Donna Klassen- Let's Talk Menopause, CBT and Change

Real Menopause Talk

January 8, 2024 46 mins

About

The word ‘menopause’ was not used in Donna’s household growing up, even when her mother underwent a hysterectomy. But Donna knew. Donna Klassen, co-founder of Let's Talk Menopause, dedicates herself to providing a platform that educates, destigmatizes, and offers vital community support surrounding menopause.  

She and I may have different experiences of Menopause but we both come at it with the same heart and a desire to ensure nobody feels isolated or alone during this deeply nuanced life transition. 

Diagnosed with estrogen-positive breast cancer at 52, Donna's journey into postmenopause was accelerated following a double mastectomy and an oophorectomy. As she grappled with symptoms like hot flashes and brain fog, she was met with a notable absence of guidance from her medical community. Drawing from her tenure as a clinician and director at The Motherhood Center of New York, where she witnessed the transformative power of community in areas like infertility and postpartum depression, Donna is passionate about championing menopause and ensuring it's understood and supported by all.

In this episode we discuss attitudes, progress and legislation in the US compared to the UK just as the bill for the Menopause Research and Equity Act 2023 was going to Congress.

Donna is all about the very simple but powerful, ‘and’. Nothing need be one or the other, it can be many things and this is especially true when it comes to menopause symptoms and, in fact, this whole life phase which is a time of vulnerability and opportunity. She encourages us all to put ourselves out there and ‘Go Big!’

You can find Donna on the website and on social media as @letstalkmenopause and I believe even at the time of release, you can still fill out a form HERE that allows you to write directly to your member of Congress and leads to the website letstalkmenopause.org 

You can handpick your Menopause Therapist right HERE

Information

Episode

107

Date

January 8, 2024

Length

46 mins
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  • World Menopause Day 2022

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  • Emma Skeates- Confessions of a Menopausal Mayhem Mother

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  • Rhian Stephenson makes Perimenopause health and nutrition easy and irresistible

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  • Dr Shahzadi Harper – The Perimenopause Solution and how to get your sparkle back

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  • Laura Shuckburgh – Perimenopause Gave Me Freedom and Fulfillment My Way

    Laura Shuckburgh is the very embodiment creating a fresh start by following your instinct, heart and soul. She discovered Perimenopause when she found herself crippled by sudden out-of-the-blue anxiety, to the point where she had to stay in bed. After a lot of research and soul searching she took control and began her “Part 2” […]

  • Linda Davidson – Menopause, Media and the Return of Libido

    Linda Davidson enjoyed an acting career that spanned fifteen years, with enduring success in television and theatre. She retired from acting and entered the world of the internet and tech at a prime time when the world wide web was on the brink of world domination. She is now in Global Transformation, is a mentor […]

  • Dr Nichola Conlon – Cracking The Code to Reversing Perimenopause Effects

    Dr Nichola Conlon has cracked the code to reversing some of the effects of Perimenopause plus a whole lot more. “The effect that Perimenopause has on us in terms of ageing is quite shocking in terms of biological age.” She talks us through the science behind the role of estrogen in whole body function and […]

  • Kim Raine – To HRT or not to HRT – How to Bring The Fire and Thrive in Menopause

    Kim is a busy, successful woman in Perimenopause. She is a mum, a nan and a coach to many high performing women…who are often also going through Perimenopause. To HRT or not to HRT is a big question and has been for Kim herself. The request she get the most is, “Can I please have […]

  • Victoria Hardy – Owning The Menopause – Young, Post Hysterectomy, Depressed & Determined

    Victoria is a mum of two, a wife and works for a large bank. She is a writer, content creator on IG and podcaster. She is also a fierce advocate for Women’s Health. At just 38, she is 4 years post hysterectomy and has had 19 operations due to severe endometriosis. Victoria tells a deeply […]

  • Lee Chambers – The Trojan Horse of Menopause

      Lee is a celebrated psychologist and wellbeing consultant, a radio host, award winning entrepreneur and proud dad. As a champion of Menopause awareness and education, Lee has been dubbed the Trojan Horse of Menopause – a moniker he is happy to adopt. In this episode, Lee opens up about how he has found triumph […]

