Pausology Community Forum Menopause

Pausology is more than an educational course. It’s a Menoposse. It provides the resources and information you need to navigate perimenopause and menopause, feeling informed, prepared, and supported.

Our course

Perimenopause and menopause, like puberty, are expected phases of life. Our course and Menoposse Circles are for anyone who’s in it now or will experience it in the future. That’s because in addition to focusing on how to recognize and manage symptoms we focus on health and wellbeing — and how to be proactive about both, especially when it comes to your bones and heart. 

Hormonal change often starts earlier than expected: as early as your late 30s while your period is still regular. If you’re not experiencing any obvious signs of it yet but like to prepare in advance, take the Pausology course now. If you’re in the thick of it, take it now. If you’re on the other side and still experience symptoms or need information on how to support your health and wellbeing, take it now. 

We all approach our health differently and have our own learning styles. We designed the course with that in mind. Listen to it. Read it. Engage with the course in whatever way and time is right for you. 

  • Explore various aspects of hormonal change, from its timing, phases, and physiology to how to recognize and manage its most common symptoms.

    Explore various aspects of hormonal change, from its timing, phases, and physiology to how to recognize and manage its most common symptoms.

  • Learn what other factors can impact how you feel, such as the process of getting older, new or chronic health conditions, and life stressors.

    Learn what other factors can impact how you feel, such as the process of getting older, new or chronic health conditions, and life stressors.

  • Reinforce your sense of well-being and be proactive about your health, especially when it comes to your bones and hearts.

    Reinforce your sense of well-being and be proactive about your health, especially when it comes to your bones and heart.

  • Gain insider tips on how to be your own best advocate as you partner with providers and navigate the complexities of the healthcare system.

    Gain insider tips on how to be your own best advocate as you partner with providers and navigate the complexities of the healthcare system.

  • Reflect on the upsides of this time of life, like feeling wiser, more confident, and less concerned with what others think of you

    Reflect on the upsides of this time of life, like feeling wiser, more confident, and less concerned with what others think of you.

When you sign up, you get immediate unlimited access to our Pausology Course and two complimentary Menoposse Circles. This includes:

Three hours of course material divided into 18 modules

Complete the modules one after the other or jump around to the ones most relevant to you.

Audio and written components for each module.

You can listen to or read them in whatever order and pace you choose. 

Vetted resources

Links to everything discussed within each module.

A Next Steps exercise

For each module designed to help you reflect on what’s happening, identify what you want to address, and take action if needed.

Menoposse Circles

Small virtual gatherings led by Pausology’s co-founder, Dr. Claudia Levine. Ask Claudia questions. Connect with our Menoposse. Offer and receive peer support.

Unlimited access to the Pausology Course as long as you need it.

Pausology Course & Menoposse Circles

Sign up for the Course

$100 USD

A one-time payment gives you immediate and unlimited access to the Pausology Course and two complimentary Menoposse Circles.

Sign up for a Menoposse Circle

$25 USD

Small virtual gatherings led by Pausology’s co-founder, Dr. Claudia Levine. Ask Claudia questions. Connect with our Menoposse. Offer and receive peer support. Want to join a Menopause Circle but haven’t signed up for the Pausology Course? No problem, everyone is welcome!

Imagine inviting friends, colleagues, and even clients to get informed, be prepared, and feel supported alongside you. Perfect for any group. We can customize the Menoposse Circle concept to meet your needs. Email us to get the process started. Email us to schedule a private Menoposse Circle.

Host a Menoposse Circle

We believe that access to education, resources, and community around hormonal change should be available to anyone, no matter their budget. If you need financial assistance, please email us at community@pausology.org

Course Curriculum

The Pausology course is modular and designed with flexibility in mind. Listen to it. Read it. Engage with it in whatever way and time is right for you. Complete the modules one after the other, or head straight to the ones most relevant to you.

  • Knowing the whens, whats, and whys of perimenopause and menopause is fundamental to understanding your experience of hormonal change.

    In this module, we explore:

    • When and what happens to your hormones and how this impacts your body including what symptoms you may experience

    • Tips on how to track your menstrual cycle and symptoms to calculate where you are in the process of hormonal change

    • Parallel drivers, like the process of getting older that impact how you feel as well as the upsides of this time of life, like feeling wiser and more confident

  • Not knowing when your next period will come, how long it will last, or how heavy it will be can be frustrating. Not to mention ruin a favorite pair of pants.

    In this module, we discuss:

    • Expected menstrual cycle changes during late premenopause and perimenopause

    • How tracking your cycle can help you identify where you are on the roadmap toward menopause

    • Other factors aside from hormonal change that can cause irregular bleeding and when you should check in with a healthcare provider

    • A comprehensive approach to managing menstrual cycle changes, including tracking, products, how to find knowledgeable providers, and medications

  • There’s a universal element of heat to this defining feature of hormonal change.

    In this module, you will learn:

    • What hot flashes feel like, when they begin, and how long they usually last

    • What causes and triggers a hot flash

    • A comprehensive approach to dealing with hot flashes, including tracking, lifestyle, products, how to find knowledgeable providers, medications, and supplements

  • Hormonal fluctuations may noticeably affect your mood. They can also bring depression, anxiety, and other mental health concerns.

    In this module, we explore:

    • Expected timing and pattern of mood-related changes

    • What, aside from hormonal change, can contribute to mood changes

    • Difference between mild/moderate or more serious mental health concerns and when to check in with a knowledgeable healthcare provider

    • A comprehensive approach to managing your mood, including tracking, lifestyle, products, how to find knowledgeable providers, medications, and supplements

  • Who doesn’t want a good night's sleep? We know we do! Yet, for many, sleep is elusive. Especially during perimenopause and early menopause.

