Episode 2 — The Invisible Woman
You can also listen wherever you normally get your podcasts.
Do Women Become Invisible in Midlife? Visibility, Menopause, and Finding Meaning
In this episode of Unstuck, the hosts discuss whether women “of a certain age” become invisible, linking the idea to midlife, perimenopause, and menopause. Lisa argues older women are more visible than ever, while her co-host describes feeling less visible after leaving a senior NHS management role and starting a new business, connecting visibility to confidence, recognition, and self-worth.
They reference Gail Saltz’s writing on “middle-agism” and Erikson’s concept of generativity versus stagnation, emphasising an identity shift from external validation (including attractiveness) to meaning through contribution. Using a schema therapy lens, they explore unmet core emotional needs (competence, belonging) and their SOS coping model: submit, opt out, or storm in, aiming instead for a balanced “lifeguard” response with self-compassion. They also examine media and marketing pressures, celebrity examples, and how socioeconomic status shapes the experience of visibility.
