Taking the Fear out of Menopause with Susan Willson Artwork

Compassionate Conversations

Hi Everyone! I’m Esther Kane from Compassionate Conversations where we push the boundaries of comfort to empower you to become all that you dream of being. Having been a psychotherapist for over 25 years, I am all-too-familiar with the fact that we humans prioritize comfort and that is why I believe that so many avoid counselling altogether. In my role as therapist, I have the honour and privilege to journey alongside people who have the courage to face aspects of themselves that they aren’t proud of such as addictive behaviour and unhealthy relationship patterns. Many of these people have also buried past traumas which feed their addictions and low self-worth. These are the folks who are willing to take risks and examine their inner life with a flashlight together. It is always difficult and hard work, but they are willing to do whatever it takes in order to heal and grow. If you are ready to do the same, then you’re in the right place. Compassionate Conversations is all about getting honest and real with ourselves, letting go of the past along with behaviour patterns which are no longer serving you, and growing into the person you have always wanted to be. In these podcasts, I will share incredibly powerful and life-shifting tools and practices I teach to my clients-the most important one being self-compassion - I have found that this one element is absolutely essential in order for us to heal and transform our lives.I don’t just teach these tools. I practice them myself every single day. Why? Because I cannot take my clients to any place that I have not been myself. When I look back on my life now, I can’t believe how far I have come and how much healing is possible for one person. I am living a life that I never dreamed was possible for me. I owe so much of this to the compassionate conversations that my own therapists, guides and mentors over the years have had with me. On our journeys, we need others who can pave the way for us; those brave souls who managed to overcome obstacles and difficulties and make it to the other side and are living proof that it’s possible!I will be interviewing many of these amazing people so that they can inspire and uplift you and give you the tools you need to transform your life for the better. I welcome you with open arms into these compassionate conversations. Please don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast, give it a review (hopefully 5-stars!) and share episodes with others who could also benefit from them. Thanks and enjoy!

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Compassionate Conversations

Taking the Fear out of Menopause with Susan Willson

September 17, 2024 • Esther Kane, MSW, RSW, RCC • Season 2 • Episode 31

Are you afraid of menopause because you've heard horror stories from older women? In this episode, Esther Kane, women's psychotherapist (25+yrs), interviews Susan Willson, Nurse Midwife & author of Making Sense of Menopause. They discuss how this stage of a woman's life can be a higher calling to heal unfinished business & explore our innate wisdom & creativity.

00:00:00 Compassionate Conversations Introduction
00:00:24 Introducing Susan Willson
00:01:52 Esther explains why "Making Sense of Menopause" is one of her favourite books
00:02:37 Reframing menopause as a transformational journey
00:03:50 Spirituality and the aging process
00:06:19 Why menopause is so hard & why do we fear it?
00:07:37 The 'deification of youth' in western culture
00:08:25 Facing loss of our younger selves is essential
00:08:42 Most books about menopause focus on diet/exercise
00:11:35 How women are creating healthy narratives re: aging/menopause
00:12:00 Importance of working through unresolved trauma
00:12:44 How the medical model has led women to not trusting their bodies
00:15:14 Three kinds of estrogen in women's bodies
00:15:25 Estridiol- makes us want to take care of others
00:16:30 Estriol- triggers creative centres in the brain
00:18:08 Easy fix for vaginal atrophy
00:19:27 Menopause as a "crossroads"
00:20:51 Why it's important for women to tell their stories
00:24:16 What Esther wishes she had known while going through perimenopause
00:26:42 Create a community of women in this transition
00:28:29 Empowering rituals to mark this rite of passage
00:45:11 Esther's healing- finding & using her voice
00:54:20 Lifestyle adjustments to ease the transition into menopause
01:02:14 The powerful effects of inviting JOY into your life

Where to find Susan and her book:

https://www.makingsenseofmenopause.com

People on this episode

Esther Kane, MSW, RSW, RCC

Host