Podcast Episode
Slow Living and Mental Health: Transforming Lives in Midlife and Beyond
About this episode
In this episode, I sit down with licensed therapist and private practice owner Jennifer for a warm, wide-ranging conversation about menopause, mental health, and the power of slowing down. We talk about her path from solo counselor to running a practice with eight clinicians, and how the skills she built through the Menopause Coach Diploma helped shape that growth.Jennifer opens up about her own early menopause at 41, the isolation she felt before finding community, and how a COVID infection years later unexpectedly intensified her menopause symptoms. We dig into the mental health side of menopause that often gets overlooked — anxiety, identity shifts, and the pressure so many high-achieving women put on themselves — and why Jennifer now centers her work, and her own life, around slowing down.We also get into the practical side of running a private practice: referral sources, hiring her first VA, navigating US insurance and state licensure, and the ongoing challenge of keeping therapy chairs filled. And we talk about why a community — having a tribe that simply understands — can be just as healing as any clinical intervention.00:00 Introduction and Catching Up01:08 From Solo Practice to Eight Clinicians02:45 A Holistic, Broad-Based Practice05:08 Blending Coaching Skills with Counseling07:36 Finding the Confidence to Bring People In09:13 How Women Use Menopause Coach Training09:36 Building Referral Relationships10:55 Splitting the Week as a Business Owner12:27 Designing a Business Around Your Own Life14:15 A UK Heatwave Tangent16:19 The Power of Slowing Down16:52 Rediscovering Community in Midlife18:24 The Next Five to Ten Years19:36 Becoming a Continuing Education Provider20:16 Navigating US Insurance and State Licensure22:11 Biggest Business Challenge: Filling Therapy Chairs23:49 Going Broad vs. Going Deep26:47 Key Takeaways from the Menopause Coach Diploma26:59 Early Menopause at 4128:23 How COVID Worsened Menopause Symptoms30:25 Closing Thoughts: The Message of Slowing Down