The Unspoken Change: Before Menopause What did you wish you knew? Katrina Blair, LMFT
An Interview with Katrina Blair, LMFT
By Lucine Ohanian, Undergraduate Psychology Intern
Unspoken Change Interview with Katrina Blair, LMFT
Katrina Blair, LMFT, EMDRIA Certified Therapist™ EMDRIA Approved Consultant™, Co-Founder and Vice President of Alpha Behavioral Counseling Center, Chief Operating Officer of https://www.omegamentalhealth.com/, and EMDR Facilitator with the Center for Excellence in EMDR Therapy
Katrina Blair, LMFT, was born and raised in Fresno, California, and her background helped lead her toward a career in mental health. After graduating from Hoover High School and attending Fresno State, she studied sociology before moving into social work and eventually earning her master's degree in marriage and family therapy.
She is now a therapist and Co-Founder of Alpha Behavioral Counseling Center and works with Omega Mental Health. As a therapist, she works with adults, providing EMDR therapy for trauma. She also operates a program for graduate students, supervising and guiding people who want to become therapists while running business operations for two counseling centers.
Katrina is an active member of the EMDR community. EMDR is a type of evidence-based trauma therapy, and she is an EMDR Facilitator with the Center for Excellence in EMDR Therapy, helping therapists learn this therapy model.
A big part of her philosophy is supporting the Fresno community. Through her organizations, they gather and host an annual Health and Wellness Fair for Fresno and surrounding areas, promoting mental health awareness, bringing together service providers, and connecting the community with food, clothing, and many other much-needed services.
The Interview
Who first taught you about menopause? Your mother, family, school, friends?
When Katrina talked about menopause, she explained that over the past several years, conversations with friends, other therapist colleagues, and clients have helped her learn more about what women experience during perimenopause and menopause.
She said menopause has become much more talked about in the last five to ten years, but “we’re not at the finish line” when it comes to understanding it.
Through experiences shared by friends and clients, Katrina learned that menopause can look completely different from one woman to another. Some women may slowly go through perimenopause, while others can experience sudden menopause after something like a hysterectomy that includes removal of both ovaries (bilateral oophorectomy).
Were there any things about menopause that you were surprised to learn from your clients who have experienced it?
These stories have helped her bring more awareness of menopause into her therapy work and recognize that women need different types of support depending on where they are in the process. Instead of assuming every woman will have the same experience, she emphasized that menopause is “not a one-size-fits-all” experience.
Expectations, Fears and Change about Menopause
Did you have any fears or negative expectations about menopause? Where do you think those ideas came from?
Katrina also talked about having fears about menopause because she did not know what to expect. She said some of those fears stemmed from “what you may hear from media or television,” as well as other people's stories.
She also explained that while people often focus on hot flashes and how horrible they can be, “there’s so much more” to the experience. She believes having a strong support system and working with doctors can help women understand and manage those changes.
What are three emotions that come up most often when you think about menopause?
“Rage, Sadness, Happiness”
Did you expect menopause to change the way you saw yourself or your femininity?
Katrina explained that she did not necessarily expect menopause to change how she saw herself or her femininity. However, she recognized that when menopause happens, changes occur that can affect you as a person. Even when women do their research and try to prepare, the changes in their bodies and hormones can still come as a surprise.
Are there aspects of menopause that you think women can come to feel positively about?
Katrina also thinks women are starting to view menopause more positively because there is more information available, and women are realizing they are not alone. She encouragingly adds that, in this era, more women are embracing it, knowing there are ways to manage it. They are not fearing it as much, knowing they are not alone.
My biggest message is menopause is real, but it is different for every single woman—extend grace, extend compassion. What someone experiences one day may look completely different the next.” - Katrina Blair, LMFT
What do you wish men and women would understand about menopause?
Her biggest message to both women and men is that menopause is real, but it is different for every single woman. She wants people to “extend grace and compassion” because what someone experiences one day may look completely different the next.
For partners especially, she encourages listening to understand rather than assuming they already know what the other person is going through.
What do you wish you had been told about menopause when you were my age?
“I wish I had been told that you can ask questions, and to advocate for yourself and your needs as it relates to menopause.” - Katrina Blair, LMFT
Reflections on the Interview
Ultimately, as a woman in her 20s learning about psychology and women’s health, my interview with Katrina made me realize how little we are taught about menopause before experiencing it.
