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 Up

01:08 From Solo Practice to Eight Clinicians

02:45 A Holistic, Broad-Based Practice

05:08 Blending Coaching Skills with Counseling

07:36 Finding the Confidence to Bring People In

09:13 How Women Use Menopause Coach Training

09:36 Building Referral Relationships

10:55 Splitting the Week as a Business Owner

12:27 Designing a Business Around Your Own Life

14:15 A UK Heatwave Tangent

16:19 The Power of Slowing Down

16:52 Rediscovering Community in Midlife

18:24 The Next Five to Ten Years

19:36 Becoming a Continuing Education Provider

20:16 Navigating US Insurance and State Licensure

22:11 Biggest Business Challenge: Filling Therapy Chairs

23:49 Going Broad vs. Going Deep

26:47 Key Takeaways from the Menopause Coach Diploma

26:59 Early Menopause at 41

28:23 How COVID Worsened Menopause Symptoms

30:25 Closing Thoughts: The Message of Slowing Down