Hormonal health
The symptoms are connected. Nobody has connected them.
Read more →Perimenopause & menopause
This is more than a list of symptoms to get through.
Perimenopause is often described as a phase to endure, with a list of symptoms attached. That framing is not much use when you’re in it, and it tends to obscure the parts that are genuinely worth investigating.
I regard it as one part of a whole picture — alongside your sleep, your digestion, your energy and your history — rather than the explanation for everything at once.
Recognise any of this?
You may be experiencing…
- Cycle changes — shorter, longer, heavier or unpredictable
- Hot flushes or night sweats
- Sleep that broke down and hasn’t recovered
- Mood changes, irritability or anxiety that feels new
- Brain fog and word-finding difficulty
- Weight changes, particularly around the middle
- Joint aches
- Low libido or vaginal dryness
You don’t need to fit neatly into a diagnostic box to deserve a proper investigation.
Where we start
What I investigate.
- Where you are in the transition, and what your cycle was like before it started
- Which symptoms arrived first, and which came later
- Sleep in detail — getting to sleep, staying asleep, and what wakes you
- Any hormonal or thyroid testing already done
- Whether HRT has been discussed, tried, or ruled out, and what happened
- Nutrition, protein intake and eating pattern
- Stress load, caring responsibilities and life circumstances
- Bone, cardiovascular and family history
The crucial part
Why this often gets missed.
Once perimenopause is on the table it tends to absorb every symptom, and things that would otherwise have been investigated get attributed to it by default. Some of them do belong to it. Some don’t. Separating the two is most of the work, and it needs a proper history rather than an assumption.
I investigate the whole picture, not just the loudest symptom.
What happens next
A 45-minute consultation, one to one.
Online from anywhere in Australia, or in clinic at Willow & Saige in Warrnambool. The fee is $135, the same either way. There’s nothing to prepare beyond bringing your history, any previous results you have, and your questions.
Where something in your history warrants medical investigation, I’ll tell you and refer you back to your GP. This works alongside your existing care, not instead of it.
Often connected
These rarely turn up alone.
Sleep & recovery
Exhausted all day. Wide awake at 3am.
Read more →Thyroid
The number is in range. You still don’t feel right.
Read more →Frequently asked
Common questions.
Can a naturopath help with perimenopause symptoms?
I can give you a long consultation, a full history and a plan built around your particular picture. I can’t promise a result. Where HRT or medical assessment is the appropriate conversation, I’ll say so — I work alongside your GP, not instead of them.
I’m already on HRT. Is there any point?
Yes, and plenty of people I see are. Being on HRT doesn’t answer the questions about sleep, digestion, energy and nutrition that sit alongside it.
Do I need testing to confirm perimenopause?
Often not — the diagnosis is usually made on history and symptoms rather than a blood test, and hormone levels fluctuate considerably during the transition. I’ll tell you if testing would genuinely change anything.
How do I know if this is perimenopause or something else?
That’s exactly the question worth asking rather than assuming, and it’s a large part of what the first consultation is for.
Can I see you online?
Yes — telehealth Australia-wide, or in clinic at Warrnambool. Same consultation either way.
Ready to find out what’s really going on?
You don’t need to have all the answers before you book. That’s what the first consultation is for.