What stood out to me the most was when she said menopause is becoming more mainstream, but “we’re not at the finish line.” As women, I think it is important to stop and recognize that it is 2026. We should not have to fight to have our experiences taken seriously or to receive equal care in the medical field.
Women deserve to be listened to, understood, and treated with the same level of attention and respect as anyone else. I often think that the media portrays menopause as mainly being about hot flashes and mood swings, but Katrina helped me see that there is much more to the experience. Her reminder that it is not a “one-size-fits-all” experience also shows how different every woman’s experience can be.
As I continue learning about psychology, Katrina’s perspective made me think about how hormones are only one part of what can affect a woman’s mental and emotional well-being. During menopause, women can also be dealing with stress, relationships, aging, and changes in identity. Katrina’s focus on both the mind and body connects to what I’m learning about how our physical and emotional experiences can influence each other.
Personally, this conversation made me realize that menopause should be something that’s understood before actually experiencing it. Women should be taught not to fear ourselves, but to embrace every part of our body and mind.
Medical practices and our culture have an opportunity to listen more closely to women and take our experiences seriously. Ultimately, Mayes wants people to understand that menopause is much bigger than just the physical. Menopause can affect a woman’s mental, emotional and spiritual life. Women are truly deserving to be understood and approached with reverence. She joked, “It is not for the weak,” but the humor behind this incredible message is about strength and self-acceptance. Menopause can be such a difficult transition, but Mayes believes it can also be a powerful opportunity to reflect, reconnect and enter a new stage where caring for yourself becomes just as important as caring for everyone else.
Connect with Katrina's Organizations
Alpha Behavioral Counseling Center
Website: Alpha Behavioral Counseling Center
Instagram: @alphabehavioralcounseling.
Omega Mental Health
Website: Omega Mental Health
Instagram:@omegamental
EMDR Basic Training
Katrina also serves as an EMDR Facilitator with the Center for Excellence in EMDR Therapy, helping therapists learn and develop their skills in EMDR therapy.
Community Health & Wellness Fair
Katrina is also committed to supporting the Fresno community through the annual Health and Wellness Fair hosted by her organizations. The event brings together local health and wellness providers, community resources, and services to help individuals and families access support, including mental health resources, food, clothing, and other essential needs.
Learn more about the 3rd Annual Health & Wellness Fair and ways to support the community.
About The Author
Lucine Ohanian · Undergraduate Psychology Intern with Julie Cardoza, LMFT · Psychology major, California State University, Fresno · Writer of The Unspoken Change
Hi, I’m Lucine Ohanian, a psychology major in my final year at Fresno State. I’ve always been interested in understanding people, their experiences and the stories that shape who they become. As I continue this journey into psychology, I hope to use what I learn to support and empower others, especially women. Outside of psychology, writing has always been a meaningful part of who I am. I love writing poetry because it gives me space to put feelings into words that might otherwise go unspoken. Through this blog, I hope to share my thoughts, experiences and reflections while continuing to learn about myself and the world around me.
Disclaimer
The Unspoken Change is an educational interview and reflection series written by Lucine Ohanian, an undergraduate psychology intern with Julie Cardoza, LMFT.
The series reflects Lucine’s learning and the personal experiences and perspectives of those interviewed. Interview content does not necessarily represent the clinical opinions of Julie Cardoza, LMFT.
This series is for educational and informational purposes only and is not psychotherapy, medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Individual experiences of perimenopause, menopause, trauma, mental health and health care vary. Questions about personal symptoms, medications, hormone therapy or treatment should be discussed with an appropriately qualified health care professional.
About The Menopauses™
There is more than one menopause—and more than one way to experience it.
The Menopauses™ explores the psychology of natural, early, surgical, treatment-induced and other menopause experiences, including the ways our bodies, histories, identities, relationships and social worlds shape the transition.
It is a growing educational project created by Julie Cardoza, LMFT, bringing greater attention to the space between menopause care and mental health care.
Land Acknowledgment
The Unspoken Change is written in Fresno, California, on the traditional and ancestral lands of the Yokuts and Mono peoples.
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