Pleasure in the Pause: Midlife Conversations About Menopause, Sex & Pleasure
Menopause doesn't mean the end of pleasure — it’s a new beginning! Pleasure in the Pause is the podcast redefining midlife for women ready to reconnect with their bodies, pleasure, and power — at every stage of the menopause journey and beyond. Hosted by Gabriella Espinosa, certified menopause coach and sexual health advocate, each episode features informative and thought-provoking conversations with doctors, thought leaders, and wellness experts on hormones, sexual health, desire, and healthy aging.
Expect actionable strategies and empowering insights to help you feel more confident, energized, and connected to your body — no matter your age. Together, we’ll reframe the conversation around pleasure, sex, and midlife so you can be the best advocate for your body — in and out of the bedroom. Because PLEASURE HAS NO EXPIRATION DATE! Say YES! to Pleasure at www.pleasureinthepause.com
Episodes
90 episodes
89 | Motherhood, Mental Health And Return To Self With Lizzie Bermudez [Return to Her Series]
What happens when your child's mental health crisis becomes your entire world and you quietly lose yourself in the process? In this debut episode of Return to Her, a new monthly series on Pleasure in the Pause, host Gabriella Espinosa sits down...
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Episode 89
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54:28
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88 | The Intimate Animal: Why We’re Wired For Love, Desire, And Connection In Midlife with Dr. Justin Garcia
Have you ever looked at your long-term partner and wondered: Is this still the connection I want? Who are we now? Can we feel close again? If you've reached midlife and found yourself in a relationship that feels more like roommates than lovers...
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Episode 88
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58:29
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87 | Unapologetic Aging: How to Build a Loving Relationship with Your Midlife Body with Deb Benfield
When you look in the mirror, what's the first story you tell yourself about your body? If you're like most midlife women, that internal dialogue is often rooted in criticism, comparison, and the relentless pressure to "fix" an aging body that w...
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Episode 87
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53:23
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86 | Psychedelics, Menopause & Mental Health: What Midlife Women Need to Know with Ashley Turner
Are you doing all the "right things" for your menopause symptoms—hormone therapy, nutrition, exercise, stress management—but still not feeling like yourself? In this episode of Pleasure in the Pause, host Gabriela Espinosa welcomes ...
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Episode 86
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1:06:30
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85 | Breaking the Silence: Reclaiming Sexual Desire and Pleasure During Menopause with Gabriella Espinosa
Are you experiencing low libido, loss of sexual desire, or intimacy challenges during perimenopause or menopause? In this episode of Pleasure in the Pause, host Gabriela Espinosa joins Dr. Anna Cabeca on The Girlfriend Doctor Show to share her ...
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Episode 85
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47:45
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84 | Midlife Reflections: What 2025 Taught Me About Menopause, Pleasure & Aging Well
Are you feeling the weight of another year passing while navigating the changes of perimenopause and menopause? Do you struggle to make sense of midlife transitions—the shifting hormones, changing body, evolving desires, and the pressure to hav...
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Episode 84
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30:48
83 | The Best of 2025: Hormones, Desire & Pleasure for Midlife Women
Are you struggling with hormone therapy that isn't working? Wondering why testosterone for women is so hard to access? Feeling confused about vaginal estrogen warnings? This special Best of 2025 episode of Pleasure In The Pause tackles...
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Episode 83
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35:04
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82 | Top Products and Rituals for Intimate Wellness & Self-Care
Struggling with vaginal dryness, decreased sensitivity, or feeling disconnected from your body in midlife? You're not alone. In this solo episode of Pleasure in the Pause, host Gabriella Espinosa shares her personally tested intimate w...
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Episode 82
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22:08
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81 | Boudoir Photography for Women Over 40: Reclaim Your Confidence with Felicia Reed
Do you feel invisible as a woman over 40? Struggling with body image after menopause, weight gain, or breast cancer? Wondering if you're "too old" to feel sexy and confident again? In this transformative episode of Pleasure in the Pause, host G...
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Episode 81
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52:09
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80 | The Good Vibes Episode: Vibrators, Libido, and Midlife Sexual Wellness
Struggling with low libido, painful sex, or poor sleep during menopause? There's a science-backed wellness tool that can help with all of these symptoms and more—but it's been wrapped in shame for far too long. In this episode, we're having an ...
