The Menopause-Brain Connection: Lifespan Insights on Hormones, Trauma, and Identity

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About the Author

Julie Cardoza, MS, LMFT, RYT is a licensed marriage and family therapist, trauma consultant, and menopause-informed mental health educator based in California. She is the founder of Heartscapes, LLC, where she offers holistic coaching and wellness programs for midlife women, including her signature Radiant Reframe™ method.

Julie specializes in the intersection of trauma, neurobiology, and hormonal transition, bringing a compassionate, body-based, and science-informed approach to healing and transformation during the menopause midjourney.

It's YOUR Mid-Journey: Unmasking Midlife

It’s YOUR Midjourney :Unmasking Menopause, Mental Health & the Power of Midlife Change

“Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we’re supposed to be and embracing who we are.” — Brené Brown

I’m a trauma-informed therapist—and I’m unmasking midlife. You may not know it, but last Friday marked a transformative moment in women’s health—and I don’t just mean hormones. I’m talking about whole-body health: mind, body, and spirit.

For decades, women have been handed prescriptions of shame, or silence when it comes to midlife change. But on Thursday, July 17, 2025, the FDA opened hearings to shift the conversation.

The FDA Hearings on HRT Black Box Warnings July 2025. This is a great summary of Women's Health in Menopause Journey

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Why This Series?

This isn’t just about hot flashes or hormone charts. It’s about the real story of menopause—the one that intersects with your nervous system, your relationships, your past trauma, and your evolving sense of self.

That’s why I created this 5-part blog series:

✔ To explore what’s really happening in your brain and body during the menopause transition

✔ To connect trauma, identity, and emotional health to hormonal shifts

✔ To name what midlife women have carried—and what we’re now allowed to lay down

Here’s what we’ll explore together:

1. Unmasking Midlife — Why the FDA hearings signals a new era in women’s health

2. The Menopause-Brain Connection — Hormones, mental health, and what’s really going on

3. Trauma, ACEs & the Midlife Body — Why old wounds resurface during this transition

4. The Weight of the Midjourney — Caregiving, stress, and the invisible load women carry

5. Reclaiming the Self — Long-term health, purpose, and the postmenopausal possibility

This isn’t just a menopause conversation—it’s a reframe of everything we thought we knew about midlife.

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Disclaimer

This article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

While Julie Cardoza is a licensed mental health professional, this blog is not a substitute for psychotherapy or medical care. Any tools or practices referenced here are intended to support wellbeing and self-awareness—not to diagnose or treat medical or psychiatric conditions.

Heartscapes, LLC provides wellness education and coaching services. Therapeutic services are offered separately under Julie Cardoza’s LMFT license in the state of California.