Menopause: Reclaim Sexuality and Confidence

  In this episode of The Connected Community Podcast, Nicky Yazbeck talks with Lisa Fitzpatrick, a pelvic and sexual health educator and physiotherapist with more than 30 years in women’s health. Lisa is the founder of the Sexy Menopause movement and Womankind Pelvic Care. After becoming a mother in 2000, she focused her clinical work on pelvic floor health and later broadened it to include sexual well-being and midlife care. Her approach combines physiotherapy with yoga, mindfulness, meditation, and practical empowerment skills.   The conversation looks at what actually changes in perimenopause and menopause and how those shifts show up in daily life physically, emotionally, and in relationships. Lisa explains how pelvic floor function connects to continence, comfort with sex, and core stability, and how hormonal changes affect tissues, lubrication, desire, and mood. She and Nicky discuss the value of clear communication with partners and care providers, and why many women feel unseen or rushed in medical settings. Lisa offers straightforward steps for building support: learning basic pelvic floor awareness, using breath and gentle movement to regulate the nervous system, and making self-care a regular, realistic practice rather than a project.   Lisa also shares how mind–body tools can sit alongside evidence-informed physiotherapy. She describes simple ways to reduce shame and increase body confidence, including getting accurate information about estrogen and testosterone, tracking symptoms over time, and normalizing conversations about pleasure and pain. Throughout, she emphasizes that midlife is not a decline but a phase that can bring clarity about values, boundaries, and sexual expression when women have useful education and a supportive community.   Beyond her clinical work, Lisa has taught and presented nationally and internationally for two decades, creating anatomy manuals and wellness programs for yoga schools and workplaces, and contributing to pre- and postnatal, menopause, yin, and Iyengar curricula. She has given keynotes at Uplift Festival, International Women’s Day events, the Ausmumpreneur Conference, and The Artful Business Conference. She closes the episode with themes from her forthcoming book, Sexy Menopause (February 2026), which lays out a practical pathway for women to understand their bodies, reclaim sexuality and confidence, and make informed choices in midlife and beyond.     Takeaways:   Menopause is often not discussed enough among women. Many women feel lonely during their menopausal journey. Physical changes during menopause can impact relationships. Estrogen withdrawal affects tissue resilience and libido. Foreplay is essential for comfort during intimacy. Communication with partners is crucial during this transition. Post-menopause can lead to a new beginning for many women. Self-care and lifestyle changes are vital during menopause. Therapeutic support can help address intimacy issues. Women can experience post-traumatic growth during this time.       Connect with me: https://nickyYyoga.com https://www.youtube.com/@TheConnectedCommunity [email protected]   Connect with Lisa: https://www.lisafitzpatrick.com.au https://www.sexymenopause.com https://www.instagram.com/sexy.menopause https://femininebodyspeaks.substack.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@thelisafitzpatrick   Keywords: menopause, perimenopause, sexual health, estrogen, progesterone, intimacy, self-care, weight gain, sleep issues, relationships, women's health, pelvic floor, pelvic health, midlife, intimacy, self-pleasure