Amanda Stoddard - Cove Integrative Therapy

Excited for another gathering to celebrate the beginning of summer!
Would love to have you join us 🌻
Sign up here: https://cove-integrative-therapy.bloomtickets.ca/event/1614?SummerSolsticeCeremony:ATimeforJoy%F0%9F%8C%9E%E2%9C%A8

Menopause Is Not Just Hot Flashes - Depression, Anxiety, Irritability, Panic...

In this article and chat with Dr. Mary Claire Haver, Emma explains
it’s not just the end of your period. It is a process that leads to changes throughout a woman's entire body.

Perimenopause begins 7-10 years before your period stops so you can start to see changes in your entire body, your sleep and your mental health as early as your mid-30’s. We start having a decline in estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen has been shown to have a modulating effect on mood-regulating neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine. And that’s going to make us more vulnerable to stress.

So it’s common to see, especially in perimenopause, symptoms like:
Depression
Anxiety– a lot of women experience more worry, restlessness, and physical symptoms like heart palpitations. Which can also lead to more symptoms of
Panic Disorder and
Irritability: Hormonal changes can make women more prone to mood swings and frustration, affecting their interactions with others.

It’s also very common for women to experience difficulty sleeping, insomnia, night sweats or early morning wakening- which can contribute to more irritability and
that takes us to …Brain fog. Some women experience memory lapses and difficulty concentrating during menopause, which can be really frustrating.

And this is all in addition to the common things people think about when it comes to menopause, hot flashes, night sweats, and metabolism changes which can make your body change quickly, in energy levels or weight gain.

And all of this, from lack of sleep to physical symptoms can impact your self-esteem and relationships, and clearly your mental health.

Fortunately, you don’t have to just suffer, there are effective treatments, which we are going to get into. First though, let’s address one other issue associated with women’s mental health around menopause

Gaslighting. When it comes to women’s health generally–and especially understanding the shift into menopause– awareness, education and even medical support are lacking. Women frequently get gaslit, even by their doctors, told to just deal with it, or their symptoms are dismissed as “Just anxiety”, or “just menopause”, but without giving them any effective strategies to deal with it.

Going through menopause is confusing enough, but when doctors don’t listen to you, downplay your symptoms, or you’re the one who has to take your research to them and they’re not willing to listen, trying to get the support you need can be so hard. I’m not going to rant here, but women’s health issues have often been downplayed, so spend time learning about menopause on your own, find a provider who is skilled at treating menopause, and be prepared that you are going to have to advocate for the treatment you deserve. Because there are effective treatments.

How Menopause Impacts Anxiety, Depression and Panic Attacks - Therapy in a Nutshell In this post, you'll learn how menopause impacts anxiety, depression and panic attacks.

So many people are deeply self-aware. They understand their patterns, they can name what is happening, and yet something still feels stuck.

That does not mean they are failing.

Sometimes it simply means the body, nervous system, and protective parts need something slower, gentler, and more experiential than insight alone.

In this post, I talk about:
• what IFS is
• what somatic therapy is
• why I blend the two
• how this work can support anxiety, burnout, overwhelm, shutdown / depression, trauma, grief, and life transitions
• what sessions with me may actually look like

If you have been curious about this approach, or wondering whether it might fit for you or someone you know, I hope this offers a helpful place to begin.

Read it here:

IFS + Somatic Therapy in Nova Scotia | Cove Integrative Therapy Learn how Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Somatic therapy combine to help adults with anxiety, burnout, trauma, grief, and emotional overwhelm. This post explains how combining parts work with body-based awareness supports nervous system regulation, self-understanding, and lasting healing so you c...

At least a few of these I'm working on at any given time. What I've gotten better at the most is limiting self-criticism. I think that's the gateway to the rest for many.

Boundaries are not only something we set with other people. Sometimes the hardest boundaries are the ones we need to practice with ourselves.

That can look like:
- resting before burnout
- getting to bed at a decent time
- choosing a healthier meal option or portion size
- spending less time scrolling
- saying no to what doesn’t align
- not buying what we don’t need
- softening self-criticism
- making space for the life we actually want

And often, these boundaries begin long before behaviour.

They start with the beliefs you allow, the thoughts you repeat, and the way you speak to yourself.

“Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.”
― Gandhi

So creating a boundary with yourself might sound like:

“I will not keep reinforcing beliefs, thoughts, or habits that pull me away from my values.”

For example:
If the belief is “rest is lazy,” the boundary might be pausing before overworking and choosing a real break instead.

If the thought is “I’m failing,” the boundary might be not piling on more self-criticism and choosing one steady next step instead.

If the pattern is “I’m too tired to make food, so I’ll just skip it,” the boundary might be preparing something simple and nourishing rather than abandoning yourself.

This is the deeper work of self-boundaries:
not letting every thought become your truth,
not letting every impulse become your habit,
and choosing small actions that build self-trust over time.

Self-boundaries are a form of self-respect.
Not punishment.
Not rigidity.
Not perfection.

Just small, steady choices that help us feel safer, clearer, and more grounded in our own lives.

I’ve just created my very first newsletter 📩

It’s a gentle way of sharing what’s unfolding in my practice, upcoming offerings, simple reflections, and resources that may feel supportive along the way.

In this first edition, I’m sharing:
• a welcome note
• practice updates
• a reflection on this week’s Full Moon in Libra
• a simple grounding tool
• what I’m currently reading and loving
• an invitation to upcoming offerings, including our Earth Day Ceremony

If you’d like to stay connected and receive future notes, you can subscribe at the bottom of my website: https://www.amandastoddard.ca/

Cove Integrative Therapy - Amanda Stoddard M.Ed. RPC on Google New Beginnings - April Newsletter

Can You Be Healthy at Every Size?

The Health at Every Size movement offers research on how health behaviours rather than body size or weight loss determine health. Watch for more on HAES and how you can be healthy at every size.

Wondering about your eating habits?

Take the Eating Style Quiz! https://meredithmackenzie.ca/quiz

End Night Binge Eating! https://meredithmackenzie.ca/guide

Can You Be Healthy at Every Size? Can You Be Healthy at Every Size? // Is it actually possible to be healthy at every size? The Health at Every Size movement offers research on how health beh...

Medical professionals should be your first step in determining whether a physical problem is at the root of your depression or anxiety. They can screen for everything I’ve talked about in this video. They can work with you to customize a plan which may or may not include supplements or changing medication.

You could tell them about your issues with mood and ask them to run some tests. Here are some tests that would screen the more common issues:

CBC (complete blood count)
Comprehensive metabolic panel
Thyroid panel (TSH, free T3, free T4)
Vitamin D, B12, and folate
Ferritin and iron studies
Blood glucose and HbA1c
Possibly hormone levels (cortisol, estrogen, testosterone, etc.)
Sleep study if fatigue or snoring is present

6 Medical Issues that Cause Anxiety or Depression - Therapy in a Nutshell If you’re struggling with depression or anxiety, it might not be “just in your head.” Many medical issues that cause anxiety or depression can be screened

Inviting you to a gentle therapeutic group space to connect with and integrate the work you have been doing internally in other practices / sessions.

Through guided meditation & visualization, breathwork, and intuitive movement, we explore ways to release stored energy, emotions, stress, tension, and co-regulate your nervous system, restoring SELF energy: inner calm, compassion, connectedness, and clarity.

No yoga or meditation experience required.
Move at your own pace.

Register by email for Series: [email protected]

Drop In: https://amanda.noterro.com/

It starts with Being Human - and moves on from there, to the most significant thing, via answers to questions I never knew I had - growth - the space - the magnificence (I am so hungry for that) - trauma - optimism - awakening - service - and LEMONS!

Being Human For more information visit http://www.scienceandnonduality.comIt starts with Being Human - and moves on from there, to the most significant thing, via answer...

Grab some ice cream today for Mental Health 😋

🔊ICYMI: We have some A-moozing news!

Tomorrow, Friday, March 6, is Moo Let's Talk Day! That's when Cows donates 100% of the proceeds from ice cream sales to the Canadian Mental Health Association, Nova Scotia Division to mental health programs and and services across the province.

Join us at COWS Cable Wharf or COWS Spring Garden Road between 11 am and 8 pm for a cone and a chat — it’s going to be udderly amazing! 🐮

Details:
🍦Date: Friday, March 6, 2026
🍦Time: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
🍦Locations: COWS Cable Wharf and COWS Spring Garden Road, Halifax