Menopause and leadership in the Lake Geneva region: support in English and French
Updated: Oct 5
You lead teams, manage complex decisions and juggle two or three languages between Geneva, Lausanne and Morges. And lately something has shifted: your sleep, your energy, your focus, your patience. Nobody around you really talks about it, at work or elsewhere.
Perimenopause and menopause often arrive at the very moment our careers and responsibilities peak. Understanding what is happening is the first step to feeling like yourself again.
Do you recognise yourself?
Perimenopause can start in your early 40s, sometimes earlier, and it rarely announces itself clearly. Symptoms come and go, and are easy to blame on stress or a busy year.
In your body
Hot flushes and night sweats
Broken sleep, waking at 3 am and struggling to get back to sleep
Persistent fatigue, even after a full night
Weight gain around the middle that does not respond to what used to work
Joint aches, headaches, palpitations, dry skin and eyes, tinnitus
Lower libido and intimate dryness
In your mind
Brain fog: losing words mid-sentence, forgetting names, rereading the same email three times
Anxiety that feels new, or a shorter fuse than usual
Mood swings and tears that seem to come from nowhere
A loss of confidence in situations you used to handle with ease
You are not alone, and it is not "all in your head".
How I can help, at work and at home
My approach looks at the whole picture: what is happening in your body, and how it plays out in the two places where you give the most of yourself.
In your career
Protect your focus and decision-making: practical strategies for brain fog, energy dips and decision fatigue on demanding days.
Stay confident in the room: tools for the board meeting, the presentation or the difficult conversation when a hot flush or a blank moment strikes.
Make informed career choices: before reducing your hours or stepping back, we look at what is really driving the wish to leave, and what you need to stay on your own terms.
Talk about it, if and when you choose: how to raise the subject with your manager or HR, and what reasonable adjustments can look like.
Are you in HR or leading a team? I also run menopause workshops for senior women leaders in Geneva, designed to help organisations keep their most experienced talent.
In your private life
Sleep and energy: routines and first steps adapted to your profile, so evenings and weekends are not just recovery time.
Body and nutrition: understanding the metabolic shift of midlife and what genuinely helps.
Relationships and intimacy: finding the words to explain what you are going through to your partner and family.
Your next chapter: making space for what matters to you now, beyond the symptoms.
I work alongside your doctor or gynaecologist, never instead of them. If something needs medical attention, I will tell you, and I can point you towards trusted medical and paramedical partners in the region.
Want support in English now? The Bloom Session
The Bloom Session is a one-to-one, 90-minute assessment, fully in English if you prefer. You take stock of what you are experiencing, identify your profile, and leave with a personalised roadmap and first concrete steps that fit a demanding schedule.
Online or in person in Morges (Odyssée Santé, Grand-Rue 15), whichever suits your diary.
October opening offer: CHF 120 instead of 150, to be booked by 31 October.
You pay securely online, then choose your slot in my calendar. See all October offers or learn more about the Bloom Sessions.
If you are comfortable in French: join us on 15 October
My next workshop, "La ménopause, parlons-en", takes place on Thursday 15 October 2026 at 6:30 pm in Morges (Eglantine neighbourhood). Two hours to understand the hormones and the stages, map your own transition and leave with a first practical tool. It is held in French, in a small, confidential group of 15.
An English-speaking workshop is coming very soon
Many of you live and work in English across the Lake Geneva region, so an English version of the workshop is on its way. Places will be limited.
Would you like to be the first to know? Send me a quick email and I will let you know as soon as the date is set.
I am Sandrine Desmares, MenoPulse certified menopause coach and Queenager approved therapist, with 20+ years in international corporate roles across the region. I work in French and English.
Questions? Get in touch or email hello@thesecondbloom.ch · Follow me on LinkedIn and Instagram.
This is coaching support and does not replace medical advice. If you have any concerns about your health, please consult your doctor.
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