery. She is delighted to have been invited to join the steering group for Women’s Health in Greater Manchester and lends her experience to supporting various research projects around menopause and women’s health.

In her spare time Zoe enjoys many yarn related activities such as crochet and knitting as well as fashioning clothing from second hand curtains. She enjoys family trips to the coast and is a cold-water paddler as she has not quite yet embraced the delights of full immersion. She is looking forward to embracing much more of these hobbies as she enters retirement.

Dr Hodson is no longer seeing patients following her retirement due to health reasons – however all of her previous patients are being well looked after by the rest of the clinical team.