A Woman's Guide to Menopause, Body Image, and Emotional Well-being at Midlife

by Signe Darpinian

A Woman's Guide to Menopause, Body Image, and Emotional Well-being at Midlife is the definitive primer for all things midlife and menopause, offering anticipatory guidance and research-based strategies.

This book breaks down the transition to menopause in an accessible way to guide readers through what can be a confusing and isolating life stage. Harnessing her trademark curiosity and relatable wit, Signe Darpinian helps women navigate the most common menopause symptoms, body changes, and mental health and emotional challenges, and tackles love, sex, and body image through a weight-inclusive lens. Each chapter shares real life stories and expert advice to empower women to cut through diet-culture’s harmful messaging and foster their own authentic well-being and joy.

Ideal for women approaching or experiencing menopause or as a clinical companion for those working with this population, this guide is essential for traversing menopause and midlife.

210 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 8, 2025

About the author

Signe Darpinian is a seasoned Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist with a Certificate in Eating Disorders and author of book Knock Out Dieting: Create Peace Between You, Your Body, and Your Food – a modern guide ideal for savvy women of all ages who are interested in the path to eating consciously, living presently, and eliminating dieting forever. She is the Founder and Executive Director of My Weigh, a Bay Area mindful and intuitive eating practice that provides a sanctuary from our culture's misguided messages around food and body image. In 2004, Signe also co-created Meghan's Place, a center for the treatment of clinical eating disorders and the only one of it's kind in California's Central Valley.

Signe holds an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from San Francisco's John F. Kennedy University and a B.A. in Psychology from University of the Pacific. Over the past several years, she's been recognized by various organizations for her accomplishments in women's health and business while also continually requested for speaking engagements at renowned institutions like top-rated Rancho La Puerta Spa in Mexico.

Her insightful body of work has been featured in various newspapers, magazine and online sites.

Reviews

[Deb Benfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

We can finally exhale! As a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist (RDN) and eating disorder specialist, I am thrilled to find a menopause guide I can recommend without the diet-and-fitness hype and the scales and belly-blasting looming in the center! How refreshing to find solid advice for navigating menopause that encourages self-trust and drops the body shaming and fear-mongering.

Deb Benfield, M.Ed., RDN/LDN, RYT, author of Unapologetic Aging: How to Mend and Nourish Your Relationship with Your Body

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a health care professional who works with midlife women, and writes about menopause nutrition,I can attest to how challenging it is to find weight-neutral and evidence-based information about midlife and menopause. Thank goodness we have Signe’s book!