  • Nicci Harvey – Know Your Menopause: from hysterectomy to Meno Warrior

    Nicci is a married mum who was born here, grew up in South Africa and recently moved back to the UK. After her hysterectomy due to fibroids, she found herself barely capable of even the smallest daily tasks such as taking a shower and was totally unprepared for such a radical change to her character […]

  • Diane Danzebrink – Making Menopause Matter, Genuine Support and How Her Dogs Saved Her Life

    #MakeMenopauseMatter  Diane is the OG Menopause Warrior. After her own incapacitating experience of Menopause, she decided that nobody should ever have to go through what she and her loved ones had to endure. From this, MenopauseSupport and the MakeMenopauseMatter campaign were born. In this episode, she tells her story and all I shall say at […]

  • Carolyn Harris – Making a Difference to Menopause for Women Worldwide

    Carolyn Harris is Menopause Royalty. As an MP she has orchestrated dramatic and ongoing change for the way Menopause is treated in the UK. HRT is already free in Wales and Scotland and a reduction in HRT prescription costs will come in for England in the near future. Undergoing her own Perimenopause was not simple. […]

  • Lavinia Winch talks sex, vaginal moisturisers, radical hysterectomy and Menopause for cancer survivors

    Lavinia Winch knows what she is talking about and you instinctively feel you are in safe hands with her. She is happily married, a mother of three adult children, a grandmother and going to celebrate her 70th birthday this year. When Viagra came on to the market, did anyone ever think how it might impact […]

  • Katrine Cakuls – How to Live in a more Coherent State – Stress Management for Menopause

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  • Dominique Cocuzza – My Perislam into Perimenopause, lifting weights and living well

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  • Elizabeth Joseph – The Self Proclaimed Menopause Guinea Pig: I'll try anything!

    Elizabeth Joseph has declared herself a Menopause Guinea Pig. I n an attempt to combat her debilitating Perimenopause symptoms, she was willing to give anything a go. And now… you name it, she’s tried it from taping and tapping to fart pants and hormone yoga. If she hasn’t discovered it yet, it may not even […]

  • Dr Terry Loong – Skin is the window to hormones; caring for yourself in Menopause

    Dr Terry specialises in hormonal acne, aesthetic treatments and hormonal balance, especially for Perimenopause and Menopause. She has an impressive list of highly respected medical credentials and is a working mother who understands the pressures and stresses of modern day life. She shares her experience of Perimenopause, what she does to take care of herself […]

  • Louise Collyer – Endometriosis, Perimenopause & Getting Your Joy Back

    Louise is a full time TCM Practitioner and mother based in Newcastle Upon Tyne. Her passion is endometriosis and she treats many, many women for fertility. As she grows with her patients and enters Perimenopause herself, she is seeing more evidence of this in her clinic. Insomnia is the symptom that she battles with the […]

  • Rhiannon Ford – The Connection between Perimenopause & Divorce plus Hysterectomy Advice

    Rhiannon runs her own divorce consultancy. Previously a family law solicitor, she now provides practical help and emotional support to people struggling with divorce or separation. In this episode, we cover A LOT. Not only is Rhiannon’s Perimenopause story fascinating but her relationship perspective and advice is gold. A couple of years ago, Rhiannon underwent […]

  • Susan Bowman – Post Menopause The Future Looks Great

    Susan is a Dyslexia Tutor , mother of three grown-up children (aged 17 – 24) and a Specialist Menopause Yoga Teacher. She is some years Post Menopause and shares her retrospective experience of Peri all the way through to Post Menopause and reflects on what she may have done differently with the knowledge she has […]

  • Lucy Goff – I'm not phased by Perimenopause – I know what works

    Lucy Goff lives London with her husband, daughter and dog. She is not phased by Perimenopause because she knows she has a way through. In this episode she explains that she never envisaged setting up her own company but her own illness lead her down a route to healing that was so powerful that she […]

  • Dr Andie Siggers & Carol Milliner – The Dr Will See You Now: Menopause Health & Fitness for Life