    In this module, we discuss:

    • Other factors, aside from hormones, that can contribute to sleep changes

    • The difference between insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and restless legs syndrome (RLS)

    • How to set yourself up for restorative sleep and manage challenging moments when you’re not sleeping well using a comprehensive approach, including tracking, lifestyle, products, how to find knowledgeable providers, and supplements

  • Walk into a room to get something and completely forget what you need? An everyday task that requires focus takes more time and effort? These scenarios, commonly referred to as brain fog, are frequent complaints coinciding with hormonal change.

    In this module, you will learn:

    • About factors that positively and negatively impact brain health

    • When to check in with a knowledgeable healthcare provider

    • How to create systems and routines that help you keep track of objects like your keys and important meetings and appointments and recommendations on how to use lifestyle, including sleep, to support your brain health

  • Living in a body is challenging. It doesn’t always feel or look the way you want it to. Add in cultural messaging about youth and beauty, and it’s A LOT! Changes in your body’s size and shape can impact not only your physical body but your mental and emotional health.

    In this module, we explore:

    • How lower estrogen levels and non-hormonal drivers can impact body size and shape

    • How to check in with yourself about how these changes make you feel (physically and emotionally) and connect to support if needed

  • There’s a lot of talk about what happens to our vaginas as we enter perimenopause and menopause. We often get asked questions with an underlying level of fear—like “is it as bad as it sounds?!?”. It’s true things change, but not dramatically for most people. And if you need it, there are effective treatments available.

    In this module, you will learn:

    • About your anatomy, including your vagina (inside part) and your vulvar (outside part)

    • How lower estrogen levels impact your vagina, vulva, and urinary system and what symptoms you may experience

    • When you should check in with a knowledgeable healthcare provider

    • How to care for your vulva and vagina and a comprehensive approach to managing symptoms, including products, how to find knowledgeable providers, and medications

  • If you want sex to be an important part of your life, it can be - at any age and hormonal stage. Whether you have a sexual partner or not, taking time to examine, explore, and more deeply connect to your sense of sexual pleasure is worth the effort. If sex never was or no longer is a priority, that’s ok too.

    In this module, we share:

    • A tour of your anatomy

    • What fosters and inhibits sexual desire, arousal, and orgasm, and how you can address each realm of sexual pleasure

    • How perimenopause and menopause, as well as other aspects of your physical and mental health, can impact sexual pleasure

    • A comprehensive approach to managing whatever's going on, including products, how to find knowledgeable providers, medications, and supplements

  • Did you know your risk of breaking a bone is much higher during your postmenopausal years compared to when you were younger? So understanding what is needed for bone health during this stage of your life is extremely important.

    In this module, you will learn:

    • Factors, including estrogen, that impact your bone density and how likely you are to break a bone

    • How to assess your personal risk of a fracture and what you can do to lower it

    • Recommendations on how to support your bone health, including lifestyle, how to find knowledgeable healthcare providers, vitamins & minerals, and medications, including hormone therapy

  • It’s time to focus on your heart. Perimenopause and early menopause offer an important opportunity to reflect on your personal risk of heart disease and take action toward lowering it.

    In this module, we cover:

    • What is heart disease and ways to lower your risk of developing it

    • What we know about the relationship between menopause and heart disease

    • When to check in with a knowledgeable healthcare provider

    • Recommendations on how to support your heart health, including lifestyle, how to find knowledgeable providers, medication, and supplements

  • Given the mixed media attention its received since estrogen entered the market over sixty years ago, it may feel like a tricky question to answer.

    In this module, we explore:

    • Confusing terms like bioidentical, compounded, and systemically versus locally acting hormones

    • History of hormone therapy

    • Benefits & risks of hormone therapy

    • Contraindications or reasons hormone therapy might not be recommended

    • Logistics of starting, continuing, and stopping hormone therapy

  • Your lifestyle, or the ways you move and nourish your physical body as well as how you tend to your mental and emotional body, is essential to your well-being. It is also an important part of how you can support yourself during perimenopause and menopause.

    In this module, we dive deeply into:

    • Exercise

    • Nutrition

    • Mindfulness & self care practices

    • Social connection

    • Tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, and other drug use

  • Finding knowledgeable and supportive providers you can trust and easily communicate with is key to managing hormonal change.

    In this module, we share:

    • How to find providers trained in perimenopausal and menopausal care

    • Other realms of care to consider, from functional medicine to acupuncture

    • How to prepare for a visit, effectively communicate with your providers, and be your own best advocate

    • Ways to navigate the healthcare system, including how to figure out what services are covered by insurance

  • Supplements including vitamins, minerals & botanicals are an option many people consider for managing symptoms and optimizing bone and heart health.

    In this module, we share:

    • When to consider working with someone trained in this field who can help guide your choices around which supplements to take

    • How to find products that have been vetted for their content, quality, and safety

    • Practical tips for incorporating new supplements into your daily routine

  • Sometimes menopause occurs when you’re younger than you expect it. While it’s fundamentally the same process, it can be different in terms of how you feel and how it affects your overall health.

    In this module, you’ll learn:

    • About primary ovarian insufficiency or POI including its causes and symptoms

    • How to find symptom relief and protect your bone, heart, and brain health

    • Important aspects of care you should talk about with a knowledgeable healthcare provider

  • When a medical treatment, including the surgical removal of both ovaries, triggers menopause, it’s called induced menopause.

    In this module, you’ll learn:

    • Which medical treatments can lead to menopause

    • How induced menopause can significantly impact your physical and emotional well-being

    • How to find relief, especially if the onset is sudden