Women’s Mental Health Across the Lifespan: Perinatal Psychiatry, Birth Trauma & the Perimenopause Transition with Dr. Anna Glezer

In this episode of the Golden Hour, Dr. O sits down with Dr. Anna Glezer, a reproductive and integrative psychiatrist trained at Harvard and UCSF, where she continues to teach and mentor residents and fellows. She is the founder of Women’s Wellness Psychiatry, creator of the Fellowship in Reproductive & Integrative Psychiatry, and co-founder of the Bay Area Reproductive Mental Health Conference. Through her clinical work, teaching, and national leadership, she has helped shape how we understand women’s mental health across the reproductive lifespan.This conversation moves beyond isolated diagnoses and instead examines women’s mental health as a longitudinal experience — from preconception and pregnancy through postpartum and into perimenopause.We explore:The misconception that pregnancy is protective for mental healthWhy symptoms of postpartum depression and anxiety often begin during pregnancyThe role of shared decision-making when discussing SSRIs in pregnancyThe concept of matrescence as a profound identity and neurobiological transitionThe statistic that 1 in 5 women experience perinatal or postpartum depression — and why anxiety, OCD, and trauma are often underrecognizedWhy approximately 40% of birthing people describe birth as traumatic, even when nothing “medically went wrong”How loss of locus of control contributes to birth traumaWhy perimenopause can last 5–15 years and frequently manifests through mood swings, irritability, insomnia, and brain fogThe integrative approach to mental health in midlife, including hormone therapy, CBT, exercise, sleep, micronutrients, and lifestyle medicineAt its core, this episode reframes women’s health around one central principle:Mental health is health.From pregnancy through midlife, women deserve to feel informed, seen, and supported — not dismissed, minimized, or told to “grin and bear it.”If you work in women’s health, psychiatry, primary care, or are navigating these transitions yourself, this conversation offers both clinical depth and practical insight.#reproductivepsychiatry #womensmentalhealth #birthtrauma #perinatalmentalhealth #perimenopause #postpartum #postpartumdepression #postpartumanxiety #mom #momlife #pregnancy #motherhood #motherhoodjourney #postpartumjourneyThank you for listening ❤ PODCAST LINKS:- Podcast Website: ⁠https://goldenhour.fm⁠- YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@GoldenHourFM?ref=bs- Apple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/golden-hour/id1768847425?ref=bs- Spotify: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/goldenhourfm?ref=bs- RSS: ⁠https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2401875.rss?ref=bsSOCIAL LINKS:- Instagram: https://instagram.com/goldenhour.fm?ref=bs- Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@goldenhour.fm?ref=bs