About Melinda +
Departure Menopause
If you're deep down in it with the menopause transition, I'm happy you landed here.
Let's create compassionate change with health and body image without the diets or comparison. Depart from the usual and uncover your motivation to change.
Navigate midlife intentionally, stay current with evidence-based research, and allow more time for what matters.
I offer neurodivergent-affirming, weight-inclusive/non-diet resources and education alongside health change and body image coaching.
Meet Melinda
🕯️ Master’s in Nutrition
🕯️ Certified Nutrition Specialist®
🕯️ Menopause Society Certified Practitioner
🕯️ Motivational Interviewing-Trained
🕯️ Nutrition Private Practice Owner
My unique career spans decades in the food and beverage industry, with a pivot to nutrition and menopause health coaching. While my days of slinging bottles on the Las Vegas Strip are history, hospitality remains one of the guiding values in my work.
I reached a point in food and wine work when chronic illness shifted my path off the restaurant floor. Searching for answers or a diagnosis that defied an easy explanation, I sought out healing diets and supplements and discovered The Wellness Blogosphere.
I made much-needed lifestyle changes to course-correct from the late-night eating and drinking that restaurant life demanded.
Fast-forward a few years, and I achieved board certification as a Certified Nutrition Specialist® (CNS), which required over 1,000 hours of supervised practice.
I trained in programs that prioritized non-diet and weight-inclusive approaches to healthcare.
I’ve been fortunate to partner with clients with neurodivergent identities as we explore new ways to work together on food, health, and body image.
This experience led me to my own AuDHD diagnosis and a new way of learning about and understanding myself.
I dove deep into the interwebs, self-testing all the “healing diet” programs. I tried Whole30, keto, and AIP, hoping these plans would ease my near-constant migraine, digestive, immune, and neurological symptoms. In 2018, I entered a nutrition certification program to become a Nutrition Therapy Practitioner (NTP).
I continued the journey because I enjoyed nutrition education and saw the potential for a career change. I earned a Master’s in Nutrition and Functional Medicine, which coincided with the global pandemic.
The pandemic led many people, including me, to reevaluate their sources of information.
I started recognizing how far off my original nutrition training and functional medicine teachings were from evidence-based research. I sought out new sources to help me unlearn and start a new chapter.
My personal experience with perimenopause became so much louder in the last five years. You can’t help but notice how the multi-billion dollar Wellness industry has shifted its sights toward midlife insecurity when the ads are focused on you.
In 2025, I became a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner. I passed on the second try, and after almost a year of study, I’m so proud of myself for not giving up.
I created Departure Menopause as a space for learning and unlearning during the menopause transition, and a place for neurodivergent-affirming and weight-inclusive menopause care.
💜 While I’m trained in nutrition and menopause and midlife health, I’m not your nutritionist and do not provide individual advice. In this space, I offer education, resources, connection, and coaching. Always consult with your healthcare team before making changes to your plan.
A Weight-Inclusive, Non-Diet Approach
We can implement physical health change without weight as a metric, and that consider the cost of weight stigma. This can feel tough when the menopause space seems focused on the opposite.
Shifting hormones at perimenopause, along with other steep changes in our body, brain, sleep, and stress levels can have a massive impact on our physical and emotional health and body image.
This is also when we start thinking deeply about what our health might look like for the rest of our lives.
Positive health change without the focus on dieting can take place across the span of menopausal health concerns.
Neurodivergent Menopause
Greater awareness and advocacy means more and more people in midlife are showing up with multiple experiences of neurodivergence. This includes my own late AuDHD diagnosis.
This inspired me to create a special place for this group, an inclusive and neuro-affirming home for exploring food and body image at this pivotal stage.
As an early-identified gifted kid who (much) later struggled to cope when menopause symptoms hit, I needed to rebuild my strategies from the ground up.
Perimenopause and menopause are already understudied subjects.
Combine that with neurodivergent peri-/menopause. There are way more questions than answers about why this time can bring discoveries and challenges for those with differently wired brains.
If this approach excites you, I encourage you to explore the pathways to connect.
My Commitments
A Neurodivergent-Affirming & Weight-Inclusive ApproachI believe that during menopause, our health and well-being shouldn’t be judged by a number on a scale or the relentless pursuit of a specific body size or shape.
The longstanding emphasis on weight and body shape in discussions about nutrition and wellness are harmful. This excessive focus on weight often leads to disordered eating habits, dissatisfaction with our bodies, healthcare avoidance, and inadequate medical care.
Menopause care is no exception.
Instead, I advocate for an approach that embraces body diversity and celebrates the uniqueness of every body shape and size. This weight-inclusive perspective is crucial for fostering sustainable and positive lifestyle changes - a needed change in our medical and mental health systems.
This doesn’t mean avoiding discussions about weight or a blanket approach. If weight concerns come up, let's address them openly and with support. It also doesn’t mean dismissing the choices of those who may follow certain eating styles.
Anti-Oppression
If you experience menopause, you belong.I acknowledge that I benefit from multiple privileges—I’m white, cis-het, straight-sized, married, and financially secure, which can affect my understanding of others' experiences.
Because of these privileges, I may not always grasp situations immediately or get things right, but I’m committed to learning, evolving, and listening. I believe deeply in my clients' experiences regarding their bodies and lived experiences.
Menopause care can feel unwelcoming to hostile for those with any marginalized identity, and I’d like to do my part in change.
I’m dedicated to dismantling biases, unlearning harmful practices, and remaining receptive to constructive feedback.
During this transformative phase, I honor and validate your unique journey, values, and personal goals.
