Not Your Mother's Midlife: Real Women, Real Talk, Real Change

What if midlife wasn’t something to “get through” but a chance to reset?

Grab your girlfriends and join our fabulous community of women for an evening of learning designed to replace confusion with clear, compassionate, and science-backed information about midlife health and well-being, and all with a healthy dose of humor.

Led by Dr. Wendy Hookman, Founder of WCWCW and The Women’s Health Collaborative, and joined by top local experts — Linda Ojo, MD, MPH; Jennifer Gularson, PA-C; Amy Peters, CSCS, Pn1; Gabriela Van Sickle , PT, DPT, CFMT, WCS; Jessica Braider, LMSW; and special guest, Mikel Blair, — this event will give you the tools and knowledge to take charge of your health and well-being in midlife and beyond. We're calling our innovative approch to midlife change "The Midlife Reboot" and we're looking forward to sharing it with you.

We’ll dive into:

• How we got to a place where perimenopause and menopause symptoms are still misunderstood by most women
• Hormonal shifts and how they affect mood, metabolism, sleep, and intimacy
• Strategies to support brain health and fight brain fog
• How to navigate weight and body composition changes with compassion and science
• The truth about menopause treatments — what to consider
• How to manage the many pulls on our time and attention that can lead to burn-out and fractured or tense relationships
• Coming out of midlife a newer, truer version of yourself

This is the women’s health education we should have always had: honest, approachable, and grounded in science.

And that's not all! We'll also have the opportunity for connection during our cocktail hour, comedy with an amazing stand-up comic joining us for a hilarious (and super-relevant set) to get the program going, and community as we support two local charities with a silent auction and donation opportunities.

When you join us, you give yourself:

• 🎤 Science-backed expert advice from local leaders in women’s health
• 💡 Clear steps to take charge of your health without overwhelm
• 🚫 Freedom from myths, shame, and confusion
• 🔍 A deeper understanding of what’s changing — and why
• 🤣 Some much-needed laughter

This event is for women who:

• Want medically sound, science-backed answers for how to age well
• Have felt dismissed by past medical professionals and know they deserve better
• Believe women have the right to thrive at every stage of life
• Want to prepare for midlife with real, practical solutions
• Are ready to join an honest conversation about this life stage
• Are done with stigma and silence — and ready to raise the standard for themselves and women everywhere

Let’s be honest: millions of women go through midlife without real answers or genuine compassion. Instead, they’re met with questionable advice, social stigma, and “wellness” trends that promise more than they deliver.

For decades, women have been told their symptoms are “all in their heads” and that they should simply endure the overly normalized suffering of aging. But midlife shouldn’t be something to survive — it can be a season of self-discovery to embrace, share, and celebrate.

Aging is inevitable. Aging well requires better care.

The mission of The Women's Health Collaborative is to connect women with local practioners and experts who are passionate about supporting them in their health and well-being, but it is also about community - creating a community of empowered women who hold each other up. To this end, we are honored to be supporting two local charities that mean a great deal to us: The National Center for Children and Families via Assist Goals, Inc, and inclusive soccer via One Pitch Soccer League.

Info: We can't wait to welcome you to this special event! A portion of your ticket price includes a donation to Goal Assist, Inc, a local charity supporting NCCF to shelter and provide supplies for unhoused families in Bethesda.

Info: Enjoy delicious hors d'oevres and desserts, a complimentary signature cocktail, wine, beer, mocktail or soft drink while catching up with friends, our experts, and fantastic sponsors. Check out and bid on our silent auction items to benefit One OnePitch Soccer League, an inclusive sports initiative that unites neurotypical and neurodiverse youth athletes through the power of soccer.

Info: Learn from our experts

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Round House Theatre, 4545 East-West Highway, Bethesda, United States