By the time we hit midlife, many of us are juggling so much we can barely think straight. Our careers are reaching their peak, teenagers are testing boundaries, our parents may need more support, and somewhere in the chaos, our hormones are staging a quiet rebellion.
For Dr. Claire Kaye, this isn’t the end of the story. It’s the beginning of a powerful new chapter. A former award-winning NHS GP turned confidence and career coach, Dr. Claire has made it her mission to help women in midlife navigate the storm and find their voice again.
“Midlife can be this wonderful opportunity to get to know yourself, to work out what you want, and to get the right support around you to work out how to get it,” she says.
Reinventing herself, the leap from GP to life coach
Dr. Claire didn’t always know she’d become a coach. In fact, she was offered a prestigious role within her medical specialty. But despite the accolades and expectations, she found herself hesitating.
“I just don’t think I can say yes,” she recalls. “Coaching helped me give myself permission to make the change.”
That decision changed everything. Claire retrained and launched a new career centered around helping women overcome the very same self-doubt and uncertainty she once faced.
Welcome to the Perfect Storm
Let’s call it what it is: midlife can be brutal. Claire refers to it as the "perfect storm" of competing pressures.
“What women tend to do is shrink. You can almost feel and see them getting smaller, physically and mentally.”
With up to 75% of women experiencing symptoms of perimenopause and menopause—think brain fog, memory lapses, anxiety, hot flashes, and confidence dips—it’s no wonder so many feel adrift during the menopause transition.
“When your oestrogen levels drop, you just feel kind of... not as good,” she explains. “It’s physiological. It’s not in your head. But it does affect your head.”
Claire emphasizes that menopausal symptoms are real and impactful, and that understanding how menopause affects mental health, emotional wellbeing, and cognitive function is essential for support.
Confidence, Rediscovered
Claire's approach isn’t about fixing women. It’s about helping them rediscover themselves. Through deep coaching, she unearths what makes each woman tick.
“It’s hard to be your authentic self if you don’t know who you are. And it’s hard to feel confident if you don’t know that self,” she says.
Many of her clients come to her feeling lost. Take, for example, the teacher and cancer survivor who returned to work but couldn’t find her voice.
“She used to sit in meetings with her hand on her neck, barely able to speak. But by the end of our six months together, she spoke up—confidently, authentically. She said it felt amazing.”
Your Joy Might Not Be a Massage
In today’s self-care-obsessed culture, women are often told to soothe their stress with candles, bubble baths, or massages. But that advice doesn’t always hit the mark.
“One of my clients said, ‘I went for a massage. It was awful. I hate massages.’ But she loved photographing buildings. So that became her self-care,” Claire shares.
Finding joy during menopause is often about aligning with your true interests and honoring your changing needs.
What About That Inner Critic?
We all have one. That voice in our head that whispers, "You're not good enough. You’ll fail. Everyone will laugh."
“Our inner voice starts at five years old,” Claire says. “But over time, it shifts from cheerleader to critic.”
The good news? That voice isn’t you. And Claire teaches women how to distance themselves from it.
“You are not your thoughts. Just because your brain says something doesn’t mean it’s true.”
Managing mindset during perimenopause and postmenopause is key to restoring confidence and emotional resilience.
A New Framework: The Rise Approach
Not everyone can access one-on-one coaching, so Claire created something that meets women where they are. Her online course, The Rise Approach, offers a two-week, self-paced toolkit designed to help women start making changes immediately.
“It’s totally bite-sized. You can do it in the shower, on the loo, on the school run. And it makes a difference.”
The course addresses core menopause-related struggles like mood changes, stress management, and goal-setting during midlife. Participants create a personal action plan that reflects their values, goals, and definitions of success.
“For some women, success is prestige. For others, it’s balance. For some, it’s simply a good night’s sleep,” Claire says. “It doesn’t matter what it is, as long as it’s yours.”
No More Shrinking
Claire wants women to stop shrinking. To stop waiting. To stop wondering if this is all there is.
“Midlife isn’t the end. It’s a new chapter. It’s your chance to knock down the old walls and rebuild your life around what you actually want,” she says.
And when she says it, you believe her.
“It’s like a butterfly coming out of a cocoon. There might be some mess before the wings dry. But once they do, there’s flight.”
So if you're reading this and feeling the pull to rediscover yourself in menopause, perimenopause, or postmenopause, you're not alone. You haven’t lost your spark. It’s just waiting for you to notice it again.
“Turn inward. Get curious. Say hello again,” Claire urges.
Dr. Claire Kaye's The Rise Approach is open now. Learn more at @drclairekaye on Instagram.
