Anne Liljedahl, MD

From Mother to Crone - exploring the perimenopausal transition

Dr. Liljedahl graduated from Justisse College in July 2023. She’s a licensed MD, board certified in emergency medicine and family medicine. Anne is also trained as an abdominal massage practitioner. She is currently enrolled in a 4 year program “Explorations in shamanism” through Tending the Fires, training in spiritual leadership and personal responsibility through study and practice. She currently works with WOMNI, a company in Sweden, offering virtual consultation for women in perimenopause and women dealing with hormonal issues. What We’ll Explore The perimenopausal transition has been and is still recognized as a kind of initiation in many cultures that are connected to the land; A process of becoming. Growing into a wise woman, or from mother to crone. Modern cultures medicalize and bring fear to this normal process; characterizing it as a period of intense symptoms, the end of youth, and the beginning of invisibility. The Western medical system offers hormone therapy, mostly focused on adding back oestrogen, as a “solution” for the failing female body. In this lecture Anne will explore what is happening during this very important phase of life. She will compare how cultures, connected to the land, view this transition and address the physical, emotional, social and spiritual implications of the process. Finally, she will discuss how we can create our own, embodied understanding of what it means to become a healthy elder.