When You Don’t Feel Like Yourself: Navigating Perimenopause & Menopause Together
You’re Not Meant to Hold This Alone—even If It Feels That Way
There’s a season in many women’s lives that often arrives quietly—but can feel anything but subtle.
Perimenopause and menopause are not just biological transitions. They are emotional, psychological, relational, and identity-shifting experiences. And for many, they come with a sense of “What is happening to me?” that feels confusing, isolating, and sometimes overwhelming.
I’m creating a Perimenopause & Menopause Mental Health Group because too many women are moving through this stage alone—without language, without validation, and without the kind of support that truly meets the complexity of what they’re experiencing.
Why This Stage Deserves More Attention
We often hear about hot flashes and sleep disturbances—but far less about:
The sudden rise in anxiety or irritability
Mood swings that feel unfamiliar or intense
Brain fog and loss of confidence
Grief around aging, identity shifts, or changing roles
Changes in relationships—partners, children, work, self
A deep sense of not feeling like yourself anymore
Hormonal changes can significantly impact the nervous system and emotional regulation. What many women interpret as “something being wrong with them” is often a normal response to a major physiological shift.
But when this isn’t named or understood, it can lead to self-doubt, shame, and disconnection.
Why Group Support Matters
There is something uniquely powerful about being in a room (or virtual space) with others who get it.
Group work offers:
Normalization – Hearing “me too” can be profoundly regulating
Connection – Reducing isolation and loneliness
Perspective – Learning different ways of coping and understanding
Validation – Your experience makes sense
Nervous system support – Co-regulation and shared emotional space
We are not meant to navigate transitions like this in isolation. Community is not just helpful—it’s healing.
Why I Feel Called to Offer This Group
In my work with clients, I’ve noticed a growing number of women entering this stage carrying both lifelong emotional patterns and new symptoms that don’t always fit into their previous understanding of themselves.
Women who have always “held it together” suddenly feel overwhelmed.
Women who have managed anxiety find it intensifying.
Women who are used to caring for others are unsure how to care for themselves in this new phase.
And this isn’t just something I see professionally—it’s something I’ve experienced personally.
I remember one moment so clearly. I had just gotten home, stepped out of my car, and saw my husband—and I simply burst into tears. We stood there on the driveway, both of us crying. Me, because I felt so far from myself. And him, because it was so painful to see me in that kind of anguish.
What made that moment even more striking is that I knew what was happening. I understood that there were hormonal shifts at play. And even with that awareness, it was disorienting and deeply emotional. I often think about how different that experience might have been if I hadn’t known—how frightening it could have felt, and how easily it might have been misunderstood or even labeled as something like depression, without recognizing the broader context.
What stands out most—to me both as a therapist and as a woman moving through this stage—is how often these experiences are minimized. Sometimes by others. And often, quietly, within ourselves.
We tell ourselves we should be coping better.
We push through.
We downplay what we’re feeling.
But this phase deserves to be taken seriously.
That’s why I want to offer a space where we can slow this down—and really listen to what’s happening beneath the surface.
A space where we can gently explore:
What is changing—and why
How past patterns (like perfectionism, people-pleasing, or emotional sensitivity) may be interacting with current changes
How to regulate the nervous system in the midst of hormonal shifts
How to reconnect with a sense of self that feels steady and compassionate
My approach is grounded in supporting emotional safety, nervous system awareness, and meaningful self-understanding. This is not about “fixing” you—it’s about helping you understand yourself in a new context, with more compassion and clarity.
Because this isn’t a failure of coping.
It’s a transition that asks for a different kind of support.
And you don’t have to figure it out alone.
A Gentle Invitation
If any part of this resonates with you—if you’ve felt off, overwhelmed, more emotional, or simply not quite like yourself—this group is here for you.
You don’t need to have everything figured out.
You don’t need to be in crisis.
You don’t need to keep doing this on your own.
This is a space to be understood, to learn, to reconnect with yourself, and to be supported alongside others who truly get it.
If you’re curious or feel a quiet pull toward this work, you’re warmly invited to learn more or contact the team by emailing hello@lihtantherapy.com.
I’ll be offering this group later this autumn, and I genuinely look forward to sharing space together.