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Episode 80
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32:26
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79 | How To Reclaim Body Confidence And Build Strength After 40 with Megan Dahlman
Looking in the mirror and not recognizing your body anymore? Despite eating well and staying active, your body keeps changing in ways that feel beyond your control. Your jeans don't fit, your belly feels thicker, and your old fitness routine ju...
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Episode 79
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1:06:06
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78 | Gratitude, Mindset & Menopause: Small Shifts That Change Everything with Dr. Deepti Gandhi
Are you navigating perimenopause or menopause and feeling disconnected from yourself? This episode of Pleasure in the Pause explores how gratitude can be a powerful tool for calming your nervous system, managing midlife symptoms, and f...
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Episode 78
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59:26
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77 | FDA Removes Black Box Warning From Hormone Therapy: What Women Need To Know In 2025
Have you been living with debilitating hot flashes, sleepless nights, or painful intercourse because you're terrified hormone therapy will give you cancer? What if everything you've been told about menopause treatment has been wrong?In t...
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Episode 77
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20:07
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76 | Midlife As A Living Bardo: How To Embrace Change And Find Peace With Ann Tashi Slater
Feeling stuck in the unsettling space between who you were and who you're becoming? If you're navigating midlife transitions—whether it's empty nest, perimenopause, aging parents, or shifting identity—this episode of Pleasure in the Pause offer...
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Episode 76
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59:28
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75 | Nervous System Regulation for Menopause: Reduce Stress and Increase Pleasure
Are you struggling with anxiety, sleeplessness, and low libido in perimenopause—even after starting hormone therapy? You're doing everything right, but still feel wired, exhausted, and disconnected from pleasure. The missing piece might surpris...
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Episode 75
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30:45
74 | Dating After Divorce in Midlife: Rebuilding Identity, Desire & Connection with Dr. Jasmonae Joyriel
Rediscovering yourself after divorce—especially during midlife and menopause—can feel overwhelming. When decades of partnership end, you're left asking: Who am I now? What do I really want? And if you're thinking about dating again, ho...
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Episode 74
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1:22:40
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73 | Lifestyle Medicine for Menopause: 6 Pillars to Restore Energy, Sleep & Hormonal Balance
The information shared on Pleasure in the Pause is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any decisions about your health or treatment. Th...
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Episode 73
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34:14
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72 | Second Spring: Transforming Menopause Through Yoga and Mindfulness with Petra Coveney
The information shared on Pleasure in the Pause is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any decisions about your health or treatment. Th...
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Episode 72
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1:07:44
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71 | Breaking Cultural Barriers: Gaby Natale on Resilience, Reinvention, and Menopause
Navigating menopause as a Latina woman often means facing it alone—without adequate information, representation, or community support. On this episode of Pleasure in the Pause, host Gabriela Espinosa sits down with Emmy-winning journalist and e...
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Episode 71
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51:07
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70 | Is Silence Costing You Your Health (and Your Pleasure)?
Did you know that 75% of midlife women experience sexual health changes, but only 7% receive treatment. Why? Because we're staying silent. In this episode of Pleasure In the Pause, certified women's health coach Gabriela Espinosa reveals how th...
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Episode 70
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27:24
69 | The Girlfriend Doctor's Essential Guide to Intimate Wellness for Midlife Women with Dr. Anna Cabeca
Disclaimer: The information shared in this episode is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any decisions about your heal...
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Episode 69
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46:15
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68 | Finding Your Way Back to Pleasure After Surgical Menopause with Dr. Juliana Hauser
Disclaimer: The information shared in this episode is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any decisions about your heal...
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Episode 68
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1:05:38
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67 | From Empty Nest to Open Door: Reclaiming Your Whole Self After College Drop-Off
Are you struggling with the emotional rollercoaster of your children leaving for college? Feeling lost, heartbroken, and uncertain about your identity beyond motherhood? You're not alone. In this powerful episode of Pleasure in the Pause, host ...
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Episode 67
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22:45
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66 | When Your Hormone Therapy Isn't Working: A Deep Dive into Optimization with Dr. Jila Senemar
Disclaimer: The information shared in this episode is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any decisions about your heal...
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Episode 66
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1:13:43
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65 | A Historic Day for Women's Health: Inside the FDA Expert Panel on Menopause and Hormone Replacement Therapy
This week, something extraordinary happened: menopause took center stage at the highest levels of US government in an unprecedented way. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) convened leading experts from across the country to discuss what ...
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Episode 65
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24:14
