Being at the GCC Menopause Summit this week reminded me exactly why I do the work I do.
Again and again, the focus wasn’t only on symptoms or treatments, it was on who we become in this stage of life.
The clear thread through the day was renewal, identity, recalibration and stepping into a different kind of strength.
This is precisely the work I do with my clients – 1:1 and in groups – supporting women to reconnect with themselves, rethink what comes next, and move forward on their own terms rather than by default.
Even while popping in and out to host my table, the sessions I caught even briefly, landed deeply:
• A reminder from Dr Aagje Bais that humour matters – and that menopause is always biology AND biography.
• Dr Maria Karakoulaki showing what it looks like to speak about vaginal health with ease. How it should be – relaxed, clear, and genuinely helpful.
Wise words across the day from Marisa Peer, Katy Holmes and Yulia Mintchin ,including Yulia’s fascinating look at the interplay of hormogenomics and hormogenetics and the power of personalised support across the female lifespan
• Repeated messages about the wider effects: the dips in confidence, the fog and confusion, the identity shifts that ripple through work and home.
• An allyship panel featuring Adil Hussain, Caroline Labouchere, Chris Miller, Scott Armstrong, and Mark Samways, men actively leaning in to understand and support the women in their lives (and each other) and how to do that.
• And a perfect energy lift from Melissa Alder with a 10-minute “release your inner diva” reset.
At my table I also invited women to contribute a few words to a short collective poem for the GCC Menopause Hub capturing what this stage feels like. That piece is now in motion and I’ll be sharing more about that soon.
Grateful to Sharon James, Maureen Blackman and the rest of the team and speakers for creating the space to have these conversations in the open.