    Dr Andie Siggers is a GP and Functional Medicine Practitioner. Carol Milliner is a Health and Lifestyle Coach. They make up half of Change The Change. They each have two children and an impressive passion for fitness having run ultra marathons together. It was this friendship and Perimenopause discussions through running that brought the team […]

  • Herschel Peddicord – Solving Incontinence : The Pelvic Floor, Menopause & Sex

    Herschel “Buzz” Peddicord lives and works in Wisconsin, USA. He has dedicated his life to female pelvic health. His mother challenged him to find a solution to her many night time visits to the bathroom…so he did. We discuss the two types of incontinence, sexual health and what Buzz has created to solve all of […]

  • Charlotte Hunter – The Menopause Truck – Nutrition through Hysterectomy and beyond

    Charlotte is a Menopause Nutritionist with an astounding knowledge of hormones and their wide ranges of functions. Due to a myriad of health issues, she underwent a rather sudden hysterectomy at the age of 44 and overnight went into Menopause, feeling as though she had been ‘hit by a bus’. She tells us of her […]

  • Charlotte Cave – Great Hair, Disasters & Laughter – from blood stains to triumph in Menopause

    Charlotte Cave is an exceptional hairdresser. She treats everyone as though they were a good friend and her best client, as do the rest of her team. When you leave her chair, you feel as though you could take on the world and all that it may throw at you…glamorously. She owns two salons in […]

  • Christine Legat-Conquy – A French Perspective on Menopause

    Christine and her husband Christophe own a magnificent tourist estate that can accommodate 42 people and receptions for up to 100 and an adjacent restaurant in the South of France. It’s the sort of place that if you stay there, you can’t help but feel great by the time you leave. Between them they have […]

  • Gia Mills – Confidence, Menopause-proof Make-Up & HavingFun

    Gia is a renowned and highly regarded Make-Up Artist having worked with ‘A List’ actors, models and singers, worked on editorial for the likes of Vanity Fair and Vogue as well as high profile advertising campaigns. When she discovered a staggering 75% of women are put off exercise for fear of being judged on their […]

  • Charlotte Ellison – A rollercoaster of menopause hormones – highs, lows and laughter

    Outside of Instagram, Lotti is a mother of two, a wife and works in safeguarding in a secondary school. Inside Instagram, she documents her experiences of Perimenopause with great candour and humour. In this Episode, she shares the fear she felt when, out of the blue, her mind was filled with dark and intrusive thoughts; […]

  • Julie Deeks – Menopause Nutrition, Energy Hacks & Know Your Symptoms

    Julie works independently and alongside Sarah Davison who you may remember as our homeopath from Season 1’s Episode 15. Julie’s first symptoms of Perimenopause were night sweats but when she went to her GP, he told her that his wife also had those and he was going to send her for a chest x-ray. She […]

  • Benvon Crumpler – I thought I was dying but it was Perimenopause

    Benvon is a skilled COO and mother of three. She tells us of her deeply intense years of Perimenopause when she was entirely unaware of what was happening to her. She felt as though she was genuinely losing her mind and became so ill that she even feared she was dying. When she finally sought […]

  • Karen Arthur – Curate A Life You Love – Black, Menopausal & Brilliant

    Karen Arthur is a Fashion Creative and podcast host of Menopause Whilst Black, she is also a mum, a grandmother and creator of Wear Your Happy ® In this first Episode of Season 2, she shares with us how she went from a busy, fulfilling and dynamic career as a teacher to closing herself off […]

  • Lisa Reading – We Need To Talk About UTIs – Vaginal Health in Perimenopause

    Lisa is a skilled Entrepreneur and mother. She leads a busy, fun life and believes we all have to have more fun! Her experience of Perimenopause has been a very uncomfortable series of urinary tract infections which lead her to through investigation of causes and treatments. She is a true advocate of taking care of […]

  • Lily Soutter – Foundational Nutrition through Perimenopause & Menopause

    Lily is a Registered Nutritionist and works predominantly in London. She has first hand experience of medicine is food, curing herself through nutrition from chronic psoriasis when she was a child. She supports her clients through the right foods, being an advocate for the Mediterranean diet as a broad protocol, and through supplementation. Lily talks […]

  • Janice Axelbank – Zero Hormones?! From floored to restored in Perimenopause.

