Joyful Living Behavioral Health

05/29/2026

If midlife has felt more like chaos than a transition, you aren't imagining it, and you don't have to sort through it alone.
Midlife Hormone Chaos is a 10-week online menopause support group at Joyful Living Behavioral Health, led by Heather Chavin, Professional Counselor Associate. Each week we look at the neurobiology behind what perimenopause and menopause are doing to your brain and body, and build practical skills to work with those changes. Supervised by Naamith Heiblum, PhD, Supervisor.

Two ways to join:
Tuesdays at 12:00 PM starting July 28
Wednesdays at 6:00 PM starting July 15

Both groups meet online and are open to Oregon residents. Full details and registration on our site!

05/29/2026

A 2026 study in the journal Menopause found that 75 to 83 percent of people in the menopause transition report symptoms beyond hot flashes.
Things like fatigue, irritability, anxiety, depressed mood, sleep problems, digestive issues, and exhaustion.
These aren't personality changes. They aren't overreactions. They're physiological shifts happening across every system in the body as estrogen and progesterone levels change.

One example: shifts in how the brain responds to dopamine can make completing a simple task, like a load of laundry, feel genuinely overwhelming. Not because something is wrong with you, but because your brain chemistry is in transition.
These changes are real. And they deserve real, structured support.

That's what our 10-week perimenopause and menopause therapy group at Joyful Living is built around: understanding what's happening in your brain and body during this transition, and learning alongside others who are in it too.

Visit joyfullivingbh.com for the next group start date.

05/23/2026

If you feel like a stranger in your own life lately, it might be worth checking in with your hormones.
In clinical practice, we see this regularly. Sudden anxiety. A depressed mood that doesn't respond to the coping tools that used to work. A general sense that something is off but nothing obvious explains it.
There's often a physiological reason for that.

When progesterone drops, the brain loses one of its natural buffers against stress. When estrogen drops, inflammation increases. Your system isn't broken, it's shifting in a real, measurable, and potentially even treatable way.

Our 10-week perimenopause and menopause therapy group at Joyful Living approaches this through a neurobiological lens. We look at what exactly is happening in your brain and body during this transition so you can understand it, cope with it, and move forward with your new physiology rather than against it.

Visit our site to find the next group start date, or call to learn more!

05/20/2026

Venting is valid. And then we make a plan.

When your hormones are turning your daily life into a physical and emotional roller coaster, talking about it matters. You also need a blueprint for what comes next.

In our 10-week perimenopause and menopause therapy group at Joyful Living, we go beyond the conversation. We spend time looking at the actual neurobiology of what is happening in your body: GABA. Dopamine response. Cortisol. Insulin sensitivity. Sleep.

The point isn't to overwhelm you with science, but to help you understand what's driving what you're feeling so you can work with it, not against it.

Visit our site to find the next group start date!

05/14/2026

Stop telling yourself it's all in your head when it might be your endocrine system.

When estrogen drops, your ability to regulate cortisol changes with it. Small stressors hit harder. Maybe you're still carrying something hours after it should have passed. That 3 a.m. wake-up with your heart racing? That's often elevated cortisol, not a character flaw.

This is a physiological event. This is perimenopause and menopause.

If you already had anxiety, the tools that worked before may not be enough anymore. If you never dealt with anxiety before, you might be meeting it for the first time. Both are common. Both make sense given what your hormones are doing.
What you need is not more willpower. What actually helps are evidence-based tools, skills that fit your biology, and support from people who are in the same season of life.
That is exactly what our 10-week perimenopause and menopause therapy group at Joyful Living is built around. A clinician-led, online group that looks at how changing hormones affect your whole system and what we know works.
Visit our site to find the next start date, or send us a DM with any questions.

05/12/2026

"You're not losing your mind. You're losing your progesterone."

If that resonated, keep reading.

Most people expect perimenopause to look like hot flashes and skipped periods. What they don't expect is the anxiety that comes out of nowhere, the brain fog that makes focused work feel impossible, or the feeling of being a stranger in your own body.

That's not a willpower problem. That's your brain chemistry shifting in real time.

When progesterone drops, your body loses one of its natural calming systems. And that's just one piece of the picture. We talk about all the moving parts in our 10-week perimenopause and menopause therapy group at Joyful Living: a clinician-led, online support group for women navigating this transition.

Visit our site to find the next start date, or send us a DM if you have questions!

05/06/2026

05/05/2026

We recently had the opportunity to participate in a fundraiser through the Lane County Medical Society’s Physicians Wellness Program!

Supporting the well being of healthcare professionals is an important part of strengthening our broader community. We are grateful to be part of initiatives that prioritize mental health, connection, and sustainable support for those who care for others.

At Joyful Living Behavioral Health, we value opportunities to engage with and support the communities we serve. Learn more about our services and approach on our website.

04/30/2026

Meet Brenna K. Winn!

Brenna works with adults navigating a range of mental health experiences, including depression, anxiety, phobias, bipolar disorders, and grief. She also supports individuals exploring concerns related to s*x and s*xuality, as well as life transitions connected to aging.

Her approach is grounded in creating a thoughtful, supportive space where clients can explore their experiences with openness and care. Brenna works collaboratively with individuals to better understand patterns, build insight, and identify meaningful ways to move forward.

Finding a clinician who aligns with your needs can make a difference in your experience.

04/28/2026

Relationships can be complex, and communication patterns can shift over time.

Couples counseling provides a space to better understand relationship dynamics, improve communication, and explore ways to express needs and emotions more clearly. The process is collaborative, with both partners supported and heard.

At Joyful Living, therapy is tailored to each couple’s unique experiences and goals. In person sessions offer a safe and structured environment to focus on connection and understanding. Learn more on our website!