Being the Change

'Inclusive, compassionate ... Stella Duffy shows us how to grasp with both hands the vibrant new story that's waiting for us during our 'vital third act' SHARON BLACKIE, author of Hagitude and Ripening We live between a quarter or even a third of our lives in postmenopause. But although there's been a welcome focus on perimenopause and menopause recently, postmenopause often remains ignored, misunderstood and even feared. Psychotherapist Dr Stella Duffy wants us to ask: what if menopause isn't the end, but a wake-up call to our vital third act? And what if postmenopause is an opportunity to finally live life on our own terms? Drawing on original research, stories from the therapy room and Duffy's own experience of medical menopause, Being the Change inspires us to use this transition to postmenopause as an opportunity to pay attention to what we really want. Duffy takes us through questions including what has held us back in the past, how areas like friendship, sex, work and ambition can be impacted by this transition, and what it's like to live in our changing bodies. Duffy's aim is to help us figure out how we want to live, what it would mean to thrive - and then act on it. 'Erudite, important and timely. Stella Duffy's postmenopause guide is meticulously researched and will give all women much needed hope' Christie Watson 'An uplifting guide to navigating this overlooked third act' Ritula Shah 'Many women want help to find their authentic selves in this next chapter, and that's where this book comes in, to help you discover how to finally live the way you want to' Joyce Harper, Professor of Reproductive Science at UCL 'Joyful: a guide to integrating the sensations and experiences of postmenopause into a glorious last act, lived to the full' Catherine Mayer 'Uplifting and celebratory, Duffy's writing is like a great friend holding your hand and cheering you on as you embrace the transformative potential of menopause' Sophie Harman, author of Sick of It 'Duffy's compassionate, energising, and gently defiant prose convinces me that our 'vital third act' can be our best one yet' Julia Bueno, author of Everyone's a Critic