Perimenopause Therapist
What Is Perimenopause?
Perimenopause is the hormonal transition that precedes menopause typically beginning in a woman's late 30s or 40s and it doesn't just affect your body. It affects your brain, your nervous system, your mood, your memory, and your sense of self.
As estrogen and progesterone fluctuate and decline, so does your brain's ability to regulate serotonin and dopamine which are the neurotransmitters responsible for mood stability, calm, and emotional resilience. What that looks like in real life: anxiety that seems to come out of nowhere, rage that feels disproportionate, brain fog that makes you doubt your competence, and an emotional rawness that no amount of sleep, exercise, or self-care seems to touch.
And here's what most people aren't told: perimenopause has a way of surfacing what's been buried. If you've spent years managing stress, suppressing emotion, or holding it all together, this transition has a way of thinning the defenses that made that possible. Old grief, old fear, old relational wounds can rise to the surface with a force that feels completely out of proportion.
What's happening hormonally:
Estrogen decline: Directly impacts serotonin production, memory, concentration, and emotional regulation
Progesterone decline: Reduces GABA activity which increases anxiety, sleep disruption, and nervous system reactivity
Cortisol sensitivity: The stress response becomes more reactive, making everyday pressures feel harder to absorb
HPA axis dysregulation: The brain's stress-response system becomes less efficient, compounding anxiety and emotional volatility
This work is especially relevant for you if:
You've been a high-functioning professional who managed stress well, until now
You've spent years prioritizing everyone else and are now recognizing what that cost
You have a trauma history that perimenopause is bringing back to the surface
You've tried hormone therapy, supplements, or lifestyle changes and still feel emotionally unmoored
You want support that takes both your hormones and your history seriously
Who Is This For?
This is for women who have spent years being the capable one whether that’s professionally, relationally or domestically and are now finding that the version of themselves they once relied on is harder to access.
Maybe you're in your late 30's, 40's or 50's, and you can tell something has started to shift. Maybe this is perimenopause knocking, or maybe you just don't feel like the person you once knew. No matter what is coming up for you in this stage of life, you are deserving of support.
You may be experiencing:
Rage, irritability, or emotional outbursts that feel foreign to you
Anxiety, panic attacks, or a persistent sense of dread you can't explain
Brain fog, memory lapses, and difficulty concentrating especially at work
Intrusive thoughts, fear of making the wrong decision, or thoughts of impending doom
Profound exhaustion that isn't fixed by rest
Not recognizing yourself and questioning: who am I now, what do I want, what was all of this for?
Feeling stuck, lost, or disconnected from your body
Old trauma, grief, or attachment wounds resurfacing and feeling raw again
Relationship tension and difficulty communicating, shutting down, or people pleasing
The quiet, creeping fear that something is seriously wrong with you
Reconnect with your body and mind as you escape the noise of everyday life.
My approach & what treatment looks like
Perimenopause is not just a hormonal event, it's a psychological, relational, and identity-related transition. And, you deserve treatment that addresses all of it.
I work at the intersection of trauma therapy and perimenopause support. That means we're not just managing symptoms. We're looking at what this transition is asking of you, what it's bringing up, and what it might be clearing the way for.
Some of the ways I can meet you where you’re at:
EMDR for trauma that's resurfacing: Perimenopause frequently brings old trauma back online whether it’s childhood wounds, past relationships, experiences of being unseen or unsafe. EMDR helps your nervous system reprocess what's surfacing so it loses its charge, rather than flooding you.
IFS for the parts that are overwhelmed: There are parts of you that are terrified, grieving, furious, feeling broken and exhausted. IFS gives us a way to meet each of them with curiosity instead of suppression: the part that's raging, the part that's mourning who you used to be, the part that's terrified of losing control.
Embodied therapy for reconnecting with your body: Perimenopause can make your body feel unfamiliar, unpredictable, or like it's working against you. Embodied somatic approaches help you rebuild a relationship with your physical self which is rooted in trust rather than management.
Attachment-focused work for your relationships: This transition puts pressure on relationships. Old attachment patterns such as people pleasing, shutting down, fear of abandonment can often intensify. We look at how your relational history is showing up now, and what a different way might feel like.
Working alongside your medical provider: Therapy is not a substitute for medical care. I actively encourage clients to work with a gynecologist, OB-GYN, or a functional medicine doctor who takes perimenopause seriously. Therapy and hormone support are not either/or, they address different layers of the same transition. We also discuss ways to advocate with medical providers.
What to Expect & Potential Outcomes
Early in the work: Orientation and relief. Understanding what's actually happening hormonally and neurologically and why it's not your fault. Building nervous system stability and a sense of safety in the therapeutic relationship.
In the work: Going deeper. Processing the grief, the rage, the identity questions, and whatever trauma this transition has brought to the surface. Looking honestly at the relational patterns and self-beliefs that have been running quietly in the background for years.
Over time: Reclamation. A clearer sense of who you are now not who you were at 30, not who you're supposed to be, but who you actually are at this point in your life. A different relationship with yourself and your body. More honest, less performative relationships. A nervous system that isn't constantly braced.
What clients often experience:
Reduction in anxiety, rage, and emotional overwhelm
More clarity, sharper thinking, less fog, better decision-making
Relief from intrusive thoughts and impending doom
Better sleep as the nervous system regulates
A stronger, more grounded sense of identity
Relationships that feel more honest and less exhausting
Feeling at home in themselves and their body again, even as it changes
The ability to move through this transition rather than be flattened by it
FAQ’s:
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Perimenopause can begin earlier than most people expect sometimes in the late 30s and the symptoms are often mistaken for anxiety, depression, burnout, or a thyroid issue. Common signs include irregular periods, sleep disruption, mood changes, brain fog, increased anxiety, and changes in libido or body temperature. The most reliable way to know is through a conversation with your doctor and, in some cases, hormone testing. That said, you don't need a formal diagnosis to start therapy. If something has shifted and you don't feel like yourself, that's enough.
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Yes, particularly the psychological and emotional symptoms. The anxiety, rage, brain fog, and identity disorientation that come with perimenopause are amplified by stress, unprocessed trauma, and nervous system dysregulation all of which therapy directly addresses. Hormone therapy can help with the physiological side. Therapy helps with what hormones alone can't touch: the grief, the fear, the attachment wounds, the identity questions, and the patterns that this transition brings to the surface.
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Ideally, yes, as we address different things. Your doctor or gynecologist manages the hormonal and physiological side including whether hormone therapy is appropriate for you. Therapy addresses the psychological, emotional, and relational dimensions of the transition. Many of my clients work with both and find that each supports the other. I'm happy to collaborate with your medical provider when it's helpful.
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Because the hormonal changes of perimenopause reduce the nervous system's capacity to keep it suppressed. Estrogen and progesterone play a role in emotional regulation and stress resilience. As they decline, the defenses that kept old pain at bay become thinner. What rises to the surface isn't new, it's what was always there, waiting for a moment when the system couldn't hold it down anymore.