Perimenopause Specialist in New Albany, Ohio
You are not imagining it, and "normal for your age" was never a plan. If you have spent the last two years being told your labs look fine while you cannot sleep, cannot think clearly, and do not feel like yourself, you are in the right place.
Perimenopause is not one symptom. It is a stretch of years where estrogen and progesterone swing unpredictably, and most women are never told what to expect. Estrogen works a little like the oil in your car. It keeps things running smoothly in places you never think about until they start to grind. When it fluctuates, the effects turn up almost everywhere, and almost none of them announce themselves as hormonal.
If any of this sounds familiar,
it is probably not in your head
Sleep that breaks at 3am, every night, for no reason you can name
Brain fog that makes you lose the word mid-sentence
Weight that shifts and settles differently no matter what you change
Hot flashes and night sweats, or none at all, because plenty of women never get them
Mood changes, irritability, or anxiety that feels unfamiliar
Joint aches that showed up without an injury
Painful sex, dryness, or urinary symptoms nobody offered to discuss
Periods that are heavier, closer together, or unpredictable
Most women are handed no vocabulary for any of this. Once you can name what is happening, you can ask for what you need, and you can tell the difference between a provider who is guessing and one who is trained.
Told your labs look normal?
They may well be. In perimenopause, hormone levels can swing widely within a few weeks, so a single blood draw catches one moment, not the pattern. That is why clinical guidelines say women over 45 can be diagnosed from their symptoms and cycle changes, without a lab test to confirm it. A normal number does not mean nothing is happening. It means you need a clinician who knows what to listen for.
Who you will be seeing
Courtney Shihabuddin, DNP, APRN-CNP, was thrown into menopause at 35 by the breast cancer treatment that saved her life and was handed almost nothing to manage it. That experience is a large part of why Empowered Wellness for Her exists.
Today she is a nurse practitioner and Associate Clinical Professor at The Ohio State University College of Nursing, where she directs the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner specialty track and teaches future clinicians to recognize and treat menopause. You may also know her from her monthly women's health segment on Good Day Columbus.
You will see her. Not a rotating panel, not whoever is available. The same clinician, every visit.
Start with an initial care consultation, $199
This is a real appointment, not a sales call. You will have 60 minutes to walk through your health history, the symptoms you are actually having, what you have already tried, and what you want your life to look like on the other side of this.
What happens in your consultation
A full review of your health history and your symptoms, in your words, without being rushed
An honest conversation about what is likely driving how you feel, including why your labs may not tell the whole story
A clear explanation of your options, including what the evidence does and does not support
A recommended path forward, and what ongoing care would look like
Good to know before you come in
No prescriptions are written at the initial consultation. This visit is where we figure out what is going on and whether we are a good fit for each other. If you decide to move forward into ongoing care, that is where treatment begins. We would rather tell you that plainly now than have you arrive expecting something different.
What happens after
Empowered Wellness for Her is a membership practice, because this kind of care takes time and continuity to do well. Hormones are not a one-visit problem, and getting the plan right usually takes a few rounds of adjustment. Membership means consistent access to your clinician, lab monitoring, and a plan that changes as your body does. If you decide to move forward after your consultation, we will walk you through exactly what that costs and what it includes. Nothing is decided on the spot.
A few things worth knowing up front
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We do not bill insurance. Empowered Wellness for Her is a direct-pay practice, which is what makes unhurried appointments possible, and it is the honest tradeoff of this model.
We accept HSA and FSA cards. We can also provide a superbill you may be able to submit to your plan for out-of-network reimbursement, though we cannot promise what your plan will do with it.
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That is exactly what the consultation is for. You do not need a diagnosis, a lab result or a name for what is happening before you come in. Bring what you have noticed, and we will sort out together what is likely driving it." This takes away a reason to hesitate, and it ties back to the new section about labs looking normal.
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We’re located inside Innovate New Albany, 7775 Walton Parkway, Suite 190, New Albany, OH 43054
Monday through Friday, 9am to 4pm.
Have more questions?
Leave your name and number and we will reach out within one business day. Ask us anything about whether this is the right fit, how membership works, or what to expect at your first visit. Please leave out medical details for now. Those deserve the time your appointment gives them.
Prefer to call? 614-392-7670, Monday through Friday, 9am to 4pm.
Ready now? Book your $199 consultation.