When you look in the mirror, what's the first story you tell yourself about your body? If you're like most midlife women, that internal dialogue is often rooted in criticism, comparison, and the relentless pressure to "fix" an aging body that was never broken in the first place.

In this episode of Pleasure in the Pause, host Gabriella Espinosa sits down with registered dietitian and body image coach Deb Benfield to explore how internalized ageism and diet culture keep us disconnected from our bodies—and what it takes to reclaim body trust, pleasure, and freedom in midlife and beyond.

Deb Benfield, M.Ed., RDN, LDN, RYT, is a Registered Dietitian, nutrition therapist, and body image coach with 40 years of experience helping people heal their relationship with food, movement, and their bodies. Her work sits at the intersection of anti-ageism, body liberation, and trauma-informed care—offering a radically compassionate alternative to diet and wellness culture, especially for those in midlife and beyond. After turning 60, Deb began questioning the dominant narratives around aging, vitality, and beauty, and quickly realized how many resources still centered weight loss and youthful appearance as ultimate goals. In response, she created what she couldn’t find: a framework for nourishing the body that honors inner wisdom, prioritizes vitality, and embraces the full spectrum of aging. She’s the author of Unapologetic Aging: How to Mend and Nourish Your Relationship with Your Body, and she offers individual and group coaching to help her clients age unapologetically—on their own terms.

Highlights from our discussion include:

• Understanding Your Body Story
• Your Body Is Your Life Partner, Not Your Life's Project
• Internalized Ageism Keeps You Stuck
• Diet Culture Fuels Hypervigilance, Not Health
• Rebuilding Body Trust Through Embodiment
• Redefining Intimacy and Pleasure in Midlife
• GLP-1 Medications: A Complex Decision
• Permission to Stop Apologizing

What if you stopped treating your body like a problem to solve and started honoring it as the life partner it's always been?

This episode is an invitation home—to your body, your pleasure, and your power. If you're ready to step off the diet culture rollercoaster and into a more compassionate, embodied way of living, Deb Benfield's Unapologetic Aging is the companion you need.

CONNECT WITH DEB BENFIELD:

Website: https://www.debrabenfield.com/

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

Substack: https://substack.com/@debbenfield1

CONNECT WITH GABRIELLA ESPINOSA:

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Go to https://www.gabriellaespinosa.com/ to book a call.

Full episodes on YouTube.

The information shared on Pleasure in the Pause is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any decisions about your health or treatment. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the host or Pleasure in the Pause.

Are you doing all the "right things" for your menopause symptoms—hormone therapy, nutrition, exercise, stress management—but still not feeling like yourself?

In this episode of Pleasure in the Pause, host Gabriela Espinosa welcomes back licensed psychotherapist Ashley Turner for a groundbreaking conversation about psychedelic-assisted therapy and microdosing as complementary support during the menopause transition.

Ashley Turner is a licensed marriage and family psychotherapist, yoga/meditation teacher, and founder of Yoga Psyche Soul, specializing in integrating Eastern spiritual practices with Western psychology (depth, shadow, and somatic psychology, women's mental health) for 25 years. After her own intense menopausal mental health struggles (depression, anxiety, confidence loss, cognitive issues), Ashley explored psychedelic-assisted therapy and psilocybin microdosing. She is completing her psychedelic-assisted therapy certification through the Integrated Psychiatry Institute in Boulder, focusing on psilocybin, ketamine, and MDMA. Ashley created the six-month Metamorphosis program for menopause and recently launched The Portal, a 12-week microdosing and menopause group therapy program with Golden Rule.

Highlights from our discussion include:

• Menopause is a developmental phase, not just a medical event.
• Mental health symptoms during menopause can persist even with optimal lifestyle interventions.
• Psilocybin microdosing creates neuroplasticity and can act as a natural mood stabilizer.
• Psychedelic-assisted therapy is different from microdosing on your own.
• "No pills without skills" applies to all interventions, including psychedelics.

This week, get curious: educate yourself by watching Ashley's masterclass on Microdosing and Menopause, read one of the books she mentioned (Mycelio-Pause or The Psilocybin Guidebook for Women), or simply journal about what you're experiencing emotionally and psychologically beyond the physical symptoms. Remember, you deserve all the tools available to thrive—not just survive—this transition.

CONNECT WITH ASHLEY TURNER:

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CONNECT WITH GABRIELLA ESPINOSA:

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Work with Gabriella!

Resources Mentioned:

• Mycelio-Pause: Using Mushrooms in the Menopausal Transition
• The Psilocybin Guidebook for Women by Jennifer Chesak
• Andrew Huberman's podcast on psilocybin and neuroscience
• Golden Rule (female-owned psilocybin microdosing company based in Colorado)
• UK study on microdosing and menopause
• Brian Johnson's live-streamed psilocybin macro dose journey

Go to https://www.gabriellaespinosa.com/ to book a call.

Full episodes on YouTube.

The information shared on Pleasure in the Pause is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any decisions about your health or treatment. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the host or Pleasure in the Pause.

Are you experiencing low libido, loss of sexual desire, or intimacy challenges during perimenopause or menopause? In this episode of Pleasure in the Pause, host Gabriela Espinosa joins Dr. Anna Cabeca on The Girlfriend Doctor Show to share her deeply personal story of sexual awakening during midlife.

Together, they address one of the most common yet rarely discussed symptoms of perimenopause: the complete loss of sexual desire. Gabriela opens up about how her libido plummeted overnight, leaving her without the language to describe what was happening—and the transformative journey that led her to become a sexual wellness coach.

Dr. Anna Cabeca is a board-certified gynecologist, women's health expert, and hormone specialist known as "The Girlfriend Doctor." She is passionate about empowering women to reclaim their health, hormones, and vitality during midlife and beyond. Dr. Anna specializes in sexual health, intimacy, and menopause care, helping women address the "three Ds" that affect intimacy: desire, disconnect, and discomfort. She is the creator of innovative vulvar health products designed to support women's sexual wellness during hormonal transitions. Through her podcast, online communities, and clinical work, Dr. Anna provides practical, compassionate guidance for women navigating perimenopause and menopause.

Key Takeaways

• Loss of libido during perimenopause is biological, not personal failure.
• Most women don't know their own pleasure anatomy.
• Arousal in midlife requires time, presence, and communication.
• The three Ds affect intimacy (desire, disconnect, discomfort), but the three Ps restore it.
• Unpacking shame and inherited narratives is essential work.

Your body isn't broken, and menopause isn't the end of pleasure—it's an invitation to discover yourself in new ways.

Subscribe to Pleasure in the Pause for more honest conversations about female sexuality, menopause, and reclaiming your power in midlife.

CONNECT WITH DR ANNA CABECA:

Website

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Products

Books

Podcast Episode

CONNECT WITH GABRIELLA ESPINOSA:

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LinkedIn

Work with Gabriella!

Go to https://www.gabriellaespinosa.com/ to book a call.

Full episodes on YouTube.

The information shared on Pleasure in the Pause is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any decisions about your health or treatment. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the host or Pleasure in the Pause.