What if the very parts of yourself you've been hiding—the messy, the marvelous, the unspoken—are the ones that will set you free in midlife? We're often told to shrink, to quiet down, to accept invisibility, like it's a rite of passage. But what if this chapter is actually about expansion, revealing more of who we are, not less? Because let's be honest, midlife women are not a monolith. We're complex, multifaceted, full of rage and tenderness, reinvention and regret, humor and heartbreak. So many of those parts don't get revealed until we find the courage to tell our stories. That's when the magic happens. That's when we feel seen, heard, validated, and we realize we were never alone.

Reclaim your sensuality and step into a powerful new chapter. The Midlife Pleasure Collective is a monthly membership designed to help midlife women reconnect with their bodies, embrace their desires, and cultivate deeper pleasure.

Dina Aronson is a writer, editor, and pro-age advocate who is passionate about shining a light on midlife women and reframing the cultural conversation around aging. She began her career as an attorney, later founding a legal search consultancy, but pivoted as she approached midlife and couldn’t find relevant content that reflected her experience. She began freelancing for start-ups aimed at the forty and above woman, and founded the Patina blog, now a Substack newsletter called Patina with Dina Aronson, where she explores topics in and around aging through her midlife lens.

Highlights from our discussion include:

• Midlife is not about shrinking or becoming invisible, but about expanding and revealing more of your authentic self.
• Midlife women are complex and multifaceted, defying simple stereotypes or categorization.
• Courage to share our stories is transformative, allowing us to be truly seen and understood.
• Our hidden or unspoken parts—including emotions like rage, tenderness, regret, and humor—are sources of power, not weakness.
• Sharing our experiences helps us realize we are not alone in our midlife journey, creating connection and validation

In midlife, our power lies not in conforming to societal expectations, but in embracing our full, messy, magnificent selves—and having the courage to share those stories that make us beautifully, unapologetically human.

If you're seeking to reclaim your pleasure and vitality, join Gabriella at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.pleasureinthepause.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for this enlightening journey into the heart of female pleasure and empowerment.

CONNECT WITH DINA ARONSON:

Midlife Private Parts

Substack - Patina with Dina Aronson

Instagram - Patina_Life

CONNECT WITH GABRIELLA ESPINOSA:

Instagram

LinkedIn

Work with Gabriella!

Reclaim your sensuality and step into a powerful new chapter. The Midlife Pleasure Collective is a monthly membership designed to help midlife women reconnect with their bodies, embrace their desires, and cultivate deeper pleasure. Join the founding members for just $20/month - spots are limited, so apply now at pleasure-in-the-pause.com/collective.

Full episodes on YouTube.

Navigating perimenopause and menopause can feel like uncharted territory for millennial women, but it doesn't have to be a journey of uncertainty and anxiety. Lauren, author of the upcoming book "Millennial Menopause," brings a fresh, compassionate perspective to a topic that has been shrouded in silence for far too long. Together, we explore how this generation can rewrite the narrative around menopause, embracing it not as an ending, but as an exciting new chapter of empowerment, self-discovery, and unapologetic personal growth.

Reclaim your sensuality and step into a powerful new chapter. The Midlife Pleasure Collective is a monthly membership designed to help midlife women reconnect with their bodies, embrace their desires, and cultivate deeper pleasure.

Lauren Tetenbaum, LCSW, JD, PMH-C ("The CounseLaur") is a social worker specializing in women’s mental health during life transitions, including the perinatal and perimenopausal stages. Through her counseling practice, Lauren provides therapy in NY, NJ, CT, and FL, facilitates groups and coaching workshops to empower postpartum and other women in corporate settings, and contributes to media on topics like maternal mental health, gender equity, and working parenthood. A mom of two, Lauren is also a former lawyer and a writer; her first book (Millennial Menopause: Preparing for Perimenopause, Menopause, and Life's Next Period) will be released in July 2025 and is now available for pre-order at https://thecounselaur.com/millennialmenopausebook/.

