Introduction

Private practice offers autonomy, flexibility, and the opportunity to create meaningful clinical work. However, it also carries significant responsibility. Psychologists are not only clinicians, but also business owners, administrators, and decision makers. Over time, this dual role can become increasingly demanding.

For many psychologists, midlife coincides with a period of professional maturity alongside personal change. Perimenopause and menopause can bring shifts in mood, cognition, energy, and stress tolerance, which may impact how you experience your work. You may notice that tasks that once felt manageable now require more effort, or that your tolerance for high workloads has changed.

These experiences are not uncommon. Research highlights that hormonal fluctuations during perimenopause can influence emotional regulation, sleep, and cognitive functioning, including memory and attention (Avis et al., 2015; Greendale et al., 2020). When combined with the demands of private practice, this can lead to increased vulnerability to burnout and overwhelm.

Business mentoring provides a structured and supportive space to reflect on these changes and adapt your practice in a way that supports both your professional standards and your wellbeing.

Understanding Perimenopause, Menopause and Cognitive Impact

Perimenopause is the transitional phase leading up to menopause, characterised by fluctuating hormone levels, particularly oestrogen. These hormonal changes can have significant psychological and cognitive effects.

Emotional and Cognitive Changes

Common experiences include:

• Increased anxiety or emotional sensitivity
• Irritability or mood fluctuations
• Reduced concentration and mental clarity
• Memory lapses or “brain fog”
• Sleep disturbance and fatigue

These symptoms are well documented in the literature, with evidence suggesting that hormonal changes can affect neurotransmitter systems involved in mood and cognition (Brinton et al., 2015).

For psychologists, these changes can directly impact clinical work, particularly in areas requiring sustained attention, complex formulation, and emotional regulation.

The Intersection of Midlife and Private Practice

Midlife often brings a natural process of reflection. Psychologists may begin to evaluate:

 • Whether their current workload is sustainable
• How aligned their work is with their values
• What changes are needed to support long term wellbeing

At the same time, private practice demands often remain constant or increase. Without intentional adjustment, this mismatch can lead to:

 • Chronic fatigue and emotional exhaustion
• Reduced job satisfaction
• Increased administrative overwhelm
• A sense of being “stuck” in current practice structures

Burnout among psychologists is a well recognised issue, with contributing factors including high caseloads, emotional labour, and limited support structures (Simionato & Simpson, 2018).

What Is Business Mentoring for Psychologists?

Business mentoring is a collaborative, reflective process that supports psychologists to review, refine, and restructure their private practice.

Unlike clinical supervision, which focuses on client care, business mentoring focuses on:

 • Practice structure and systems
• Workload and sustainability
• Financial and operational decisions
• Professional direction and growth

Mentoring provides a space to step back from day to day demands and consider the bigger picture of your practice.

Why Business Mentoring Matters in Midlife

Adapting to Changing Capacity

One of the most important shifts in midlife is recognising that capacity is not fixed. Energy, focus, and emotional bandwidth may fluctuate, particularly during perimenopause and menopause.

Rather than pushing through, mentoring supports you to:

 • Adjust your workload realistically
• Prioritise high value clinical work
• Reduce unnecessary demands

This aligns with research on occupational sustainability, which emphasises the importance of adapting work demands to individual capacity over time (Ilmarinen, 2001).

Moving from Overextension to Sustainability

Many psychologists build their practices during earlier career stages, often saying yes to opportunities and increasing their workload. Over time, this can lead to overextension.

Mentoring supports a shift towards:

 • Intentional workload design
• Clear boundaries around time and availability
• Reduced reliance on constant productivity

Supporting Identity and Values Alignment

Midlife can prompt a reassessment of professional identity. Psychologists may ask:

 • What kind of work do I want to continue doing?
• What no longer fits for me?
• How do I want my practice to evolve?

Business mentoring creates space for these questions, supporting alignment between your work and your values.

Key Areas of Focus in Business Mentoring

1. Practice Structure and Workload

A core component of mentoring is reviewing how your practice is currently structured.

This includes:

 • Number of clients per week
• Session intensity and complexity
• Administrative load
• Scheduling patterns

Mentoring helps identify areas where adjustments can reduce pressure while maintaining clinical quality.

2. Systems and Cognitive Load Reduction

Cognitive load becomes particularly relevant during perimenopause, when concentration and memory may be affected.

