Menopause-supportive mental health and couples work is something I’m excited to be specializing in starting in 2026.

In addition to working with women and couples in my private practice, I am now a member of the Menopause Society and have recently launched, along with certified sex therapist Julie Labanz, something called The Menopause Care Collective. The Menopause Care Collective is an interdisciplinary team of four local clinicians —including two medical professionals — focused on the mental, sexual, physical and relational shifts women face in midlife.

Our team goes into the community to offer free, intimate conversations about menopause to help women navigate this sometimes decades-long experience so that they can thrive in what, statistics show, can be the most joyful years of their lives.

There are more resources at our disposal than ever to understand what’s going on and what our options are.

High level, it’s important to know that perimenopausal symptoms show up neurologically as early as a decade before they show up in our menstrual cycles, according to Dr. Mary Claire Haver, author of “The New Menopause.” So, from a mental health standpoint, we want to be aware that even before our periods alert us to perimenopause, early symptoms of decreasing estrogen (almost like “prequel perimenopause”) can emerge, and include depression, anxiety, irritability, fatigue, headaches, brain fog, dizzy spells, difficulty concentrating, and worsening or onset of certain mental health disorders.

Why is this important to know? Because, according to Dr. Haver, if we learn these conditions are caused by a decrease in estrogen versus something else, the treatment options will be different.

Of course, when our periods finally get wonky in later perimenopause, we’re more clued-in on what’s happening to us. Still, there is much to process, such as adjusting to hot flashes, lack of sleep, unexpected flooding, hair loss, weight gain, partners who may or may not “get it.” There are evidence-based CBT and couples therapies specifically designed for this, FYI.

As we transition through perimenopause (which can take years) into menopause and post-menopause, we often are encountering larger-life issues too. Not only are we coming to terms with our aging bodies — how they function, how they feel, how they look — but our kids might be leaving, our parents declining in health, and smack-dab in the middle come our own existential questions: “Who am I? What do I want?” We might be tired of caregiving, unhappy in our marriages — or jobs. We definitely want life to feel like it has juice, meaning, purpose. As my friend Michelle pointed out: “Because we’re Gen X, we realize we’ve earned the right to be helped.” Yes we have.

This is when many women come to see me. They’ll say, “I felt like it was time. I want to work on [this-thing].” Yes. We each will have our own “this-thing.” And rather than “work on it,” I’d like to say it’s time to give ourselves permission to do whatever we want about it. The goal being: we want a more peaceful, pain-free, joy-filled life. Like my own therapist once told me, “Give yourself permission to feel alive.” Why does that have to sound so radical? My very wise therapist answered: “Because most women contract themselves their whole lives.” Sounds about right (sadly).

But that is not the end of the story. Our generation is writing the end of the story right now — as we’re living it. And we’re saying: we want more. We want to continue to have a voice, power, sex, fun, good relationships, independence, healthy (as possible) hearts/bones/skin/mental health, and live into a vibrant future. And the good news I’ve discovered as I’ve jumped heart-first into all-things-menopause is that we can.

So, as you can see, I’m 52 and right there, walking the path. I have a vested interest — and belief — that this truly can be a new menopause for our generation and those after us.

Please reach out if you’d like to talk.