Menopause Coaching in the Workplace
Exploring the case for menopause coaching in the workplace
MENOPAUSELEADERSHIP
Rebecca Ford Johnson
2/13/20254 min read
The challenges faced by senior women in high-performing environments during the menopause transition are often underestimated. Many women in these positions find it nearly impossible to determine how to navigate this phase when everything around them — and within them — suggests they should simply carry on regardless. The perceived options often seem binary: struggle through as though nothing is happening or "admit defeat" and leave, burdened with a sense of failure because the challenges feel insurmountable.
Rethinking Employer Support for Menopause Transition
Employers must rethink how they support senior women* experiencing menopause. Many organisations (rightly) now offer parental leave coaching, acknowledging that such a transition can be destabilising, affecting identity, confidence, values, and emotional well-being. These can be strikingly similar themes to those experienced during menopause. It is time to normalise the provision of menopause coaching in the same way.
Why coaching, beyond existing support?
This is not about making a general business case for supporting women in the workplace — that should already be evident. Instead, this is about advocating for 1:1 executive coaching specifically tailored to the menopause transition.
While organisations may host menopause awareness events and facilitate support groups, these may not always attract senior women. Despite increased mainstream discussion, menopause remains an uncomfortable topic at work, particularly for those in leadership roles. Some symptoms, such as cognitive or psychological challenges, may make openly discussing menopause symptoms feel akin to admitting, “I can’t do my job properly.”
Many senior women are managing this transition privately, often seeking medical support such as Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). However, medical solutions alone do not address the workplace-related challenges that come with menopause. A confidential, 1:1 coaching space allows women to explore the impact of this transition on their careers and how to maximise the chances of continuing in those careers beyond this transition - an aspect just as vital as medical treatment.
One coachee’s response captures this well: "I found our first session genuinely transformative."
What does Menopause Coaching provide?
Coaching is not about offering a magical fix, just as parental transition coaching does not provide instant solutions. What coaching provides is the environment in which women can voice concerns, express fears, and develop strategies for managing this particular transition.
As a menopause coach I may suggest exploring medical options like HRT (always directing individuals to their GP), but primarily I help women navigate this transition in the context of their careers. Menopause is not something to simply "fix" — it requires a nuanced approach that moves beyond the binary choice of "endure it or leave." Coaching helps women reassess their roles, identify and work to let go of unnecessary pressures, and redefine success in a way that aligns with their evolving needs.
Challenging Expectations
The increased awareness around menopause has sparked a significant cultural shift, empowering women to educate themselves on what to expect and how to manage this transition. However, a prevailing narrative suggests that a quick trip to the GP for HRT will allow women to carry on as usual.
The alternative — acknowledging that continuing exactly as before may not be possible — can feel like admitting weakness. In high-performance environments, where expectations remain the same regardless of age, symptoms like insomnia, anxiety, and brain fog can shake confidence. It is no surprise that menopause often brings a crisis of self-worth.
In Hagitude, Sharon Blackie highlights how societal narratives have conditioned us to see menopause and ageing as something to be feared and avoided. The expectation that women should take HRT and pretend nothing is happening oversimplifies a complex transition. While HRT can be beneficial, genuine acceptance and self-care play crucial roles. Coaching supports women in making empowered choices that embrace (or at least accept) this transition rather than resisting it.
Clarifications
Two key points must be emphasised:
Not all women feel destabilised by menopause. Just as not all new mothers require parental leave coaching, menopause coaching should not be enforced. However, making it available to all women in the workplace would ensure that those who need it can access it.
Coaching is not a replacement for appropriate medication, support groups, self-care or counselling. Rather, it is a complementary resource that helps women navigate menopause in the workplace.
Final Thought: this transition is not the end — it is a shift
Losing valuable senior women due to oversimplified thinking around menopause is a risk organisations can and should avoid.
Menopause coaching offers women the space to embrace this transition without feeling forced into binary choices. By integrating coaching into workplace support systems, organisations can ensure they retain and empower their senior women — not in spite of menopause, but with an understanding of its complexities.
Supporting Yourself Through Menopause
For those looking for guidance on managing menopause personally, I have shared additional resources in a separate post here.
* I use the term “women” and “female” to mean those who were born with a biological female body, recognising that there are individuals who fit within this biological framework but who do not identify as women, as well as individuals who were not born with these characteristics but who identify as women/female.
© 2025 Westbrook Coaching Limited trading as Rebecca Ford Johnson. All rights reserved.