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When relationships collide with perimenopause, even the strongest partnerships can face unexpected challenges. Hormonal shifts don't just affect the woman experiencing them—they ripple through her closest relationships, often creating confusion, conflict, and emotional distance that neither partner fully understands.

What makes this transition especially difficult is the silence surrounding it, many women don't recognize what's happening until they're already questioning their relationships and feeling disconnected, while partners struggle to recognize the person they've built a life with.

In this episode, I'm joined by my sister Neha Kumar, a licensed marriage and family therapist with years of experience helping couples through major life transitions. Neha explains how perimenopause affects emotional well-being, communication patterns, and intimate relationships. She also shares how partners can support each other through emotional shifts, when to seek professional help, and why education and preparation might be the relationship-saving tools you never knew you needed.

References

The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister

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Eastside Menopause & Metabolism

01:00 - Dr. Patil-Sisodia is joined by sister Neha Kumar, LMFT, who shares her journey to becoming a licensed marriage and family therapist helping women through hormonal transitions.

03:10 - Neha reveals many of her relationship therapy patients struggle with perimenopause, often shortly after postpartum recovery.

05:14 - How hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause affect a woman's emotional well-being and identity.

08:43 - Neha explains the common emotional and psychological challenges women face during constant hormonal transitions from childhood through menopause.

16:04 - Practical strategies for maintaining intimacy and managing emotional changes in relationships during menopause.

22:58 - Neha shares the biggest sources of conflict in marriages or partnerships she sees which are related to menopause.

26:27 - How partners can better support each other through this transition even when they're not really fully aware of what's happening, and when to seek professional help.

33:55 - Neha offers her top piece of advice for couples navigating this life transition.

Thanks for listening. Find more info about Reset Recharge on the website or Instagram.