Feeling the Weight of Midlife? Find Support to Ease the Stress and Reconnect With Yourself

Somatic Therapy for Midlife Stress, Overwhelm, and Life Transitions

Virtual Mind-Body Therapy for Adults Across Florida and Illinois

Sea oats on the beach at sunset in Fort Lauderdale – symbolizing peace, reflection, and healing

You’ve built a life you’re proud of: career, family, responsibilities. From the outside, it looks like success.

And it is.

But the stress is piling up. You’re juggling everything, and the weight feels heavier than ever. Old emotions and memories are showing up, things you thought you had already moved past. Maybe you were taught to push through instead of pause and feel.

Now the pressure to hold it all together feels overwhelming.

And under the stress, you might also be questioning whether this life you’ve built is truly enough.

Your body is feeling it too. Tension. Exhaustion. Migraines. Digestive issues.

After years of powering through, you might feel disconnected from yourself, like your energy, reactions, or even your emotions don’t quite make sense anymore.

It doesn’t have to stay this way.

Midlife often brings more than stress. It can bring questions about who you are, what you want, and whether there’s more to life than simply keeping up. You may notice old patterns that no longer fit, or feel pulled in different directions. It’s not always easy to talk about, but you’re not alone in this.

As a Gen Xer or elder millennial, you may have learned to power through, putting grit or other people’s needs ahead of your own body and emotions. But now, that approach isn’t working the same way.

In our work together, we’ll create space for both mind and body. That means slowing down enough to notice what’s happening inside, making sense of it, and reconnecting with yourself in a clearer, steadier way.

With Somatic Experiencing, we’ll release stored stress and build capacity. If it fits, we can also integrate the Safe and Sound Protocol or Rest and Restore Protocol to support your nervous system even more. This work helps you feel more resilient and connected, and to move through midlife with a greater sense of meaning.

Amy Hagerstrom, therapist for midlife stress and transitions in Florida and Illinois

Midlife Crisis and Stress Therapist

Hi, I’m Amy Hagerstrom, LCSW.

I’m really glad you’re here.

You’re carrying a lot: old emotions, tension in your body, health issues, and the weight of being the one everyone relies on. Lately, it’s been harder to ignore.

Maybe it’s the stress of caring for others, shifting family dynamics, or growing work demands. Or maybe it’s the sense that what once worked isn’t working anymore, and old pain is showing up again.

You might feel embarrassed by how reactive or withdrawn you’ve been, even if no one else notices. Or you might carry guilt for struggling when everything looks “fine” on the outside.

This is where I come in.

Midlife therapy supports both body and emotions, especially when old ways of coping no longer bring relief.

Together, we’ll create space to explore what’s happening for you in your body, emotions, and relationships. We’ll work toward helping you feel more connected, more at ease, and better able to move forward in a way that fits you.

Learn More About Me

Gen X woman walking on the beach in Florida practicing being present with her body and nature

Being too hard on yourself or feeling weighed down by guilt
Shifting roles in family or relationships
Burnout from work, caregiving, or doing it all
Physical symptoms like pain, fatigue, or tension
Feeling disconnected, stuck, or unsure of who you are
Anxiety, overwhelm, or feeling like you’re overreacting or shutting down
Past experiences that still shape how you feel or respond today
Coping strategies that once helped but now leave you feeling worse

Midlife can bring unique challenges, and it can also be a time to heal, grow, and reconnect with what matters most to you. If any of this feels familiar, you don’t have to navigate it alone. I invite you to reach out to schedule a 10-minute consultation

What Brings People to Somatic Therapy in Midlife

Move Beyond Coping and Find Relief in Midlife

Midlife therapy supports both body and emotions, especially when old ways of coping no longer bring relief. We make space to work with what is happening now and with the stress your mind and body have carried for years.

Somatic Experiencing is the foundation of this work.
Every session includes SE. We slow down, notice sensations and reactions, and support your nervous system in finding more safety and choice. We use small, manageable steps, called titration, and we move between challenge and ease, called pendulation, so the work stays doable.

Optional supports when helpful.
If it fits, we can add the Safe and Sound Protocol to help your nervous system register safety, or the Rest and Restore Protocol to support deep rest and recovery. These build on SE. They are not required.

The developmental lens.
Midlife often stirs up stress and emotions that go back much earlier in life. Childhood experiences of pressure, disconnection, or not feeling safe can shape how you respond to stress today. In our work, we make space for those experiences from a mind-body perspective, so they can be understood and healed in the present.

You always have a say in the pace of the work. Together, we explore what is keeping you stuck and what helps you feel more steady, clear, and connected to what matters in this stage of life.

If you’re ready to take the next step, reach out to get started.

Sea oats on ocean beach, representing resilience and flexibility that comes with healing the mind and body

The body is designed to return to equilibrium. It knows how to heal, if we listen.

-Dr. Peter Levine

You can bring whatever is most present for you into a session, whether it’s work stress, caregiving, relationship strain, grief, or feeling disconnected from yourself. There is space for your thoughts, your emotions, and the body-based work that supports them.