    Janice is a vibrant, successful, active working mother of two. Born in the UK, she lived in America growing up and is now back in the UK. She had intense joint pain to the point where it was difficult for her to walk far, her periods were so intense she would barely leave home for […]

  • GenM – Sam Simister & Heather Jackson – Changing the face of Menopause in the Workplace

    Two pioneers of the Menopause Revolution, Sam Simister & Heather Jackson tell us their personal experiences and how that lead to the birth of GenM. They are leading the way for companies and individuals to recognise Menopause and the 15.5million women in the UK plus millions more around the world who feel underserved and actually […]

  • Kimberly Schulz – Therapy, Advocating for yourself through Perimenopause and the gift that keeps on giving

    Kimberly was born in the mid-West in the US and currently lives in California. She is mother to two sons and a daughter, writes a blog and went to college whilst home-schooling her daughter and working full time. Having come to Perimenopause completely unaware and unprepared, she found the symptoms both baffling and challenging until […]

  • Sarah Davison – The Natural Answer to HRT and Peri to Post Menopause

    Sarah is a fully qualified Homeopath, Coach and Natural Menopause Expert. This Episode is a ‘must’ for anyone seeking a natural way to be supported through Peri to Post Menopause. Sarah explains how there is great complexity to natural medicine – did you know there are 551 remedies for hot flashes alone?! – and self […]

  • Meg Black – Menopause & Motherhood

    Meg Black is a mother of four, born in New Zealand and now living in the UK. Her mother was part of the 1990’s study into HRT which had a massive impact on her family. Meg talks to us about how she has chosen to navigate her own Menopause treatment. Meg is wonderfully positive and […]

  • Kate Codrington – Post Menopause – Discovering the joy of Second Spring!

    Kate Codrington is a woman of many talents: Menopause Mentor, Workshop Facilitator, Podcaster, Writer and Therapist. In this episode, Kate talks us through some simple steps that we can take to guide us through the sometimes turbulent times of Perimenopause. She reassures us that messiness and shame is universal which is such a relief! She […]

  • Matilda Gill – Menopause Doesn't Make You Old

    Matilda Gill is a freelance Film Producer and mother of two teenagers. She went through early Menopause at the age of just 36 which is about 10 years earlier than average. She shares with us how this has affected her and her view of life today. Matilda is the very embodiment of “Menopause doesn’t make […]

  • Pamela Windle – Supporting and Coaching through the Menopause

    Pamela Windle is a fully qualified Women’s Health Coach specialising in Nutrition and Hormones, Gut Health and overall wellbeing. With additional tools such as NLP and Hypnotherapy, there is nothing she cannot improve. Her story is inspiring and uplifting and offers jewels of information essential to your Peri to Post Menopause toolkit. She talks us […]

  • Vicki Baker – The Honest Menopause

    Vicki Baker is a mother to two teenagers and a professional gardener. She provides us with another aspect of Menopause – not everyone has to suffer through it. Honesty and openness are essential components to this conversation and speaking up is what will make a difference to women everywhere. Hearing another aspect of Menopause, that […]

  • Sophie Fletcher – The Mindful Menopause – losing hair and identity through Menopause but gaining a new perspective

    Sophie Fletcher is a clinical hypnotherapist and Bestselling Author of three books, the latest of which is Mindful Menopause. Her book (and audiobook), offers accessible tools to understand what is happening in your mind and body throughout Peri to Post Menopause. These tools enable women to erase specific symptoms such as anxiety, insomnia and hot […]

  • Kate Stober – Managing Depression, Menopause and Life

    Kate danced professionally in Russia and for the Royal National Ballet in the UK. She is now a mother of two, runs her own ballet school and lives with her children, her husband and her dog Sydney. She shares with us, her experience of dancing and the pressures on young girls at that time to […]

  • Jo Darling – The magnetism of Menopoised – natural Hot Flash solutions for Menopause and beyond

    Jo Darling is a women’s health expert, oncology expert and founder of Menopoised®. She has produced, tiny jewel-like magnets which take the heat out of Menopause, using acupressure points on the body, some sublime essential oil blends to alleviate other symptoms and has more exciting products in the pipeline. These are proven to work for […]

  • Sophie Fenton – From Feminine Mystery to Vaginal Dryness – One woman's evolution through Menopause and how she's taking the men in her life with her

    Sophie runs her own graphic design company, has a husband, three sons and a tremendous support network which has guided her and buoyed her through her Menopause journey. She talks to us about her previous knowledge of symptoms, her own experience and shares strategies and lifestyle changes that have helped her through this transition.

