In this episode, Lauren sits down with Sara Beattie, a former primary school teacher turned menopause coach, whose powerful personal journey through perimenopause led her from forgetting her own lessons mid-class to becoming a qualified coach, master's researcher, and fierce advocate for women navigating the menopause transition.

Sara shares the raw reality of living with unrecognised perimenopause symptoms while teaching in Hong Kong — from debilitating driving anxiety and extreme dizziness to standing in front of a classroom with a pen in her hand, unable to remember what she was teaching. Her story is one of confusion, isolation, and ultimately, transformation.

Guest: Sara Beattie

Sara is a former educator with over two decades of international teaching experience across Asia and the Middle East. After completing a Master's in Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology, she pivoted to menopause coaching — a path sparked by her own difficult perimenopause journey and a desire to give other women the support she never had.

📸 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-beattie/ 🌐 Website: sarabeattiecoaching.com 📧 Email: [email protected]

What We Discuss

Sara's perimenopause story Sara experienced a range of confusing and frightening symptoms while living overseas — extreme dizziness that meant she could only turn right when getting out of bed, sudden and severe driving anxiety, brain fog so intense she'd forget she was teaching mid-lesson, disrupted sleep, hot flushes, sweats, and anxiety. For years, she didn't connect these experiences to perimenopause.

The impact of brain fog on her career One of the most striking moments Sara describes is standing at the whiteboard teaching maths to eight and nine-year-olds and simply forgetting what she was doing — mid-sentence, pen in hand. She also recalls forgetting children's names, addressing the wrong parents, and losing her thread in staff meetings. The experience shook her confidence deeply: "Have I still got this? Can I still do this?"

Dark thoughts and the turning point Sara opens up about experiencing dark thoughts during this period — including a particular stretch of her walk to school she privately renamed "Permission Street." It wasn't until hearing a radio segment that she recognised how serious things had become. She found Dr. Louise Newson's first book, took it to her GP, and credits an open-minded young male doctor who read it cover to cover and restarted the conversation — leading to Sarah choosing HRT, which made a significant difference for her.

The role of positive psychology Alongside HRT, Sara began her master's programme in applied positive psychology. Simple practices — gratitude, reflective writing, her "best self" letter — helped her feel more level and more like herself again.

Her master's research on perimenopause and brain fog Prompted by a supervisor who asked what she was truly passionate about, Sara redirected her dissertation to focus on perimenopausal women experiencing brain fog. She interviewed women across five time zones, hearing how much they valued having a space to talk about the real, lived experience of menopause — not just the medical facts.

What drew her to the Menopause Coach Diploma Sara was drawn to Lauren's programme because of its depth and rigour — a live, diploma-level course rather than a self-paced quiz. She valued the structure of being coached as well as learning to coach, and initially wondered if she really needed the personal coaching element (she did). She found the process of experiencing the programme as a client gave her profound insight into what she would be offering her own clients.

Finding practice clients Sara reached out to former workplaces, friends, and family — not to ask directly, but to ask if they knew anyone who might benefit. She also used Instagram and LinkedIn. Her advice: just tell people. If you don't, nobody knows.

What's next for Sara

Launching a group version of her coaching programme

Running a creative research project called "Age of Renewal" — inviting women of any age to share their experience or perception of menopause through whatever medium speaks to them: poetry, photography, collage, ceramics, nail art, doodles. The project was presented at the World Congress for Positive Psychology in Brisbane to a standing ovation, and is being launched again for a conference in Dublin.

Exploring workplace menopause education in the Middle East, including a potential move to Saudi Arabia

Key Takeaways

Perimenopause symptoms can be wide-ranging, unexpected, and frightening — especially when you don't know what's causing them

Cognitive symptoms like brain fog can have a serious impact on professional confidence and identity

Dark thoughts and low mood are real symptoms of perimenopause, driven in part by the role of oestrogen in psychological wellbeing

Finding the right GP makes all the difference — as does advocating for yourself and bringing information to appointments

Positive psychology tools (gratitude, reflective writing, future-self exercises) can complement medical treatment

Being coached — not just learning to coach — is a valuable part of professional training

Timestamps

[01:00] Sara's career in education and how menopause changed everything

[02:00] Unexpected symptoms: extreme dizziness and driving anxiety in Hong Kong

[04:00] Moving back to London, starting her master's, and the world changing in 2020

[05:00] Brain fog in the classroom — forgetting how to teach mid-lesson

[06:00] Loss of sleep and the knock-on effect on everything

[07:00] What we were taught about menopause at school (and how little it was)

[08:00] Dark thoughts and "Permission Street" — recognising how serious things had become

[09:00] Finding Dr. Louise Newson's book and a GP who actually listened

[10:00] Choosing HRT and the difference it made; starting positive psychology practices

[11:00] Lauren reflects on oestrogen's role in emotional and cognitive wellbeing

[12:00] Lauren opens up about her own experience with mental health during menopause

[13:00] Sara starts speaking openly at school — running a menopause café and writing policy

[14:00] A pivotal supervisor question leads to Sara's master's research on brain fog in perimenopause

[15:00] Searching for a menopause coaching course and finding the Menopause Coach Diploma

[16:00] What stood out about the diploma: live, rigorous, diploma-level training

[17:00] The value of being coached as well as learning to coach

[1800] Learning from fellow cohort members across different experience levels

[19:] Client outcomes: agency, empowerment, and trusting the process

[20:00] How Sara found her practice clients — and why you have to tell people

[21:00] Favourite parts of the programme: the cohort, Lauren's expertise, expert guest sessions

[22:00] The importance of up-to-date knowledge and weekly reflective practice

[23:00] The value of reflective practice for coaches working with clients over time

[24:00] Launching a group programme and the "Age of Renewal" research project

[25:00] Presenting at the World Congress for Positive Psychology in Brisbane — standing ovation

[26:00] Re-launching the research project for a Dublin conference; how to get involved

[27:] Coaching workplaces in the Middle East and plans to move to Saudi Arabia

[28:00] The disparity in HRT access for expats and people moving between countries

[29:00] Why the project is called "Age of Renewal" — reframing menopause in the Middle East

[30:00] Rediscovering joy and getting back to who you truly are

[31:00] Sara's love of cross-cultural learning and life as an expat

[32:00] Sara's message to anyone considering the Menopause Coach Diploma

Resources Mentioned

The Haynes Manual to Menopause by Dr. Louise Newson

Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology (MSc)

World Congress for Positive Psychology, Brisbane

The Menopause Coach Diploma — womenscoachingschool.com

If anything in this episode resonated with you and you're experiencing dark thoughts or low mood, please reach out to a healthcare professional or a trusted person in your life.