The real horror is finding yourself...
The Pause Workshop Series
Inspired by Sam Grierson’s short film The Pause, this creative series explores menopause through comedy, honesty, and real conversation.
Each Watch Party Workshop begins with a screening of The Pause followed by an interactive, themed session led by experienced facilitators. Together, we use film, storytelling, and wellbeing practices to spark open dialogue about menopause and the many ways it shapes our lives, work, and relationships.
Duration: All sessions are 3.5 hours including the film screening, discussion, and workshop activities.
Investment: £2,195 (excluding VAT)
Recommended group size: up to 30 participants (unless otherwise stated)
Location: Client premises or online unless specified
The menopause impacts everyone!
All genders are welcome to any of the workshops.
Interested in hosting one of The Pause Workshops?
We can tailor sessions for teams, communities, or wellbeing events.
Email liz@orange-orchid.co.uk to discuss further.
In Conversation with Writer / Director
Sam Grierson
Writer & Director
Sam Grierson is an award-winning writer and director whose work challenges stereotypes and amplifies underrepresented voices through bold, authentic storytelling. Her new short film, The Pause, uses dark comedy and horror to explore the menopause in a way that is raw, relatable, and refreshingly honest.
Drawing on her background in writing, production, activism, and lived experience of menopause, Sam is passionate about using storytelling to provoke conversation, disrupt taboos, and help audiences see the power in vulnerability. Her work invites people to engage with social issues through art - sparking connection, empathy, and change.
Join writer and director Sam Grierson for an intimate, behind-the-scenes conversation about The Pause. In this one-hour Q&A, Sam shares the inspiration behind the story, the creative process, and the challenge of balancing humour, horror, and honesty in her work.
You will:
• Learn how The Pause was developed and produced.
• Explore how film can start meaningful conversations about menopause.
• Ask questions about writing, directing, and storytelling.
• Reflect on how creative expression can help normalise and celebrate lived experience.
Perfect for film lovers, workplace audiences, and community groups who want to open up honest conversation through art.
A Menopause Café Like No Other
Liz Crutchley
CEO & Founder, Orange Orchid
With around five years of peri-menopausal and two years of post-menopausal lived experience, Liz brings openness, humour, and authenticity to her work on menopause. She believes in creating spaces where people can talk honestly, share stories, and feel seen.
A relaxed, interactive session designed to open up real, human conversations about menopause.
Participants are invited to share experiences, bust myths, and explore what menopause means personally and professionally. There’s no script or slideshow - just guided prompts and open discussion in a safe, inclusive space.
You will:
• Connect through shared stories and lived experiences.
• Explore how menopause shows up in work, relationships, and identity.
• Reflect on what good support looks like for themselves and others.
• Leave feeling heard, valued, and empowered to continue the conversation.
Expect laughter, honesty, belonging, cake, chocolate, and token fruit. 🍰
The Menopause and Your Career
Sarah Wright
Co-Founder, CareerSpace | Career and Leadership Coach
https://careerspace.uk
Sarah Wright is an accredited executive and leadership coach, and Co-Founder of CareerSpace, a modern outplacement and career wellbeing service that helps people navigate change with confidence. She brings warmth, honesty, and humour to conversations that others often avoid.
Drawing on her experience supporting professionals through transition, Sarah explores how menopause intersects with work, identity, and purpose. She’s passionate about helping women redefine success on their own terms - not just pushing through, but thriving through change.
This uplifting and thought-provoking workshop uses coaching and light-touch neuroscience to explore how menopause shapes our work, confidence, and purpose - and how to thrive in this next phase.
You will:
• Reflect on how menopause intersects with career identity and confidence.
• Identify what truly matters now.
• Learn neuroscience-based tools for calm, clarity, and self-belief.
• Leave with renewed perspective, practical next steps, and optimism for what’s ahead.
Ideal for organisations exploring how to support midlife talent and foster inclusive, sustainable careers.
Thriving Through Menopause in the Workplace
Vikki Hobson
Founder, Juicy Menopause
Vikki Hobson is the founder of Juicy Menopause and a passionate advocate for transforming the menopause experience at work. Having personally navigated perimenopause, she combines lived experience with professional training as a certified menopause coach and qualified trainer.
Vikki helps women and organisations approach menopause with empathy, knowledge, and confidence - creating informed, inclusive workplaces where every woman can thrive.
Menopause is a natural life stage, but in the workplace, it’s still often misunderstood. This lively, evidence-based workshop shines a light on what really happens during menopause, why it matters, and how awareness can transform confidence and culture.
You will:
• Understand the stages, symptoms, and workplace impact of menopause.
• Reclaim focus and confidence with cognitive tools.
• Fuel energy and mood through smarter nutrition.
• Reduce stress and improve sleep with practical techniques.
Interactive exercises such as Spot the Signal and A Supportive Workplace bring learning to life - helping participants recognise the signs, respond with empathy, and create environments where everyone feels supported.
Practical, evidence-based, and empowering - this workshop helps workplaces move from awareness to action.
Menopause, Hypnotherapy and Your Brain
Katie Deacon
Clinical Hypnotherapist and Transformative Life Coach
https://www.katiedeacon.co.uk/
Katie Deacon helps clients look ahead, build confidence, and create healthier patterns of thought and behaviour. Using Solution Focused Clinical Hypnotherapy - an approach blending talking therapy and deep guided relaxation - she supports people to understand how their brain works and how it can sometimes keep them stuck.
With around five years of peri-menopausal lived experience, Katie brings empathy, positivity, and calm to her work on mental wellbeing and menopause. She creates safe spaces where people can talk openly, rediscover their strengths, and reconnect with themselves.
A calm and insightful session exploring how our brains work, the role of sleep in memory and wellbeing, and what happens when we experience life’s challenges. With gentle facilitation and guided relaxation, this workshop encourages self-kindness and emotional balance.
You will:
• Gain a deeper understanding of how the brain works and why sleep matters.
• Identify 10 steps to improve rest and self-care.
• Experience a guided relaxation to quiet the mind and strengthen focus.
• Leave feeling calm, refreshed, and empowered.
Perfect for those seeking a gentler, restorative approach to menopause and wellbeing.
Recommended participants - maximum 20
‘Pause’ and Relax Sound Bath
Kate Evans
Founder, The Coaching Retreat and Eudaimonia – Home to Her
https://www.thecoachingretreat.com/
Kate Evans is the founder of The Coaching Retreat and Eudaimonia – Home to Her, a women’s wellbeing studio at Bishton Hall & Gardens in Staffordshire. A qualified coach and sound therapist, Kate combines mindset, leadership, and healing practices to help people reconnect with themselves and create meaningful change.
Drawing on her own story of transformation, Kate brings warmth, honesty, and calm to every space she holds. She believes personal growth happens when we slow down enough to listen - to ourselves and to each other.
A peaceful half-day experience blending guided conversation and a soothing sound bath. Inspired by The Pause, this restorative session invites participants to unwind, reflect, and reconnect.
You will:
• Learn how sound therapy supports wellbeing during menopause.
• Reflect on personal experiences through guided discussion.
• Relax and recharge through a 60-minute immersive sound bath.
• Leave feeling centred, balanced, and connected.
Perfect for those seeking stillness, reflection, and connection through sound and shared experience.
Recommended participants - Maximum 15
Location - Eudaimonia - Home to Her, Bishton Hall & Gardens, Staffordshire
(Available at alternative venues by arrangement; additional travel and setup costs apply.)