Menopause Therapy Singapore: Support for Peri-Menopause and Menopause
Dr Amrit Kaur provides menopause therapy in Singapore, offering psychological support for women navigating the emotional ups and downs of perimenopause and menopause.
Menopause is a difficult time for many. Hot flashes, vaginal dryness, poor libido and relentless brain fog.
While physical symptoms abound, for women here in Singapore and around the world, it is often the psychological symptoms that cause the most distress. Many women report intense mood swings and an unfamiliar rage. One client described it such: “Its like I woke up and was a different person. All the things that I cared about before just drained me, and I couldn’t understand why I was both exhausted and irritated all the time.”
For many women like her, psychological therapy provides essential support during peri-menopause and menopause, addressing the emotional turbulence that often accompanies hormonal shifts.
As a clinical psychologist registered with the Singapore Psychological Society, with 17 years of experience across Asia and the Pacific, I’ve seen how therapy can help make sense of the shifting moods, reduce anxiety, manage mind fog and restore a sense of control amid the hormonal shifts.
What Are The Psychological Impacts Of Menopause?
Menopause and perimenopause can significantly affect mental health, commonly causing increased anxiety, mood swings, depression, brain fog, and irritability as a result of hormonal changes affecting brain chemistry, particularly serotonin regulation.
Peri-menopause (typically ages 40-50) and menopause bring estrogen fluctuations that disrupt serotonin, sleep, and stress responses. These changes typically fuel high levels of anxiety (up to 50% prevalence), depression, brain fog, irritability, and low mood.
While these symptoms are often dismissed as “just aging,” they have profound impact on quality of life. Anxiety can be intense during menopause, with some women also reporting that they feel “out of control”, or like “I’m constantly PMS-ing”.
Another common side effect of menopause is the changing sense of identity in women because of the the declining estrogen levels common in this phase. Women who spent their lives nurturing husbands, raising children, and looking after colleagues suddenly find themselves asking, “What about me?” Research indicates that dropping estrogen levels change the way women see their role, and it reduces the urge to nurture that characterized their child-bearing years.
This shift can be a shock – both to the women themselves, and to the people around them. The mother with young adult children recounted that in this phase, she found herself craving alone time, and stopped wanting to be there for her daughter’s every need. While the mother took more time for herself, her daughter was left wondering “What happened to mum? She just doesn’t seem that interested in hearing my problems any more”. Therapy was helpful to both the mother and the daughter as they navigated this new reality.
How Can Women Benefit From Therapy At Peri-Menopause And Menopause?
Women in my practice describe it vividly.
Said Janet, 47 (not her real name), “I was snapping at my family, forgetting appointments, feeling like I’d lost myself overnight. While hormone therapy helped immensely, therapy helped me reframe these experiences as a neurobiological phase, not personal failure, and gave me tools to manage my despair and frustration until my hormones stabilized.”
Another client, Maria, 48, struggled with her corporate job on entering peri-menopause. While she took stress in her stride before, at peri-menopause suddenly she felt under constant threat and feared job loss despite many assurances that she was safe. We worked to unpack her catastrophic thoughts and track patterns, and found that shifting period cycles were causing rapid-cycling PMS symptoms that were causing her anxiety levels to spike. We used somatic therapy for her to help understand the physical feelings prompting thoughts that she was in danger. I also advocated for her to see an endocrinologist, and she was given birth control pills which eliminated the cycle and eased her symptoms.
Need Help For Yourself or Someone You Care About?
Reach out to understand how we can help.
Q. What are the other services Dr. Amrit Kaur offers?
Psychological Therapy for Anxiety or Anxiety Disorders
Psychological Care and Support for Borderline Personality Disorder
Counselling for Burnout
Counselling for Pregnancy and Pregnancy Loss
Psychological Support for Successful Co-parenting
Psychological Support after a Divorce or Breakup
Somatic Therapy
Psychological Therapy for Health or Illness-related Anxiety
Therapy After Child or Adult Sexual Abuse
Counselling and Support for Menopause and Peri-menopause
Counselling for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their Families
Assessment and Treatment of Depression
Frequently Asked Questions About Menopause & Peri-Menopause
Q: Can menopause cause anxiety and mood swings?
A: Yes. Hormonal fluctuations during perimenopause and menopause, particularly changes in estrogen, can affect serotonin regulation and commonly contribute to increased anxiety, mood swings, irritability, and low mood.
Q: Is brain fog during menopause normal?
A: Yes. Many women experience difficulties with memory, concentration and mental clarity during perimenopause and menopause, often referred to as “brain fog”, as a result of hormonal changes affecting cognitive function.
Q: Can therapy help with menopause-related mood changes?
A: Yes. Psychological therapy can help women reframe menopause-related emotional changes as a neurobiological phase rather than personal failure, and provide practical tools to manage anxiety, mood swings, and stress during this transition.
Q: Does menopause affect identity and sense of self?
A: Many women report a shifting sense of identity during menopause, as declining estrogen levels and changing life circumstances can affect long-held roles and priorities, prompting some to reassess their needs and boundaries.
Q: Should I see a doctor as well as a therapist for menopause symptoms?
A: Yes. Menopause has both physical and psychological dimensions, so many women benefit from combining medical support (such as hormone therapy) with psychological therapy to manage the full range of symptoms.
Q: What’s the best therapy for menopause-related emotional symptoms?
A: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is well-supported for managing menopause-related anxiety, low mood, and stress. It is often used alongside medical care, such as hormone therapy, as part of a comprehensive approach to menopause and perimenopause.
Q: Where can I find menopause support in Singapore?
A: Women in Singapore can access psychological support for menopause and perimenopause through therapists such as Dr Amrit Kaur, as well as through hospital-based menopause clinics and gynaecologists for combined medical and emotional care.