Strategies include:

 • Streamlining documentation processes
• Using templates and structured workflows
• Reducing decision fatigue through consistent systems

These approaches align with cognitive load theory, which highlights the importance of reducing unnecessary mental effort to improve performance (Sweller, 1988).

3. Boundaries and Time Management

Boundary setting is essential for sustainability.

This may involve:

 • Limiting after hours communication
• Creating clear cancellation policies
• Structuring your day to include breaks

Research suggests that clear professional boundaries are associated with reduced burnout and improved wellbeing among health professionals (Barnett et al., 2007).

4. Financial Sustainability

Financial clarity is often overlooked but critical.

Mentoring may explore:

 • Fee structures
• Income consistency
• Balancing financial needs with workload

This allows psychologists to make informed decisions that support both financial stability and personal wellbeing.

5. Diversifying Your Practice

Midlife can be an ideal time to explore new areas of work.

This may include:

 • Clinical supervision
• Group programs
• Workshops or training
• Online services

Diversification can reduce reliance on one to one clinical work and create a more balanced practice.

Integrating Wellbeing into Your Business Model

A sustainable private practice must actively support your wellbeing.

Designing for Energy, Not Just Time

Traditional scheduling focuses on time, but midlife often requires a shift towards energy based planning.

This includes:

 • Scheduling demanding clients earlier in the day
• Allowing buffer time between sessions
• Reducing back to back appointments

Supporting Emotional Regulation

Clinical work requires ongoing emotional engagement. During periods of hormonal fluctuation, emotional regulation may require additional support.

Strategies include:

 • Structured breaks
• Mindfulness practices
• Reflective supervision or mentoring

Mindfulness based approaches have been shown to improve emotional regulation and reduce stress in clinicians (Shapiro et al., 2007).

Preventing Burnout

Burnout is characterised by emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and reduced personal accomplishment (Maslach & Leiter, 2016).

Business mentoring supports early identification and prevention through:

 • Workload adjustments
• Boundary setting
• Increased professional support

Decision Making and Confidence in Midlife

Even experienced psychologists can experience uncertainty when making business decisions.

Mentoring provides:

 • A structured framework for decision making
• A reflective space to explore options
• Support in navigating risk and uncertainty

This can enhance confidence and reduce decision fatigue.

A Supportive and Reflective Space

Working with Kristie Clarke provides a space that integrates clinical understanding with practical business insight.

Her approach is:

 • Supportive and non judgemental
• Grounded in clinical experience
• Focused on sustainable outcomes
• Aligned with ethical psychological practice

Who Is Business Mentoring For?

Business mentoring may be particularly relevant if you are:

 • A private practice psychologist in midlife
• Experiencing burnout or reduced capacity
• Navigating perimenopause or menopause
• Seeking to restructure your practice
• Wanting greater balance and sustainability

Conclusion

Midlife is not a limitation. It is an opportunity to reshape your private practice in a way that reflects your experience, values, and current needs.

Business mentoring offers a structured and compassionate way to do this. It supports you to move from overwhelm to clarity, from overextension to sustainability, and from reactive practice to intentional design.

With the right support, you can continue to provide high quality clinical care while also protecting your wellbeing and creating a practice that works for you long term.

References

Avis, N. E., Crawford, S. L., & Green, R. (2015). Vasomotor symptoms across the menopause transition: Differences among women. Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics, 42(2), 163–180.

Barnett, J. E., Baker, E. K., Elman, N. S., & Schoener, G. R. (2007). In pursuit of wellness: The self care imperative. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 38(6), 603–612.

Brinton, R. D., Yao, J., Yin, F., Mack, W. J., & Cadenas, E. (2015). Perimenopause as a neurological transition state. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 11(7), 393–405.

Greendale, G. A., Derby, C. A., & Maki, P. M. (2020). Perimenopause and cognition. Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics, 47(3), 419–432.

Ilmarinen, J. (2001). Aging workers. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 58(8), 546–552.

Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2016). Understanding burnout: New models. World Psychiatry, 15(2), 103–111.

Shapiro, S. L., Astin, J. A., Bishop, S. R., & Cordova, M. (2007). Mindfulness based stress reduction for health care professionals. International Journal of Stress Management, 12(2), 164–176.

Simionato, G. K., & Simpson, S. (2018). Personal risk factors associated with burnout among psychologists. Clinical Psychologist, 22(2), 123–134.

Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive load during problem solving. Cognitive Science, 12(2), 257–285.