Highlights from our discussion include:

• Lauren's groundbreaking book aims to empower women by demystifying perimenopause for a new generation.
• We explored the importance of open, honest conversations about menopause across different age groups.
• Discussing the emotional and psychological impacts of hormonal changes during perimenopause.
• Strategies for creating more supportive, equitable relationships during life transitions.
• Tools for maintaining self-compassion, intimacy, and personal joy through hormonal changes.

Perimenopause is more than a biological transition—it's an opportunity for radical self-discovery. By embracing this journey with curiosity, compassion, and courage, we're not just changing our personal narratives, but transforming how society views women's aging and power. Your story matters, and this is your moment to rewrite it.

If you're seeking to reclaim your pleasure and vitality, join Gabriella at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.pleasureinthepause.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for this enlightening journey into the heart of female pleasure and empowerment.

CONNECT WITH LAUREN TETENBAUM:

Book

Website

CONNECT WITH GABRIELLA ESPINOSA:

Instagram

LinkedIn

Work with Gabriella!

Reclaim your sensuality and step into a powerful new chapter. The Midlife Pleasure Collective is a monthly membership designed to help midlife women reconnect with their bodies, embrace their desires, and cultivate deeper pleasure. Join the founding members for just $20/month - spots are limited, so apply now at pleasure-in-the-pause.com/collective.

Full episodes on YouTube.

What happens when you feel disconnected from your sexuality in midlife? When hot flashes, body changes, and societal myths about aging make you question your sensual self? In this raw and transformative episode, multi-published erotic author Anna Sansom shatters the outdated narratives that keep midlife women feeling invisible and sexually irrelevant.

Drawing from her experiences as a queer woman, sexual surrogate, and creative provocateur, Anna offers a revolutionary roadmap for reclaiming pleasure, exploring desire, and writing your own intimate story—no matter your age.

Reclaim your sensuality and step into a powerful new chapter. The Midlife Pleasure Collective is a monthly membership designed to help midlife women reconnect with their bodies, embrace their desires, and cultivate deeper pleasure.

Anna Sansom writes about imperfect intimacy and expansive erotica. Her short stories have been published in anthologies and online (including Best Women’s Erotica of the Year, Volume 10; and TheoReads.com). Anna trained and worked as a sexual surrogate partner in a sex therapy clinic, and wrote the Sex/Life pages for DIVA Magazine (the leading magazine for LGBTQIA+ women and non-binary people) for two years. Her more-than-a-memoir, Desire Lines, shares personal stories as well as erotica and invites you to ask the questions – and explore the answers – which can lead to greater understanding and enjoyment of your unique sexual self. Her latest book, Sex Meets Life, is a collection of personal essays and stories from 17 diverse and international authors writing about what happens to our sex lives when ‘life’ inevitably happens. https://sexmeetslife.com/ Anna has a PhD in occupational therapy and a serious tea addiction. She loves swimming in the sea and talking to her cats.

Highlights from our discussion include:

• Embracing curiosity about your sexuality, especially during midlife transitions
• Using writing as a tool for sexual self-discovery and exploration
• Redefining intimacy beyond physical acts to include presence and connection
• Recognizing creativity and sexuality as interconnected energy sources
• Challenging societal narratives about aging and desire by owning your unique sexual journey

Whether you've ever felt disconnected from your desire, uncertain about your sexual identity, or simply curious about the rich inner world of pleasure, this conversation will inspire you to get curious, be courageous, and reconnect with the most authentic version of yourself.

If you're seeking to reclaim your pleasure and vitality, join Gabriella at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.pleasureinthepause.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for this enlightening journey into the heart of female pleasure and empowerment.

CONNECT WITH ANNA SANSOM:

Substack: https://annasansom.substack.com/

Website: https://annasansom.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anna_sansom_writer/

CONNECT WITH GABRIELLA ESPINOSA:

Instagram

LinkedIn

Work with Gabriella!

Full episodes on YouTube.