Perimenopause and Menopause
Because mood swings, hot flashes, and WTF moments deserve a therapist too
At 35, I was thrust into sudden menopause following surgery—what’s known as surgical menopause. One day, I was managing life’s usual demands. The next, I was reeling from a complete hormonal shutdown. No gentle tapering. No roadmap. No conversations about grief, brain fog, rage, or the unbearable emotional weight that came with the loss of estrogen.
I was suddenly falling apart. I couldn’t find myself. I couldn’t find language for what was happening in my body, mind, or heart. There was a gaping silence around the emotional, mental, and somatic toll of menopause—especially when it comes early and without warning.
This experience has shaped my work in profound ways. I now hold space for bodies that menstruate and bodies that once did—navigating perimenopause, surgical menopause, early menopause, and natural menopause. I bring the compassion I once needed—paired with trauma-informed, somatic, feminist, and neurodivergence-affirming practices.
Hormonal Shifts in Perimenopause and Menopause: What’s Really Going On?
Hormones impact nearly every aspect of our lives—mood, sleep, focus, energy, libido, appetite, and emotional regulation. During perimenopause and menopause, these hormones don’t quietly exit the stage. Instead, they shift in unpredictable and often disruptive ways. And for people with menstrual cycles, this transition can feel like your body suddenly stopped playing by the rules you’ve always known.
For those of us socialized to care for others before ourselves, the loss of hormonal stability can be devastating—not just physically, but emotionally and existentially. These are not just mood swings. They are neurological and hormonal changes layered on top of lifetimes of over-functioning, caregiving, masking, and being told that your body’s needs were secondary.
Whether you're cis, trans, nonbinary, or gender-diverse, if you have a menstrual history, this transition matters—and you deserve support that’s inclusive, trauma-informed, and non-pathologizing. You're not "too sensitive," broken, or weak. You're moving through a profound physiological transformation—and you don’t have to do it alone.
Sleep…
The hidden casualty.
leep disruption is one of the most common—and least acknowledged—symptoms of perimenopause. For many people with menstrual cycles, changes in sleep begin years before the final period and are often blamed on stress, parenting, or aging. But the truth is: hormones play a major role in sleep regulation, and when they fluctuate, sleep often unravels.
Estrogen regulates REM sleep, body temperature, and neurotransmitters like serotonin and acetylcholine that help you fall and stay asleep.
Progesterone has sedative effects and boosts GABA, the brain’s calming system.
You Might Notice:
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Trouble falling asleep, anxiety at bedtime
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Waking at 2–4 a.m. with a racing heart or mind
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Night sweats or hot flashes
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Increased sensitivity to light, sound, or movement
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A “wired but tired” state—restless body, foggy brain
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Morning fatigue that lingers, even after a full night in bed
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Or waking with a surge of adrenaline or cortisol
How I Support Clients in Perimenopause and Menopause
Perimenopause is not just a biological transition—it’s a whole life transition. It can stir up long-buried grief, rage, exhaustion, identity shifts, and questions about who you are now and what your body needs. This stage of life is often dismissed, misunderstood, or pathologized—especially for those who’ve been taught to put their own needs last.
I offer a space that honors the full truth of what you’re carrying—physically, emotionally, and historically. My approach is trauma-informed, somatically grounded, and anti-oppressive, acknowledging that your experience of this transition is shaped not just by hormones, but by a lifetime of caregiving, systemic pressures, and internalized survival strategies.
In our work, we may:
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Explore how hormonal shifts are affecting your nervous system, mood, sleep, relationships, and sense of self—with education that validates rather than blames.
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Work with parts of you that are exhausted, angry, grieving, or craving something new through Internal Family Systems (IFS) and compassionate inquiry.
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Use somatic practices to support grounding, body trust, emotional release, and re-regulation when things feel chaotic or overwhelming.
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Make space for the existential and identity shifts that often arise during this stage—questions about worth, visibility, sexuality, and aging.
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Name and deconstruct the impact of patriarchy, white supremacy, capitalism, and ableism on how we experience and interpret this transition.
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Reclaim connection to your own wisdom, needs, limits, and power.
Common themes I support during this time:
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Emotional volatility, anxiety, or burnout
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Sleep issues and nervous system dysregulation
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Shame around aging, changing bodies, or sexual identity
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Relationship challenges and shifting roles in family or work
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Chronic pain or fatigue, and the medical gaslighting that often accompanies it
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The urge to shed old roles and reconnect with your truest self
You do not have to navigate this alone. Together, we can create a space for integration, recalibration, and reconnection—to your body, your story, and your becoming.
Menopause Resources
Here are a number of resources to support your menopause journey.
