Well+Being Holistic Mental Health

Emotional Health & Wellness Tips From The Therapy Couch And Other Places

Kimberly Seelbrede, LCSW, is a New York State licensed psychotherapist and women’s emotional health expert whose work weaves together the science of the mind, the biology of the brain, and the art of holistic integrative wellness. With nearly two decades of clinical experience, she helps women in midlife navigate the profound emotional, hormonal, and identity transitions that often surface during perimenopause and menopause. In addition, she works with couples to improve communication, strengthen emotional intimacy, and navigate changes in sexual health, relationship dynamics, and shared life stressors. She works with men who are experiencing personal and professional crises, life transitions, stress, mood changes, or relationship challenges. Her approach blends evidence-based psychotherapy with holistic mind-body interventions, including EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Somatic Experiencing® techniques, mindfulness, and lifestyle medicine — to address the full spectrum of emotional, physical, and spiritual wellbeing. Disclaimer: I am a licensed and fully credentialed mental health provider, but I am not a medical doctor. The information provided on this website is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional regarding any medical or health-related concerns, including perimenopause, menopause, hormone therapy, or other chronic medical conditions. Reliance on the content on this site is solely at your own risk.

Holistic Psychotherapy & Wellness Manhattan 10/14/25 Holistic Psychotherapy & Wellness Manhattan 10/14/25

The Midlife Reckoning: When Growth Feels Like Grief

Lydia is 47. From the outside, her life looks composed — a stable marriage, two teenagers, a successful career in marketing. But lately, something feels off, and she can’t name it. She wakes up each morning with a subtle dread, a hollowness she tries to fill with coffee, lists, and relentless doing. Her sleep is light and fitful. She startles easily, cries unexpectedly. Some days, she feels invisible — to her husband, her kids, even to herself. Other days, she’s furious, not sure at whom. Her body feels foreign — her energy is erratic, her patience thin, her desire gone. Her thoughts loop between “What’s wrong with me?” and “Is this all there is?” She tells herself she should be grateful — she is grateful — but gratitude doesn’t reach the ache beneath her ribs. There’s a quiet grief she can’t articulate: grief for the woman she used to be, the one who dreamed, flirted with possibility, laughed easily. She misses her own aliveness.