Perimenopause, Intimacy & Relationships: What Couples Need To Understand (Part 2) | Dr. Arianna Sholes-Douglas

From Relationship Renovation: Marriage Advice, Intimacy & Couples Communication EJ and Tarah Kerwin

Perimenopause and menopause don’t just affect women individually — they impact entire relationships.

In Part 2 of our powerful conversation with Dr. Arianna Sholes-Douglas, founder of Tula Wellness and host of the Stay Juicy Podcast, we move beyond symptoms and dive deeply into how hormonal shifts affect intimacy, emotional connection, desire, anxiety, resentment, and long-term relationships.

Tarah vulnerably shares her personal journey through nearly a decade of low libido, anxiety around intimacy, insomnia, and feeling disconnected from herself — before finally discovering how hormone replacement therapy, emotional safety, and deeper self-understanding changed everything.

Together, we explore:

How declining estrogen impacts dopamine, libido, and emotional well-being
Why so many women feel broken, ashamed, or misunderstood during perimenopause
The emotional toll intimacy struggles take on couples
How men often personalize changes in desire
Why emotional safety and communication become essential during this transition
The hidden connection between stress, nervous system regulation, and intimacy
The role of testosterone, estrogen, sleep, and lifestyle changes
Why many women are misdiagnosed or dismissed
How couples can navigate this season together instead of turning against each other

This episode is deeply honest, emotional, validating, and hopeful for couples navigating one of the most misunderstood transitions in relationships.

If you or your partner have ever felt confused, disconnected, exhausted, anxious, or alone during this stage of life — this conversation is for you.

Connect with Dr. Arianna Sholes-Douglas:

Tula Wellness & Aesthetics

Stay Juicy Podcast

Author of The Menopause Myth

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