Psychologists are helping women sidestep the stereotypes associated with menopause and transform this developmental passage into a vital new phase of life.
… In a 2008 qualitative study in the Women’s Studies International Forum (Vol. 31, No. 4), for instance, 21 midlife Australian women reported greater confidence and wisdom, more time for themselves, and greater self-awareness and self-worth, despite some sadness about ageing. Likewise, a 2008 article in Maturitas (Vol. 39, No. 1) by University of Copenhagen physician Lott Hvas, MD, found that about half of the 393 women who answered an open-ended questionnaire about menopause described positive aspects of the experience, including a time of well-being following menopause and relief at no longer having to deal with menstruation. They also recognized the possibility of personal growth and greater freedom to concentrate on their own lives.
…. “Clarity, decisiveness, emotional intelligence, the ability to discern the truthfulness of others — all of that tends to ramp up in your fifties,” says Gearing, who sees many female executives of this age in her practice.
