Menopause: 5 ways to reclaim your power
Menopause is not an illness, but it can feel like one. If you’re finding menopause confusing, frustrating and unpredictable, you’re not alone.
Like puberty in reverse, this time brings profound changes to women’s brains and bodies - and many of us are unprepared for the impact it can have on our mental health, relationships and confidence.
My own menopause journey
For me, perimenopause lasted over eight years. During that time, I experienced severe anxiety and depression. I became increasingly sensitive to noise and stimulation, I even had a panic attack at a concert because the sound felt unbearable. My memory would go blank, and I often struggled to follow basic tasks or instructions. At work, I began making what felt like silly mistakes and doubting my ability to support others.
Simple tasks became confusing. I’d forget appointments, mix up days, feel blank in presentations, and find it hard to manage things I used to do easily. Confrontation overwhelmed me. I even became anxious about everyday conversations.
What I didn’t know then was that my body and brain were preparing for one of the biggest hormonal shifts of my life.
If you're feeling overwhelmed or unsure of yourself during perimenopause or menopause, therapy can be a place to make sense of what’s happening and find a way forward with compassion and clarity.
In this post, I share five powerful ways counselling can support you through menopause and help you reconnect with your strength, clarity and direction. Ready to embrace the next stage of your life.
1. Understand what’s happening to you
Society rarely prepares women for menopause. In a culture that idealises youth, fertility and appearance, we may feel invisible or irrelevant. Add to that the unpredictability of symptoms - hot flushes, night sweats, brain fog - and it’s no wonder women often feel off balance. For many of us, the changes feel so unfamiliar that we’re left questioning ourselves.
Speaking with a counsellor who has a deep understanding of this important transition and has lived personal experience can help you explore your situation and find meaning. If you are looking for support in making decisions about treatment and lifestyle changes, I can help you in defining your options and discovering what works best for you.
As a therapist with lived experience of menopause, I offer a grounded and non-judgmental safe space to help you:
Make sense of symptoms like anxiety, mood swings and brain fog
Reconnect with your identity and strengths
Explore treatment options and lifestyle changes that suit your needs
Understanding what’s happening can help you feel more in control and less like you’re losing your mind.
2. Breaking the silence around menopause
Our culture hasn’t served women well during this transition. In a society that celebrates youth, fertility and outward success, we can begin to feel invisible. It’s hard to feel positive when your body is changing unpredictably and no one around you seems to understand.
A counsellor with lived experience of menopause can offer safe, steady support and work with you to reduce the impact of symptoms like mood swings, anxiety, brain fog and low self-esteem.
When you don’t know what’s coming next and feel like you're surfing a wave of change, it helps to have someone by your side who truly gets it.
3. Share your story in a safe space
Feeling like life is a constant uphill battle? You’re not alone. Counselling provides a confidential space to share your experiences, fears and emotions - without any judgment. Talking therapy helps you process the physical and emotional changes that arise.
Therapeutic support can include:
Psychodynamic approaches to process unresolved issues and emotional triggers
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to manage anxiety, stress and intrusive thoughts
Behavioural techniques to boost motivation, improve sleep and support self-care
Mind-body grounding tools to reduce overwhelm and reconnect with your inner calm
Menopause affects every facet of our life. Counselling helps you stay resourced, regulated and supported.
4. Rebuild confidence in yourself
Menopause can shake our sense of competence, especially at work. Brain fog, forgetfulness, memory lapses and emotional sensitivity can leave you feeling exposed and unsure of yourself.
It’s also often a time of major life changes - children leaving home, ageing parents needing support or the urge to change career direction altogether.
In therapy, we can work on:
Rebuilding your confidence and self-worth
Making sense of changing roles and responsibilities
Exploring new possibilities for work or life beyond menopause
You’re not alone if you’re questioning what’s next. This can be a time of reflection and renewal - not retreat.
5. Step into your power
At the time I was going through perimenopause, I was talking to an older female relative about the difficulties I was experiencing and she said something that has stuck with me ever since:
“It was only after menopause that I really felt I came into my power.”
We often focus on the challenges and fight the changes that our bodies are going through, but I have found truth in what she said. Life after menopause can be a time of growing confidence and power in a very different way than you experienced as a younger woman.
Psychotherapy can help you resolve relationship issues, improve your self-image and work with the deeper aspects of your life that are influencing your wellbeing. In therapy around menopause, we will explore opportunities to understand your experiences and find the strength and positivity in your evolving identity.
There is life after menopause and it can be amazing and fulfilling. I would never have guessed at the range of positives in life after menopause, and I would love to help you find meaning and positivity in this inevitable transition.
Private therapy for menopause in person and online in Aberdeen city and shire
If you’re seeking therapy for menopause, I offer one-to-one counselling in Aberdeen City and Shire, online therapy sessions or walk-and-talk therapy in the Dee and Donside area.
Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, identity changes, confidence at work or relationship challenges, I can support you to find steadiness and clarity in this important stage of life.
If you're ready to feel more like yourself again, or even discover a new version of yourself , counselling can really help
Book an introductory session to explore how therapy can support you and ask any questions you may have. It’s a first step towards feeling more grounded, more empowered and more like you again.
“Thank you for your services, I felt safe, understood, you gave me helpful things to do. The first three consultations were very effective in getting me out of a state of despair. I will use the suggested tasks to work on myself, which will give me a good start to recovery. I highly recommend it.” - Anni Stonebridge client.
