Online Therapy for Perimenopause in Iowa

I understand the unique challenges faced by women navigating perimenopause, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), autism, and AuDHD (co-occurring autism and ADHD). Providing tailored, evidence-based, results-focused therapy to perimenopausal women is one of my areas of expertise.

Women with ADHD may experience heightened emotional responses during perimenopause. The hormonal changes can exacerbate ADHD symptoms, leading to increased impulsivity, anxiety, and mood swings. Understanding this intersection is crucial for effective therapy.

Autistic women may experience perimenopause differently than their neurotypical peers. Sensory sensitivities, social challenges, and emotional regulation issues can be intensified during this phase. It’s essential for therapists to recognize these unique experiences to provide appropriate support.

“AuDHD” refers to the coexistence of autism and ADHD. Research indicates that between 50-70% of autistic individuals also meet the criteria for a diagnosis of ADHD. Women with this dual diagnosis may face compounded challenges during perimenopause. Understanding the interplay between these conditions can enhance therapeutic outcomes.

Hormonal fluctuations during perimenopause can affect attention, executive functioning, and emotional regulation for women with AuDHD. This can lead to increased feelings of frustration and overwhelm.

For women experiencing the challenges of perimenopause alongside ADHD and autism, seeking treatment from providers who specialize in neurodivergent conditions is essential. Evidence-based practices and neurodiversity-affirming approaches ensure that therapy is tailored to the unique experiences of neurodivergent women. These approaches recognize and celebrate neurodiversity, providing an empowering framework for treatment.

Work With Me
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What is Perimenopause?

Menopause typically begins between ages 45 and 55, when ovarian estrogen production declines and menstrual cycles cease. Estrogen plays a critical role in brain function. It supports synaptic plasticity (learning and memory), modulates receptors in key brain areas, and fine-tunes neurotransmitter systems like dopamine and serotonin. As estrogen levels drop, these neurobiological shifts can amplify neurodivergent traits, leading to increased psychological distress, and a sense of personal failure if these changes start as a surprise.

For autistic women, this means:

  • Sensory sensitivity spikes. Lights feel brighter; sounds feel louder; textures can feel abrasive.

  • Emotional regulation disrupts. Mood swings, heightened anxiety, and depressive episodes may intensify.

  • Cognitive changes emerge. Executive function, including planning, multitasking and working memory, can become more effortful.

  • Sleep disturbances arise. Trouble falling or staying asleep often worsens ‘brain fog’ and daytime fatigue.

For ADHD women, this means:

  • Executive functioning challenges intensifying

  • Increased emotional sensitivity or overwhelm

  • Harder time starting, organizing, and prioritizing tasks

  • New or worsening sleep issues and fatigue

  • Greater difficulty managing time, responsibilities, and follow-through

  • A sense of “I used to hold it all together — why can’t I now?”

Common Challenges During Menopause

“My Autism Broke”

In a landmark focus-group study (Moseley et al 2020), perimenopausal autistic women described abrupt, overwhelming shifts in emotion regulation and sensory processing, as if “autism broke” all at once. Eleven participants in qualitative interviews echoed this loss of steady coping ground, reporting feelings of vulnerability, disorientation, and fear.

Masking Strategies Fall Apart

Many autistic women refine camouflaging skills, where they mimic non-autistic social behaviours and suppress autistic traits, to navigate daily life. Hormonal turbulence, as described above, can tax these strategies, making them unsustainable. Once-reliable masking strategies are no longer accessible, previously hidden neurotraits surface. This process often prompts self-discovery or even first-time autism evaluations in midlife.

Uninformed Care Providers

Few providers recognize how menopause and autism interact, leading to dismissive or generic care which is experienced as being invalidating and is unhelpful.

Why Therapy?

Feeling Better Starts Here

Individuals of all ages with a reliable internet connection and camera-enabled device can gain access to quality mental healthcare

Confidential

Online therapy sessions take place on a secure server and can only be accessed by your therapist, so you never have to worry.

Convenient

Meet with a therapist from the comfort of your own home at a time that fits your schedule and avoid the stresses of travel.

Insurance Accepted

Affordable Quality Care

Insurance will often cover the majority of your services. We can verify your insurance benefits and provide you with a cost estimate.

Easy to Use

To access a video session, you simply follow a link sent to you by your therapist. No additional software downloads are required.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Once your appointment is scheduled, an email will be sent for you to set up your portal account. A second email will include links to access needed registration paperwork. A reminder email for your appoinment will include the link to your session. In order for the session to work, you must have a reliable internet connection and camera on the computer or phone you are using.

  • Getting started is simple. Reach out through our contact form or schedule a short consult here

  • In addition to being an experienced therapist, I have navigated my own struggles as a very late diagnosed AuDHD person. I also bring a lifetime of experience as a gamer, and member of a variety of alternative communities to the table to help craft interventions that fit YOU.

  • You can reach us anytime via our contact page , email or schedule a short consulation. We aim to respond quickly—usually within one business day.

  • A major goal is accessibility. Reduced rates can be arranged for those without insurance or who choose not to use insurance.

  • While I can work with clients as young as 14, parents will need to be involved unless special circumstances exist.

    Parents do not get access to anything spoken about without direct and clear permission from you.