Local author and clinical counsellor Heather Hendrie is anticipating the March 2026 release of her next book: Where the Eff is My Red Tent.
It's a collection of memoirs and essays based on Hendrie's personal life and professional experiences, but it's not an autobiography nor does it present its writer as the centre of attention. Rather, Hendrie tries to use stories from her life as a trail of "breadcrumbs" for people who may likewise have grappled with eating disorders, codependent relationships and other such hurdles.
Red Tent is a book 30 years in the making. Its core thread revolves around premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a stigmatized and poorly understood ailment that impacts one's mood.
"It's physiological in nature, and the thought is that one in 20 menstruating people suffer with this condition," Hendrie explains. "Around [the time of] ovulation, most people would feel quite good, but for folks with PMDD, it's the opposite and the wheels really fall off.
"I would include a trigger warning in that PMDD is a very dangerous condition. It's thought that over 30 per cent of people with the condition experience thoughts of suicide, and very specifically during the time of the cycle between ovulation and menstruation. The pure fact that it is so dangerous, and also so often misdiagnosed, is what has inspired me to write this book."
PMDD disrupts the nervous system, opening the door to several other comorbidities (i.e. the simultaneous presence of two or more diseases or medical afflictions in a patient). For instance, Hendrie's bouts of anorexia often correlated with her PMDD.
Her father was a doctor, yet she went undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for three decades, and the average time to a diagnosis is roughly 10 years. PMDD is often wrongly labelled as anxiety, depression or bipolar disorder.
Post-traumatic growth
Sea to Sky denizens might relate to the fact that spending time in the woods—when combined with professional medical aid—set Hendrie on her road to recovery.
"Elizabeth Gilbert spoke about finding God on her bathroom floor, Glennon Doyle speaks about knowing, or her God in the closet, and I've always found my flow in the forest—which is part of what has led me to Whistler," Hendrie explains. "Folks with premenstrual dysphoric disorder tend to be very, very sensitive to their context and environment. It's been really important for me to land in a place that has felt really supportive, really close to nature."
If nothing else, Hendrie wants her audience to know that they are not alone. Red Tent can be a beneficial read not just for those struggling with PMDD, but those who suffer from other physical or mental health conditions and the toxic social narratives which may hinder them from finding timely assistance.
Hendrie has also learned through writing her Awfully Hilarious series that strategically-utilized humour can be an invaluable tool for creating some "breathing room" during one's exploration of painful themes.
"We talk a lot these days about post-traumatic stress disorder, which also ends up happening if you've got untreated PMDD for years … but what we don't think about enough—and I love to speak about as a clinical counsellor—is post-traumatic growth," she says. "Once we have walked the path, we know the way. I'm not saying that every counsellor has to have suffered to be a good counsellor by any stretch. What a good counsellor needs is to be well-regulated and self-aware.
"My joy would be if people who have PMDD and don't know it were to pick this up and see themselves in the pages. And if this book is not for you, could it be for your wife, for your daughter, for your sister?"
Where the Eff is My Red Tent releases on March 6, 2026 with pre-orders already available. Visit caitlinpress.com/Books/W/Where-the-Eff-is-My-Red-Tent to learn more.
