About
Our guest for Season Eight Episode two is Dr Ayana Gibbs.
'I'm a Physician! Yet Dr Google was my friend"
Dr. Ayana Gibbs is a psychiatrist and hormone health specialist with over 20 years of experience across the NHS, academia, the pharmaceutical industry, and private practice. She is passionate about improving access to evidence-based mental health care, particularly for women of colour, with a special focus on the intersection of neurodiversity, hormone health and mental well-being.
Ayana trained in psychiatry at The Maudsley Hospital in London, earned a PhD in Neuroscience from King’s College London, and has authored numerous academic publications. She currently works as a Consultant Psychiatrist with a specialist focus on adult ADHD, is an Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer at Brighton & Sussex Medical School and divides her time between the UK and the Caribbean.
Ayana is the founder of the Caribbean Mind & Hormone Clinic, a telemedicine service designed to fill critical gaps in mental health care across the Caribbean.
We discuss:
> Her unusual menopause symptoms including beibg 'bitten' and 'burning scalp'
> Learning virtual nothing about menopause during her medical training.
> Her route to hysterectomy and why more careful consideration of the outcomes needs to be taken by patient and physcian.
> The underresearched correlation between ADHD and peri-menopause symptoms.
and much more...
NOTES:
Womens Health Concern Menopause Wellness hub.
British Menopause Society Menopause Toolkit
ADHD and Peri-menopause ADDitude article
www.redzenpilates.com Barbados based Red Zen Pilates
Dr Ayana's website https://www.drayanagibbs.com/
Caribbean Mental Health Clinic Instagram
Always remember that each guest is one human having their own unique menopause experience, opinions are their own and no two journeys will be exactly the same. Please use these epsiodes to do your own research.
If you love this podcast please support us by following Menopause Whilst Black on Facebook and Instagram, leaving a glowing wordy review on any platform and like, subscribe and comment on YouTube.
Keep talking about menopause with your family, friends and work colleagues of all genders. Together we are gradually breaking this taboo to ensure that every person in menopause gets the care that they need.
Love the guest dance picks? Listen to Season 8 Spotify playlist. compilation.
The Joy Retreat Barbados 2025 for Black women in any stage of menopause, is now closed. Sign up to be the first to hear news of our 2026 trip by emailing hello@menopausewhilstblack.com with the subject heading 'TJRB2026'
Who would you love us to interview? Email the show: hello@menopausewhilstblack.com
Visit our website at menopausewhilstblack.com
Are you a business or brand who aligns with our mission? Would you like to sponsor us? Email hello@menopausewhilstblack for your media pack.
Karen Arthur is a broadcaster, artist, author and menopause activist. She is also host of bi-weekly weekend radio show on Golddust radio 'Can We Talk' now halfway through it's second year.
'Grandmas Locs', celebrating the diversity of Afro hair, is Karens debut childrens book. Out now in the UK with Tate publishing. US release date June 10th 2025.
Thank you Team MWB @beyongolia and @yaa___studio . You are bloody amazing.
*we recognise that inclusive language is important in ensuring that ALL who experience menopause are seen and heard. The term women is used whilst mindful of this.
