Menopause and Perimenopause Therapy - San Rafael

Therapy for women navigating midlife changes, identity shifts, and emotional well-being.

Schedule your free 20 minute phone consult here
 

I offer perimenopause and menopause therapy in San Rafael and online throughout California for women navigating the emotional, physical, and spiritual changes of midlife.

The dance from perimenopause to menopause often shakes everything up, bringing questions that feel both unsettling and important. You may notice changes in mood, energy, sleep, or find yourself more irritable and reactive - at your family, your boss, or the world. You may feel less willing to tolerate roles that no longer fit, wondering who you are right now and where you are going.

Menopause and perimenopause therapy offers a grounded space to slow down, understand what is changing, and reconnect with your internal wisdom during a time that can feel confusing, tender, and deeply meaningful.

Common concerns during menopause and perimenopause

Many women seek menopause counseling and therapy for support with:

  • Anxiety or emotional overwhelm: Feeling paralyzed by midlife questions or worrying about children and aging parents.

  • Mood changes: Feeling as if a "gray cloud" is hanging over you and missing your sense of vitality.

  • Sleep disruption and fatigue: Feeling as though you no longer have the energy you once did.

  • Increased irritability: Feeling a new urge to speak your truth and shed the burden of others' expectations.

  • Grief and Identity: Reflecting on past choices, regrets, or the loss of a prior sense of self.

How menopause and perimenopause therapy helps

 
 

Perimenopause counseling and psychotherapy help you move through this transition as a "threshold" rather than a problem to fix.

In therapy, we may focus on:

  • Supporting nervous system regulation and stress tolerance.

  • Taking an inventory of your journey. Processing unresolved issues, grief, and regrets.

  • Reconnecting with the body and how it can inform your inner wisdom.

  • Exploring identity and what your soul is calling for in this next chapter.

  • Clarifying how to live more intentionally, and with purpose.

The goal is to support steadiness and self-trust, helping you embrace the freedom to craft your best decades yet.

A "Rite of Passage" into the Wise Elder

I view the transition from perimenopause through menopause as a meaningful life threshold and a rite of passage. This stage of life invites deep emotional and spiritual introspection.

Therapy during this time supports inward listening and healing the past, providing the tools to emerge with a new sense of identity and purpose. Together, we lay down the path toward becoming a Wise Elder - someone who lives with more joy, soul purpose, and meaningful connection.

Therapeutic approaches used

To support your journey, I utilize:

  • Mindfulness and Compassion Practices and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy: To manage anxiety and mood symptoms.

  • Somatic and Body-Based Therapy: To support emotional regulation, reconnect with internal cues, and release trauma

  • Guided Inner Practices: Including guided imagery, hypnotherapy, or drum journeys to connect with internal wisdom and guidance

  • Creative Expression: Using the arts to access intuition and empower your voice.

About Michelle Baumgartner

Woman with curly brown hair lit by the sun, warm eyes, wearing purple, and smiling. Words state Michelle Baumgartner, Therapist in San Rafael, CA providing support for midlife and menopause transition

Michelle Baumgartner, Therapist in San Rafael, CA providing support for women’s midlife and menopause transition

I am Michelle Baumgartner, a licensed psychotherapist offering menopause and perimenopause therapy in San Rafael and online throughout California.

I am also a woman who has personally moved through midlife. In addition to individual therapy, I offer educational and supportive psychospiritual workshops for women, including Moving Through the Menopause Transition, also known as Moonpause.

Therapy in San Rafael and online throughout California

I provide in-person menopause and perimenopause therapy in San Rafael as well as online therapy for women across California. We can discuss which option feels most supportive for you.

Getting started

If you need compassionate, intuitive guidance and grounded support, you do not have to navigate this transition alone. You can begin by scheduling a free 20-minute phone consultation to see if menopause and perimenopause therapy is a good fit.

Additional areas of support

Beyond menopause therapy, my specialties include trauma therapy, somatic therapy, grief and loss counseling, and cancer support counseling.

 

FAQs: Menopause and Perimenopause Therapy in San Rafael

  • It is a specialized approach to help women navigate the emotional, physical, and spiritual shifts of midlife. It focuses on anxiety and mood management, supporting identity shifts, discovering what’s next during the transition from perimenopause to post-menopause.

  • Yes. By supporting nervous system regulation and exploring the underlying emotional needs that are surfacing, therapy can help you manage reactivity and find a more grounded way to "speak your truth."

  • While menopause counseling often implies short-term, symptom management support, psychotherapy offers a deeper exploration of the "rite of passage" of midlife, addressing long-term emotional health and spiritual growth.

  • Yes. I offer in-person sessions in San Rafael and online therapy for women throughout the state of California.

It’s time to honor this important transition and rite of passage

Schedule your free 20 minute phone consult here