Perimenopause, Intimacy & Relationships: What Couples Need To Understand (Part 2) | Dr. Arianna Sholes-Douglas

Perimenopause, Intimacy & Relationships: What Couples Need To Understand (Part 2) | Dr. Arianna Sholes-Douglas

From Relationship Renovation: Why Couples Get Stuck & How They Find Their Way Back by EJ and Tarah Kerwin

May 27, 2026 · 48 min · Episode 279

About this episode

The episode discusses the impact of perimenopause on intimacy and relationships, featuring insights from Dr. Arianna Sholes-Douglas and personal experiences from Tarah Kerwin.

Perimenopause and menopause don’t just affect women individually — they impact entire relationships. In Part 2 of our powerful conversation with Dr. Arianna Sholes-Douglas, founder of Tula Wellness and host of the Stay Juicy Podcast, we move beyond symptoms and dive deeply into how hormonal shifts affect intimacy, emotional connection, desire, anxiety, resentment, and long-term relationships. Tarah vulnerably shares her personal journey through nearly a decade of low libido, anxiety around intimacy, insomnia, and feeling disconnected from herself — before finally discovering how hormone replacement therapy, emotional safety, and deeper self-understanding changed everything. Together, we explore: How declining estrogen impacts dopamine, libido, and emotional well-being Why so many women feel broken, ashamed, or misunderstood during perimenopause The emotional toll intimacy struggles take on couples How men often personalize changes in desire Why emotional safety and communication become essential during this transition The hidden connection between stress, nervous system regulation, and intimacy The role of testosterone, estrogen, sleep, and lifestyle changes Why many women are…

People in this episode

Hosts: Tarah Kerwin, EJ Kerwin

Guest: Dr. Arianna Sholes-Douglas

Topics covered

  • perimenopause
  • intimacy
  • relationships
  • hormonal shifts
  • emotional connection
  • libido
  • communication

Keywords

  • perimenopause
  • intimacy
  • relationships
  • hormone replacement therapy
  • emotional safety
  • libido
  • anxiety
  • communication

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Tula Wellness, Stay Juicy Podcast

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