From there, we slow down and notice how your body is responding. Maybe you feel tension in your chest, heaviness in your shoulders, or fatigue that doesn’t lift. These signals guide our work. Together, we explore what your nervous system needs in the moment so you can begin to regulate and feel more steady.

Sometimes that means staying with sensation long enough to build capacity. Other times, we use somatic practices, like pushing against a desk, gently squeezing your fists, or placing a hand on your chest. These practices allow what has been stuck to move, bringing both your body and emotions into balance.

The past may come up, but we work with it differently than in talk therapy. Instead of retelling events, we notice how your mind and body respond now, and support healing from that place.

Every session looks a little different, but the focus is the same: helping your nervous system settle, creating space for release, and building clarity and resilience so you can move through midlife with more steadiness and connection.

What to Expect in a Midlife Therapy Session

Gen X Man looking relaxed while meditating on body sensations

Working With Clients Across Florida and Illinois

I see clients online across Florida, including Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and the surrounding areas. Whether you’re dealing with physical symptoms, long-term stress, or simply trying to find your footing again, we can do this work together.

I’m also licensed in Illinois and support clients throughout the state.

My work is rooted in Somatic Experiencing (SE), a body-based approach that supports both mind and body. Every session includes SE, and when it’s helpful, we can add the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) to further support your nervous system.
Together, we focus on tuning into your body’s signals, regulating stress responses, and making space for emotions in a way that feels manageable. This helps release what’s been carried for too long and allows for more steadiness and resilience.
Midlife often brings both current pressures and echoes of earlier experiences. In our work, we create space for both—whether you’re navigating the demands of today or noticing how old wounds resurface. This approach isn’t about pushing through; it’s about slowing down enough to heal and grow in a way that helps you feel more connected to yourself and to what matters now.
Yes. Many people choose to do both, and the approaches can work well together. Talk therapy helps you explore thoughts, emotions, and past experiences. My work focuses on the body’s stress responses and how they show up in the present.
When combined, the two approaches can support each other. Talk therapy gives you insight, while somatic therapy helps your body release what it’s been carrying. Together, this can create more room for healing, growth, and lasting change.
If you’re carrying midlife stress, physical tension, or a sense of disconnection, and talking it through hasn’t been enough, somatic therapy may be a good fit. This work addresses both the emotional and physical toll of stress, helping you notice how it shows up in your body and begin to release what’s been stuck.
It’s not about quick fixes. It’s about creating lasting shifts in how your nervous system responds, so you can handle challenges with more steadiness and resilience. Over time, you’ll feel more connected to yourself and better able to move through midlife in a way that feels true to you.
Weekly sessions are an important part of how I work. Meeting consistently creates the rhythm and trust this work needs, allowing us to build momentum and create lasting change.
This approach makes space for both body and emotions, so what you’ve been carrying can be processed in a way that brings more capacity, clarity, and resilience.
On rare occasions, a few months may be enough when someone comes in with a very specific goal. But most clients are working through deeper patterns of stress, trauma, or overwhelm. For them, healing and growth unfold over a longer stretch of time, often a year or more, with steady support that helps the work deepen.
I currently offer virtual sessions only. Somatic therapy works just as well online because you’re in a space that already feels familiar and safe. You can settle into your favorite chair, keep comforting items nearby, or even have your pet close. That comfort helps your nervous system settle so we can focus on the work.
Being online also makes therapy more accessible. You don’t have to take time off work, fight traffic, or worry about parking. It’s one less stress to manage and gives you more space to focus on your healing.
Sessions are 55 minutes and cost $200. Payment is due at the time of each session, and I accept credit or debit card, HSA, or Zelle.
If you’re interested in adding the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) or Rest and Restore Protocol (RRP), the additional fees are listed on the SSP and RRP pages. We can talk about whether either option is a good fit for you during our consultation or as we work together.
I don’t accept insurance, but I can provide a monthly superbill if you’d like to submit for out-of-network reimbursement. Some clients are able to get partial reimbursement depending on their plan.
You’ll always know the cost up front. Under federal law (the No Surprises Act), you’re entitled to a Good Faith Estimate of the expected cost of services. If you ever receive a bill $400 or more over that estimate, you can dispute it.

Therapy for Midlife Stress FAQs

Group of adults in midlife smiling and laughing together, feeling connected and embracing this time in life

Peaceful beach at sunrise representing the peace and openness that can come with therapy for midlife stress and transitions

Get Help from a Midlife Crisis and Stress Therapist

You’ve been carrying so much, balancing everything and everyone around you. But where do you fit in? It’s hard to slow down and listen to yourself when you’ve spent years powering through.

You’re allowed to take up space here.

Midlife brings its own challenges, like shifting roles, resurfacing emotions, and questions about what really matters.

Therapy gives you a place that’s yours. A place where you don’t need to have it all figured out.

Together, we’ll make room for your thoughts, feelings, and body, so you can move forward with more steadiness and connection while still honoring the people and responsibilities that matter most to you.

Reach out to get started