perimenopause & menopause care in oakland
We specialize in helping women and people with cycles navigate perimenopause with greater ease. The shift to menopause and post-menopause is a natural phase of life, but you don’t have to struggle through it.
Using a blend of acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutrition, and integrative care, we support this transition, helping you feel balanced and vibrant, while supporting your long-term health.
Redefining the Transition
Menopause is not an ending — it is a transformation.
So often, menopause gets framed as an ending — to our health, to our womanhood, to our value. With the right care, this stage can be a time of renewal, clarity, and strength. It might be the pivot, shifting your focus from outwards, towards the needs of others, to inwards, towards your internal landscape — a transition into deeper intuition, and wisdom.
How Acupuncture Eases The Transition
Perimenopause Marks a Profound Transition in a Woman’s Life
Perimenopause begins long before menstrual cycles stop (menopause). It usually starts in a woman’s early 40s and lasts 4-10 years. While natural, the changes in hormones can bring uncomfortable symptoms that impact sleep, mood, energy, and overall wellbeing.
Common symptoms include hot flashes, night sweats, joint and muscle aches and pains, sleep disturbances, memory changes, mood swings, vaginal dryness, bladder control issues, and sexual concerns including changes in sexual desire.
Perimenopause Symptoms We Commonly Treat:
Insomnia + sleep disturbances
Mood swings, anxiety, depression
Brain fog + memory issues
Vaginal dryness + low libido
Irregular or heavy periods
Hot flashes + night sweats
fatigue + low energy
Weight gain + metabolism shifts
Joint pain + muscle stiffness
How Acupuncture & Integrative Care Help
Hormone Regulation: Acupuncture supports the endocrine system, helping smooth out fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone.
Eases hot flashes + night sweats: reduces both frequency and intensity
Stress Reduction: Treatments calm the nervous system, reducing anxiety, irritability, and mood swings.
Better Sleep: Improved circulation and relaxation promote deeper, more restorative rest.
Restores energy + vitality: helps you feel more like yourself again
Protects long-term health — supports bone, heart, and metabolic health
There is no more powerful force in the universe than a menopausal woman with zest.
~ Margaret Mead
Beyond Symptom Relief
This stage of life isn’t only about reducing discomfort. With the right support, perimenopause and menopause can be a time of reclaiming a deeper understanding of, and connection with, your body.
Treatment is Designed to Meet Your Unique Stage of Transition
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Perimenopause can feel like a roller coaster as cycles change and hormone swings become more acute and irregular. We focus on cycle regulation, easing heavy bleeding, reducing PMS-like symptoms, improving sleep and mood, and setting expectations for the many ways these years can look.
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Menopause is actually just a moment in time, defined as the absence of a menstrual cycle for one entire year. By the time you get this diagnosis, you are already in the post-menopause phase.
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Our goal is to support long-term physical health — bone density, cardiovascular wellbeing, metabolism, and energy — while exploring the many benefits of the post-menopausal years.
Working With Larisa
We start with reviewing your current health concerns, then your longterm goals, to create a plan that nourishes you on every level through the transition years.
Over 20 years of clinical experience in women’s health from menarche (first period) to post-menopause.
Board-certification as an ABORM Fellow with advanced training encompassing the entirety of our reproductive lifespan and beyond.
Personalized Care: Every treatment plan is tailored to your unique stage and symptom profile, evolving as you do.
Whole-Body Focus: Simultaneously addressing immediate symptoms while supporting whole-body health. Going beyond hormones, we look at sleep, digestion, stress, and emotional wellbeing.
Integrative Approach: Herbal medicine, nutrition, and lifestyle guidance are combined with acupuncture for comprehensive support. We work alongside conventional treatments, such as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and other modalities, to best support each patient.
With advanced training in both Traditional Chinese and Western medicine, Larisa offers:
I was referred to Larisa by a friend, and Larisa is an incredible healer and acupuncturist. As I move toward perimenopause/menopause, I have started to develop issues with my thyroid, stress, anxiety, and feeling tired all the time. Her acupuncture, and supplement recommendations have improved my health and sense of well being immensely. She has a very strong nutrition background and extensive training in managing the driving forces behind weight gain, particularly as we get older. I love the time I have spent working with Larisa and I always feel so much better afterwards. I plan to work with Larisa as long as I can, and I recommend her to anyone who needs additional support in their health and wellness journey.
— Helen D
Ready to feel like your best self?
Perimenopause doesn’t have to mean discomfort. With holistic, evidence-based perimenopause support in Oakland, you can regain balance and vitality.