Identity, Midlife & Female Life Transitions
Psychotherapy for women navigating change, loss of identity and emotional upheaval
There’s a particular kind of disorientation that comes along with midlife. It’s often when you realise the life you’ve built no longer quite fits, or when you look in the mirror and don’t fully recognise yourself, when you’re functioning perfectly well on the outside but quietly unravelling on the inside.
Female life transitions deserve proper support.
Why work with me?
I’m Cheryl Kennedy MacDonald, a registered psychotherapist (MBACP Accred) specialising in midlife therapy, perimenopause counselling, and female life transitions, working with women in Singapore and online worldwide. I hold a Master’s in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy from the University of Roehampton, and I have spent over 25 years working exclusively with women through the transitions that redefine us: perimenopause and menopause, divorce and relationship endings, motherhood and postpartum identity loss, relocation and expat life, ADHD diagnosis in midlife, and the slow, confusing work of figuring out who you are when the roles that defined you no longer fit.
My Credentials and Approach
My work in midlife and menopause therapy is grounded not only in clinical practice but in published academic research and best-selling published books. I am also the founder of YogaBellies, a global women’s yoga school that has supported over 100,000 women through every major life stage, and the YogaPause method, which means I understand women’s transitions from inside both the therapy room and the body-based practice room.
My approach to therapy for women from motherhood to menopause is feminist, integrative, and trauma-informed, drawing on CBT, psychodynamic therapy, somatic approaches, and feminist psychotherapy to support women in understanding themselves more fully, not just managing symptoms. If you’re looking for a menopause therapist, a midlife identity therapist, or simply a female-focused psychotherapist who understands this territory from the inside, we could be a fit.
I work in person in Singapore and online with women worldwide.
Next steps
If you are considering psychotherapy to support you through midlife or a significant life transition, I offer a free initial connection call. This is an opportunity to discuss what brings you to therapy and to explore whether working together feels appropriate for you.
When life changes bring unexpected emotional impact
Female life transitions are often accompanied by invisible psychological shifts. You may find that coping strategies that once worked no longer feel effective, or that emotions feel closer to the surface.
Women often describe:
- a loss of identity or sense of purpose
- increased anxiety, irritability or emotional sensitivity
- feeling disconnected from their body or sense of self
- grief for earlier versions of themselves or their life
- changes in confidence, self-worth or direction
- difficulty recognising or expressing needs
These experiences are often a response to cumulative change, unprocessed emotional history, and the nervous system adjusting to new demands.
Midlife, menopause and identity
Midlife, including perimenopause and menopause, is not only a physical transition, but a psychological one. Hormonal changes can intensify emotional responses, surface unresolved trauma, and highlight long-standing relational or identity patterns.
Therapy offers a space to explore:
- emotional and psychological changes linked to menopause
- shifting roles in relationships, work or family life
- feelings of invisibility, anger or grief
- questions of meaning, autonomy and self-definition
- the intersection of midlife change with past trauma
Psychotherapy supports women in understanding these experiences within the broader context of their life story, rather than viewing them as isolated symptoms to “fix.”
Research, publications & books on Menopause
My clinical work in midlife, perimenopause, and women’s life transitions is grounded in published academic research and over a decade of writing for women navigating these exact experiences.
Peer-reviewed publications:
Kennedy MacDonald, C. (2026). Embodiment and somatic-informed psychotherapeutic practice in the prenatal journey: a reflective integration of holistic birth preparation and prenatal yoga. Body, Movement and Dance in Psychotherapy. Routledge/Taylor & Francis. → doi.org/10.1080/17432979.2026.2648493
MacDonald, C. (2013). Mother and baby yoga is good for you. The Practising Midwife. → pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23789249
MacDonald, C. (2012). What midwives need to know about baby massage. The Practising Midwife. → pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23082398
Books:
My books on women’s health, midlife, and the major life transitions have been read by women worldwide. Titles most relevant to this area include:
YogaPause: What Women Need to Know After 40 and Why Yoga Is the Answer — a practical, evidence-informed guide to perimenopause, menopause, and midlife wellbeing, covering the physical, psychological, and relational dimensions of this transition.
Unleashing Your Radiant Life: A YogaPause Guided Journal for Women Over 40 — a companion workbook for women navigating midlife reinvention.
Identity shifts through motherhood, divorce and relocation
Motherhood, separation or divorce, and relocation, particularly later in life, can significantly alter how a woman experiences herself in the world.
These transitions can involve:
- a loss of self after years of caregiving or adaptation
- renegotiating boundaries and roles
- grief, relief or ambivalence after relationship change
- identity disruption following relocation or expat life
- questions around independence, desire and future direction
Therapy provides a reflective space to process these shifts, explore who you are beyond roles or expectations, and support the development of a more grounded sense of identity.
Pregnancy and Birth Related Peer-reviewed publications:
Kennedy MacDonald, C. (2026). Embodiment and somatic-informed psychotherapeutic practice in the prenatal journey. Body, Movement and Dance in Psychotherapy. Routledge/Taylor & Francis. → doi.org/10.1080/17432979.2026.2648493
Books :
Birth ROCKS: Realistic Hypnobirthing and Birth Preparation for All Women — an integrative, body-based approach to birth preparation combining yoga, somatic practice, and psychological support. Widely used by women navigating pregnancy after trauma or loss.
YogaBellies for Pregnancy: Your Complete Guide to Pregnancy Yoga and Wellness — covering the physical, emotional, and relational dimensions of pregnancy across all four trimesters.
→ Full list of titles: amazon.co.uk/stores/Cheryl-Kennedy-MacDonald/author/B00DFL37HO