We asked menopause coach Susie Weinberg about what brings women to her coaching practice, some of the most common misconceptions about peri/menopause, and what a good outcome from menopause coaching can look like. Based in the New York tri-state area, Weinberg is known for her popular, friendly and easy-to-follow talks about peri/menopause and women’s health.
What do your clients usually have in common when they first reach out to you?
The biggest thing is that they don’t feel like themselves. They are going from doctor to doctor trying to figure out what’s wrong with them, and they don’t really understand why they don’t feel like themselves. Their doctors don’t know how to help them and they don’t know what to do.
They’re describing the same symptoms over and over with no real answer: some are told it’s stress, some are told it’s normal aging. Labs are normal, maybe not optimal, but normal. Some are given a prescription for an SSRI for depression or anxiety, and many are handed information that doesn’t help them understand what’s happening in their bodies.
By the time they find me, they’re more exhausted, frustrated and confused than before and they still don’t know what’s wrong. They don’t know what to ask and they don’t know where to go next. That’s where I come in: I tell them what they’re feeling is real, they’re not broken, they’re not alone, and we start figuring out what questions to ask and where to go from there.
What is the biggest misconception about peri/menopause you hear from women?
The version most women have grown up with is that perimenopause just means hot flashes and missed periods, and that’s it. If they don’t have either, they think they don’t need me and they aren’t in perimenopause. Even if they’re 50 and waking up every night at 3 AM, missing words during conversations because of brain fog, not able to play tennis anymore because of shoulder issues, having nonstop UTIs, or experiencing anxiety that’s gotten a lot worse lately, they still say they aren’t in perimenopause or near menopause yet.
When all of these symptoms show up, they automatically think it’s something else, and since menopause education in medical training remains very limited, their doctors may think that too.
Women in their late 30s and early 40s have also told me they think they’re too young. The average age of menopause in the United States is 51, but perimenopause can start anywhere from 3 to 10 years before your last period. So, if we do the math, perimenopause can begin in our late 30s.
They can spend years searching for answers to symptoms that don’t have an obvious cause because no one is thinking about hormones. By the time they find me, they may realize on their own that it’s hormonal, but need guidance, support, and education. Sometimes they don’t even realize it’s hormonal; sometimes they’re not sure what’s going on. They see one of my posts listing symptoms they have and come to me and say, “Could this be hormonal?” Then we go through everything together.
What is an example of a good outcome for a menopause coaching client?
A client came to me after her doctor dropped her for wanting hormone therapy. She had questions that kept going unanswered, and she didn’t know where else to turn. We worked together to close that gap, and I helped her find a new practitioner.
I educated her on her options: estrogen and progesterone for her hot flashes and anxiety, vaginal estrogen for years of recurrent UTIs, and testosterone for decreased libido. She started having better conversations with her doctors, understood what was what and why she was asking for these things. It took time, but she started seeing relief from her symptoms.
It’s an ever-changing process because our bodies are always changing. That’s the outcome I aim for: relief from the symptoms over time, and a woman who feels informed, confident, and empowered to advocate for herself, with or without me.
Disclaimer: This Q&A is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Talk with your healthcare provider about your individual symptoms and treatment options.
