Perimenopause & Menopause

Navigating a Time of Turbulence

For many women, perimenopause and menopause represent a period of profound dislocation—physically, emotionally, and psychologically. The symptoms are often intense and varied, disrupting your sense of self and compromising your ability to inhabit the roles you value most.

The Impact on Your Identity

"This is a time of change, and with change comes loss that needs to be mourned."

Menopause is more than a biological shift; it is a time of significant change that often brings a sense of loss. We may find ourselves mourning:

  • Loss of Capacity: Feeling robbed of energy by lack of sleep or struggling with the "brain fog" that dents professional and personal confidence.

  • Social Identity: Navigating social anxiety triggered by hot flashes or fatigue.

  • Physical Self: Accepting changes in function, such as feeling "fatigued and achy" when you have always been sporty and active.

  • Aspects of Self: Processing the end of fertility or the loss of the "organised and efficient" version of yourself.

How Therapy Helps

In our sessions, I provide a space to validate and explore how these hormonal and physiological changes are impacting your identity.

  • Acceptance & affirmation: We work together to develop an acceptance for how things are right now, identifying new ways to sustain and affirm your identity that feel manageable.

  • Relational reflection: We can reflect on the impact these changes have on your relationships and challenge any negative beliefs you may have formed about yourself.

  • Supporting exploration: While I am not a medical advisor, I will explore with you what feels like the right decision for your body and your life.

A Lived Experience

I draw on my clinical experience with menopausal women, alongside my own lived experience of navigating this challenging life stage. I am here to listen, empathise, and support you in reclaiming your sense of self.

If you are living through perimenopause or menopause and finding it challenging, please get in touch to discuss how we can work together.