‘It’s a Confusing Landscape to Navigate.’ Elektra Clinician Kimberly Phelps On Midlife Renewal and Weathering the Online Menopause Algorithm.
Jun 18, 2026
Elektra Clinician Kimberly Phelps began developing her clinical care philosophy long before she started seeing patients. As the child of a sick parent, Kim spent many of her younger years close to the medical system.
Now, as a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and menopause clinician, she is leveraging her years of personal and professional experience in the medical space to care for women during one of life’s most complicated stages.
We sat down with Kim to learn more about her approach to midlife care – including guidance for women feeling overwhelmed by the menopause algorithm – and her unique perspective on what this phase of life can offer us.
What inspired you to go into medicine?
I have a picture of myself at a career day when I was around eight years old and I’m holding a little clipboard and I have a stethoscope around my neck. I think I just always wanted to be in medicine, probably because my father was not well.
He had a really serious heart condition and had heart attacks fairly regularly. So I kind of grew up being in hospitals and intensive care units. I think that’s why I was just always drawn to the field.
I actually started off as premed in college and then I volunteered in an ICU, where I realized I was more drawn to nursing.
What led you from family practice to menopause medicine?
I feel like menopause care is really good primary care. It’s a time in women’s lives when we really can re-examine our whole health and all of the different facets of that.
There are estrogen receptors all over your body, so when hormone levels shift, many things are impacted: cardiovascular health, sleep, bone health, mental health. These are all really foundational primary care issues, but they become especially important during menopause. For example, cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death for women. We know that after menopause, lipid profiles change, so it’s a critical time to look at cardiovascular health and do what we can to minimize risk.
I also think for many women it’s a great opportunity to step back and look at their overall balance in life. And a lot of women become more confident at this time and start to shed the things that aren’t working for them anymore: people-pleasing, carrying all these different responsibilities, constantly taking care of everyone else. It becomes a moment to rebalance and ask themselves how they want to spend the next 40 years.
“I feel like menopause care is really good primary care.”
What is your clinical care philosophy and how does that show up in the virtual exam room?
I really try to meet patients where they are. Lifestyle changes can be so important during this time of menopause, but you can’t throw everything at somebody all at once. You can’t say, “You need to change your diet, exercise more, and get eight hours of sleep every night.” For a lot of people, that just isn’t realistic.
I’m always thinking about: where can we make small tweaks? What feels attainable for this person right now? How can we support them in ways that are manageable and sustainable?
I think it’s important to approach care realistically and collaboratively, and to help patients make changes in a way that feels supportive rather than overwhelming.
What recommendations do you have for women feeling overwhelmed by the menopause noise online?
It is very confusing, especially when there are platforms out there mixing evidence-based care with care that is neither evidence-based nor likely to work. That becomes a very confusing landscape to navigate. Even the evidence-based options supported by research can be associated with certain risks and, conversely, there are certain trending treatments that aren’t supported by research, but are low risk.
Needless to say, it’s complicated, which is why I’m such a big fan of shared decision-making. It’s important for clinicians to facilitate an honest conversation with patients about what the evidence actually shows, what the likelihood is that something is going to be beneficial, and what the risks are.
“Needless to say, it’s complicated, which is why I’m such a big fan of shared decision-making.”
What are you reading right now?
One of my favorite books at the moment is this book called Hagitude by Sharon Blackie. It explores historical perceptions of women in the second half of life and the ways older women are portrayed in folklore. She talks about this idea that the heat of hot flashes burns away all of the parts that you don’t need anymore, which I think is just such an amazing analogy. She reframes this stage of life as one where women really become empowered, fierce, and wise.
