As women approach midlife, they face many changes: an empty nest, shifting goals and purpose, career moves, unresolved trauma, the grief of losing a parent, or of losing their fertility, of time passing, spiritual awakenings, etc. The list can go on and on because women live wonderfully rich lives. Profound changes to the body at menopause can make this time of life feel overwhelming.

Although change is the essence of life, it can be frightening and even exciting. But unlike many of our earlier stages in life, at midlife, we don’t have a built-in support system to guide us from one phase to another. We are expected to know how to ‘do’ perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause on our own or with minimal assistance from doctors who prescribe medications for physical symptoms.

Nathalie Bonafé’s mission is to change the conversation about living and aging well to help bring more clarity, focus, perspective, and empathy into our culture.

Nathalie was born and grew up in the suburbs of Paris, France. She was a shy, bookish child who later attended the University of Sciences of Montpellier. After earning her Ph.D., she moved to the United States to pursue a career in biomedical research.

After a successful 25-year scientific career that took her through prestigious institutions such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Yale Medical School, and the biotech industry, Nathalie outgrew her corporate suit and tapped into her true purpose: working as a women’s health advocate in Menopause Transition and as an end-of-life care consultant, aka End-of-Life doula.

Qualifications

• BS, MS, and a Ph.D. in Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, and Biochemistry from the Montpellier School of Medicine.
• North American Menopause Society member as a researcher,
• Licensed and trained Menopause Champion with Menopause Experts Limited (MEG)
• MEG Advisory Board Member.
• Official Menopause Café host. Menopause Café Connecticut meets every month on the 15th at 6 PM EST. It’s a free, agenda-free support group open to all.
• Certified End-of-Life Care Consultant and Death Doula
• Member, National End-of-Life Doula Alliance (NEDA)
• Grief Doula under the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization EOLD Council
• Advisory Board Member: Women in Leadership Program at University of New Haven (Nov 2023 – Nov 2024)

Nathalie stays up to date on the most current research literature in the field of menopause.

How Can Nathalie Help You?

Nathalie serves as a professional friend with biomedical and scientific qualifications. She is a scientist and a doula who provides non-medical, physical, social, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual support. She is closer than a therapist to the women she serves while always maintaining respectful boundaries.

The women who work with Nathalie move forward to create new choices for themselves. Her kind and gentle approach is holistic and based on deep listening and empathy. It focuses on giving individualized education, practical tools, and encouragement to embrace the fears of change, find peace within, and achieve inner freedom.

Nathalie believes that each of us has the right to know about options and possibilities as we age —
and we have the right to know that this starts at midlife.

Focusing on your values, Nathalie gives you the tools and courage to embrace your fears of change, find peace within, and achieve inner freedom to create the life you want.