Menopause isn't just your mother's journey anymore. Today's conversation with Lauren Tenenbaum, author of the upcoming book "Millennial Menopause: Preparing for Perimenopause, Menopause, and Life's Next Period," challenges everything you thought you knew about this life transition.

Did you know perimenopause symptoms can start in your 30s? Despite being well-read and passionate about women's health, Lauren found herself at 39 realizing she knew nothing about the next phase of her reproductive and mental health journey. This knowledge gap drove her to create what she describes as "the compassionate guide that every woman in her 30s and 40s needs" for navigating this significant life transition.

Our discussion tackles persistent myths that continue to impact women's health decisions, particularly around hormone therapy. Lauren brings her unique perspective as both a licensed social worker and former lawyer to address the intersectionality of ageism, gender, and healthcare access. We explore how millennial women are approaching menopause differently than previous generations – breaking taboos, demanding better care, and rewriting cultural narratives around aging.

The conversation offers practical takeaways for listeners at any stage: building your healthcare team before symptoms start, advocating effectively in medical settings and workplaces, finding community support, and embracing aging as "a privilege, not something gross." Lauren's mother's advice resonates throughout: "If you don't ask, you won't get."

Whether you're experiencing symptoms now, supporting someone who is, or simply planning ahead, this episode provides the knowledge and empowerment to approach menopause with confidence. Pre-order Lauren's book (available July 15th) and join the conversation that's finally getting the attention it deserves.

Lauren A. Tetenbaum, LCSW, JD, PMH-C is an advocate and therapist who supports millennial and young women through life transitions. She specializes in professional and personal identity shifts, including the perinatal period and perimenopause. Lauren is the go-to resource for women seeking counsel, empowerment, and connection.

Lauren’s website: https://thecounselaur.com/

MiDOViA LINKS:

Website: https://www.midovia.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mymidovia
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/midovia
Email Us: info@midovia.com

MiDOViA is dedicated to changing the narrative about menopause by educating, raising awareness & supporting women in this stage of life, both at home and in the workplace. Visit midovia.com to learn more.

The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images & other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

How do hormonal changes during menopause affect your mental health? This question has remained largely unaddressed in conventional healthcare, leaving countless women struggling to understand why they suddenly feel like strangers in their own minds and bodies.

Psychotherapist Kim Crispeno joins us to shed light on this critical intersection. As co-founder of the Aftermath Agency, Kim's approach to mental health during menopause emerged from her own personal journey and professional expertise. She explains how hormonal fluctuations directly impact brain function, triggering everything from brain fog and memory issues to anxiety, depression, and irritability that can strain relationships and diminish quality of life.

The conversation takes a fascinating turn as Kim introduces the concept of shame in menopause. What if our changing bodies become the "dysregulating other" that triggers profound discomfort as our previously reliable cognitive functions seem to betray us? This perspective helps explain why competent, high-functioning women suddenly feel destabilized during this transition.

Kim offers practical strategies for navigating these challenges, emphasizing the power of community, self-awareness, and reframing menopause as a doorway rather than just a loss. Her advice to simply "notice" what's happening without judgment provides a gentle first step toward self-compassion. She even writes "permission slips" for clients – tangible reminders that it's okay to prioritize their needs during this transition.

Whether you're experiencing perimenopause symptoms without realizing their source, fully immersed in the menopause journey, or supporting someone who is, this episode provides valuable insights for approaching this significant life transition with greater awareness and self-compassion. Kim's parting wisdom to be "kind and curious" with ourselves may be the most powerful tool for transforming how we experience menopause.

What if the journey through menopause offered not just physical challenges, but a profound opportunity to heal your relationship with your body? In this illuminating conversation with Trisha Wilkerson, certified health and nutrition coach and trauma-sensitive yoga teacher, we explore how midlife becomes a crucial crossroads in women's relationships with themselves.

Trisha shares her personal evolution from disordered eating to becoming a compassionate guide for women struggling with food and body image. She reveals the patterns she's observed in women's relationships with their bodies - particularly the strong inner critic that judges, compares, and denies pleasure. This critical voice, she explains, often stems from childhood messages about not being enough, creating a lifelong pattern of seeking external approval.

The menopause transition brings these issues to the forefront as our bodies change in ways we can't control. As Trisha beautifully articulates, we face a choice: continue struggling against reality or begin the courageous work of acceptance. Her most powerful insight? "If we could see ourselves and our bodies as already good and then nurture what is already good... that postural change would be life changing."

Through practices like "compassionate curiosity" and her "notice, name, nurture" approach, Tricia offers practical ways to interrupt automatic negative thought patterns about our bodies. She challenges the idea that we need to force positivity, suggesting instead that neutrality - simply observing "there's my body" without judgment - might be a more authentic first step toward healing.

Discover how trauma-sensitive yoga can help reconnect with your body, why community is vital during menopause despite the fear of connection, and why, as Trisha reminds us, "Your most important relationship is the one with yourself." This episode offers not just insights, but a pathway toward making peace with your changing body during menopause and beyond.

Aftermath Agency: https://www.theaftermathagency.com/

Trisha Wilkerson is a certified Health and Nutrition Coach and published author. Trisha is dedicated to assisting individuals in improving their connections with food, their bodies, and themselves. By fostering compassionate curiosity and advocating an anti-diet philosophy, she creates a safe environment and relationship for clients to shift their anxieties concerning food, fitness, and other healthy practices towards inner peace--believing we can cultivate deeper health, at any size.

Trisha is currently working on her second book titled "Already Good: How Extreme Religion and Diet Culture Exploit Our Human Quest for Meaning and Belonging."

Trisha is co-founder of The Aftermath Agency-- a collaborative private practice centering wholistic health in Edmonds, WA. There, she also teaches Trauma Sensitive Yoga, as a modality to assist embodied agency in healing from various traumas.

MiDOViA LINKS:

Website: https://www.midovia.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mymidovia
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/midovia
Email Us: info@midovia.com

MiDOViA is dedicated to changing the narrative about menopause by educating, raising awareness & supporting women in this stage of life, both at home and in the workplace. Visit midovia.com to learn more.

The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images & other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.