As a mental health advocate and wellbeing coach in Leicester, I often work with women navigating the challenges of midlife. While menopause is typically discussed in hormonal terms, there’s a deeper layer often overlooked: trauma. Whether you’re experiencing brain fog, emotional instability, or a loss of identity, there may be more at play than shifting oestrogen levels.
At Dr Zee Wellbeing, my trauma-informed approach supports women in understanding how unresolved trauma can influence their experience of menopause. If you’ve been told to “just get on with it,” but feel that something deeper is happening, this article will help you connect the dots.
The Overlap Between Menopause and Trauma Menopause and trauma share common ground in how they both affect the nervous system and a woman's sense of self. The hormonal changes of midlife can essentially reactivate or amplify the body's deeply stored responses to past traumatic experiences.
Why Menopause Can Feel So Overwhelming
Menopause is a time of intense biological and psychological transition. But for women with unresolved trauma, the nervous system is already in a heightened state. Add hormonal shifts to the mix, and the effects can be intensified.
Some women report:
Increased anxiety or panic attacks
Resurfacing memories or emotional flashbacks
Deep sadness or grief with no clear trigger
A sense of disconnection from the body
Difficulty sleeping or resting even when tired
If this resonates, you’re not alone. As a mental health coach, I frequently hear this from women who have survived childhood adversity, chronic stress, or difficult life transitions.
How Trauma Impacts the Nervous System During Menopause
Understanding the Trauma Response
Trauma lives in the nervous system, not just in memory. Menopause can activate or intensify survival patterns such as fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. You might notice:
Sudden outbursts of anger
Feeling emotionally numb or withdrawn
Over-functioning or perfectionism
Struggling to make decisions or set boundaries
These are not character flaws; they are trauma responses amplified by a body in transition. This is where lifestyle coaching becomes a vital tool for women seeking support beyond medical advice.
Why Traditional Support Often Falls Short
Typical advice like exercise more, sleep better, use HRT, may help some, but it doesn’t address the deeper emotional layers. For trauma survivors, menopause can feel like a reactivation of past wounds, a reliving of loss, disempowerment, or emotional instability that never fully healed.
This is where many traditional approaches fall short. They overlook how unresolved trauma can disrupt the nervous system, intensify hormonal symptoms, and amplify feelings of fear or isolation. Trauma can affect the way the brain and body respond to stress, making it harder to regulate emotions, sleep well, or feel grounded. Without addressing these underlying patterns, many women continue to struggle despite following standard medical advice. A trauma-informed perspective helps explain why menopause isn’t just a hormonal shift, but a whole-body experience shaped by a woman’s history, nervous system, and life story.
The Role of Trauma-Informed Life Coaching
What Makes Trauma-Informed Coaching Different
At Dr Zee Wellbeing, I combine over 20 years of experience in healthcare, education, and coaching to create a safe, client-led space. My work as a mental health public speaker and personal transformation coach is grounded in lived experience and scientific insight.
In sessions, we focus on:
Mapping how trauma shows up in your daily life
Rebuilding safety in the body and nervous system
Exploring identity beyond your roles and responsibilities
Learning practical tools for emotional regulation
Releasing shame and rewriting your story with compassion
If you're seeking life coaching in Leicester that goes beyond mindset affirmations and goal-setting, this may be the right path for you. Get in touch to find out more.
Common Menopause Experiences with Trauma Roots
Real Signs Women Often Dismiss
Many of my clients are high-functioning women like doctors, educators, business leaders, who appear to be coping well but are struggling internally. Common complaints include:
“I can’t stop crying but don’t know why.”
“I feel like I’m losing control.”
“I can’t relax even when everything is fine.”
“I feel like I’ve lost myself.”
These are not just menopause symptoms, they may be your body’s call for deeper healing.
How I Support Clients at Dr Zee Wellbeing
Coaching That Meets You Where You Are
Whether you're struggling with sleep, mood swings, identity loss, or anxiety, coaching with me is not about "fixing" you. It’s about working with your nervous system, your story, and your goals to create real change.
We don’t dwell on trauma. Instead, we focus on:
Empowerment through embodiment
Understanding your unique nervous system map
Building emotional resilience
Rewriting limiting beliefs formed in early life
Why Clients Trust Dr Zee Wellbeing
Over 20 years of experience in medicine, education, and mental health
Qualified trauma-informed practitioner and wellbeing coach
Trusted speaker at Leicester College, TEDx, and NHS events
Endorsed by professionals and community leaders
Based in Leicester, with online access available across the UK and internationally.
“Working with Dr Zee changed how I understand myself and my journey. It was the first time I felt seen, not judged.” - Coaching Client, Leicester
Local Support in Leicester & Beyond
f you’re based in Leicester or the East Midlands, or seeking online support, I offer tailored coaching and group programmes that help women build resilience, clarity, and confidence during this stage of life.
5th Floor, St. George’s House, 6 St George’s Way, Leicester, LE1 1QZ
Personal transformation starts here.
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