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Menopause can make us feel like strangers in our own skin, and that disconnect can quietly shrink our lives. We talk with psychotherapist Dr. Stacy Kratz about the biology and culture behind the identity shift and how self-compassion helps us rebuild.

• the mirror shock of not recognizing your face or body
• how hormone shifts affect mood, energy, sleep, and motivation
• why anxiety, irritability, low mood, and brain fog can feel sudden
• the midlife pile-on of empty nest changes, career shifts, and grief
• how youth-as-currency culture fuels shame around aging
• the difference between healthy guilt and unhealthy guilt
• self-compassion as a daily practice using kinder self-talk
• reframing menopause as a remodel and an adaptation, not a betrayal
• letting go of toxic positivity while still moving forward

If this episode spoke to you, please share it with a friend who might need to hear it too, because I know there are so many women who are suffering in silence. And if you're looking for a supportive community where we keep these conversations going, I'd love for you to join us inside the pause diaries on Facebook. And don't forget to download this episode so that you can come back to it whenever you need a reminder, whenever you need to hear Dr. Stacy tell you, be kind to yourself.

Loved this conversation? Let’s keep it going.
Join our private Facebook group, The Pause Diaries, where we dive deeper into all things perimenopause and menopause—without judgment, just real talk.

If this episode inspired you, share it with a friend or colleague. And don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review The Pause Podcast—your support helps us bring more expert voices to the table.

Got a story, symptom, or question? Send it my way at by posting it our Facebook Group The Pause Diaries that supports the podcast.

I just might feature it in an upcoming episode!

Until next time, stay curious, stay empowered, and never hit pause on your wellbeing.

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We talk with Michigan State University researcher Dr Kristen Colbert about how perimenopause hormone fluctuations may shape the brain and mental health, and why “it’s just menopause” can feel so dismissive. We break down how daily symptom tracking and hormone testing could finally connect the dots so women can get taken seriously and supported.
• the harm of minimizing language and why symptoms deserve attention
• the research gap in perimenopause compared with puberty, menstrual cycle and postpartum
• why women and providers are asking about psychotic symptoms and hormonal change
• how daily assessments capture mood, sleep, anxiety and brain fog alongside saliva hormone data
• why some women may be more hormone sensitive and what biology might explain it
• how to talk with a provider when anxiety, depression or ADHD shifts in midlife
come join me in our private Facebook group, The Pause Diaries
don’t forget to follow the pause wherever you listen to podcasts so you don’t miss a new episode

Loved this conversation? Let’s keep it going.
Join our private Facebook group, The Pause Diaries, where we dive deeper into all things perimenopause and menopause—without judgment, just real talk.

If this episode inspired you, share it with a friend or colleague. And don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review The Pause Podcast—your support helps us bring more expert voices to the table.

Got a story, symptom, or question? Send it my way at by posting it our Facebook Group The Pause Diaries that supports the podcast.

I just might feature it in an upcoming episode!

Until next time, stay curious, stay empowered, and never hit pause on your wellbeing.

Send us Fan Mail

We explore how hormone swings in perimenopause can reshape mental health, from anxiety and low mood to attention changes, and highlight new research that validates women’s lived experience. A Michigan State University study using daily saliva testing offers a path to personalized care and earlier screening.

• why mental health shifts in perimenopause deserve attention
• how estrogen and progesterone fluctuations affect mood and cognition
• what the MSU daily saliva study measures and why it matters
• stress versus biology and why both can be true
• personalization of hormone therapy and symptom tracking
• the case for routine screening beyond depression alone
• practical steps to self-track and start conversations
• hope for better care for current and future generations

Come join me in our private Facebook group, The Pause Diaries
Don’t forget to follow The Pause wherever you listen to podcasts so you don’t miss a new episode

Loved this conversation? Let’s keep it going.
Join our private Facebook group, The Pause Diaries, where we dive deeper into all things perimenopause and menopause—without judgment, just real talk.

If this episode inspired you, share it with a friend or colleague. And don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review The Pause Podcast—your support helps us bring more expert voices to the table.

Got a story, symptom, or question? Send it my way at by posting it our Facebook Group The Pause Diaries that supports the podcast.

I just might feature it in an upcoming episode!

Until next time, stay curious, stay empowered, and never hit pause on your wellbeing.