  • Helen Normoyle – The personal and professional experience behind My Menopause Centre

    Helen’s credentials as Chief Marketing Officer for companies such as the Ofcom, the BBC, DFS and Boots mean that she has a keen understanding of people and what they need. Combining this with her own needs and following her motto of ‘Feel the Fear and do it anyway!”, she and her close friend Dr Clare […]

  • Peggy Froerer – Hot flashes in Hot climates

    Peggy has lived in the US, India and currently, the UK. She talks of her personal experience of going through the Menopause whilst raising a family, lecturing and travelling for research. She explains her keys symptoms, what she found when she sought help and what is working for her now. As always, please get in […]

  • Rebekah Brown – How Perimenopause anxiety lead to the creation of a powerful Menopause supplements company

    Rebekah Brown, founder of M Powder, talks to us about her experience of Perimenopause, how it affected her at work, her family life and what ultimately led her to create M Powder. We hear about her journey from de-hydrating fruit and vegetables in her kitchen to running a successful and ever-growing company that provides the […]

  • Introduction Too

    A more serious look at Perimenopause and Menopause as an introduction

  • Walking The Dog Without The Dog

    Welcome to Real Menopause Talk. This is an introduction before we really begin.

  • Symptoms of Breast Cancer (YouTube Video #389)

    Symptoms of Breast Cancer In this eye-opening episode, Dr. Barbara 'Menopause' Taylor reveals a surprising truth—most breast cancers have no early symptoms. She debunks common myths, especially the widespread belief that breast pain signals cancer, and explains the difference between signs and symptoms. Learn why relying on symptoms alone can be dangerous, and how early […]

  • Sherri Dindal – Being The Real Slim Sherri and new beginnings in Midlife & Menopause

    Many of you will know The Real Slim Sherri from Instagram and TikTok – she is well known for her no- holds barred, unfiltered truths around growing up in the 70’s and 80’s, midlife, life as a Gen X woman and menopause.  I have loved her page ever since I discovered it and so was […]

  • What Stem Cell Therapy Taught Me About Recovery, Mindset, and Reinventing Downtime

    In today’s episode, I share my personal experience with stem cell therapy—and the unexpected lessons that came from being forced to slow down. Whether you’re choosing a procedure like stem cell therapy or suddenly dealing with an injury or illness, time off from your normal routine isn’t just inconvenient — it’s a major mental and […]

  • 193 Can Color Heal You? Dr. Deanna Minich Thinks So 🎨🧠🌿

    Forget everything you thought you knew about nutrition. This episode gets wildly colorful—literally. Dr. Deanna Minich joins Sally to decode how COLOR—yes, actual colors—can shift your health, your hormones, and even your mood. From purple carrots to chlorophyll, this convo goes deep on how to nourish your body and your energy. We’re talking:✨ Yellow for […]

  • Ep #152: Overcoming Gender Barriers in a Male-Dominated Industry with Captain Reyné O’Shaughnessy

    In this episode, Andrea Donsky, nutritionist, published menopause researcher, menopause educator, and co-founder of WeAreMorphus.com, talks to Captain Reyné O’Shaughnessy. She is a veteran commercial airline pilot with over 34 years at a Fortune 50 carrier and more than 10,000 heavy-jet flight hours, including being among the first women qualified on the Boeing 747. She's […]

  • 219 How to Support Your Mental Health and Stop Menopause Weight Gain

    Menopause is a natural part of life, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. I’ve experienced the exhaustion, the thinning hair, the mood swings—and the confusion that comes when you feel like your body is changing faster than you can keep up. In this episode, I’m sharing my personal journey with menopause and the lessons I’ve […]

  • S4 Ep178: Mid-life Nutrition: Tips and Tricks From a Dietician with Dr. Alexandra Filingeri

    Any mid-life woman knows that once you hit your 40s, 50s, or 60s, things will not go well if you eat the same way you did when you were 20. But it’s confusing to know what to eat, and how much to eat, without downloading multiple APPs and carrying around a calculator  My guest, Alexandra […]

  • 164: Emotional Eating in Menopause – The Psychology Behind the Cravings

    Do you get cravings for the foods that make your soul feel fuzzy but your body feel icky? In this episode, Adele explains the psychology behind those cravings, how to make steps away from those cravings and how to be more mindful with your eating. Check out Adele’s FREE symptom assessment here: https://adelejohnstoncoaching.com/free-copy-of-our-symptom-assessment/ Adele is […]

  • Thursday Thoughts – Writing a Book

    This week on Thursday Thoughts, Lucy and I dive into a juicy conversation all about her brand new book Shiny Happy Singles — or Thrive Solo if you're tuning in from the US. We chat about the inspiration behind the book, what it really means to thrive on your own, and why this message is […]

  • From Midlife Crisis to Midlife Chrysalis: Chip Conley’s Roadmap to Reinvention

    In this episode of Hello Menopause, Stacy talks with entrepreneur, author, and Modern Elder Academy founder Chip Conley about what it really means to navigate midlife. Drawing from his own experience with prostate cancer and hormone therapy, Chip shares what it felt like to go through “male menopause” and how that informed his vision for […]

  • Bladder Issues in Menopause – The Hidden Bacteria You Need to Know

    If bladder issues in menopause are keeping you from jumping for bone density or for jumping for joy. Or if laughing and sneezing or a need to consider hydration needs against access to a bathroom are real life and every day concerns you… we’ve got you today.  Bladder issues in menopause don’t need to keep […]

  • Ep 176 -Restoring Blood Flow for Brain, Heart and Hormonal Health with Cathy Eason

    In this week’s episode,  Dr. Fiona Lovely speaks with Cathy Eason, a certified holistic nutritionist and clinical educator, about nitric oxide (NO), often called the “miracle molecule” for its vital role in blood flow and thus, overall health.  We talk about the groundbreaking findings from a pilot study on nitric oxide’s impact on women’s sexual […]

  • Ep 481: The 5,000-Year-Old Secret to Stopping Emotional Eating

    I’m showing you how ancient Buddhist wisdom can help you break the cycle of emotional eating with more awareness, compassion, and ease—just like I teach my clients. Get the full show notes and information here: https://drdebbutler.com/481

  • #129: 7 Essential Habits to Move Through Menopause with More Ease

    Midlife doesn’t have to be a crisis — it can be a genuine metamorphosis. In this episode, I’m not talking about just surviving menopause.I’m talking about moving through it with more ease, clarity, and actual calm. You’ll hear a segment from a training I recently ran, where I shared seven essential habits that helped me […]

  • 13 – HRT after 60: myths, facts and finding your own path with Ann Newson

    In this week’s episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by her mother, Ann Newson, for a candid and deeply insightful conversation about HRT after 60, as requested by some ofour viewers.  Together, Dr Louise and Ann address the persistent fears around breast cancer and HRT, revisiting data from the controversial 2002 WHI study. They also explore the […]

  • Grading and Staging of Breast Cancer (YouTube Video #388)

    Grading & Staging Breast Cancer – Know the Hidden Dangers In this episode, Dr. Barbara 'Menopause' Taylor breaks down the critical differences between grading and staging breast cancer—and exposes the hidden dangers that often leave patients confused or misinformed. Learn how cancer cell "grades" reflect aggressiveness, how "stages" indicate spread, and why stage 0 (carcinoma […]

Real Menopause Talk

https://realmenopausetalk.com Real Menopause Talk is an opportunity for everyone to share and hear stories about real life experiences of Peri to Post Menopause and the impact it has on all life has to offer. Real Menopause Talk is also a platform for the best resources available so you no longer have to do your own […]

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