Gender Health and Mental Health

Affirming Care, Perimenopause, and the Times We’re In (with Rebecca from Folx)

On Older and Wilder, hosts Claire and Joy talk with Rebecca (Laugh Cry Club) about debunking mental-health misinformation and Rebecca’s work at Folx, a telehealth company providing affirming LGBTQIA+ healthcare, including gender-affirming hormone therapy, primary care, and mental health services. They discuss barriers and non-affirming experiences in traditional healthcare, explain that gender-affirming care is careful, assessment-based, and not the sensationalized narratives about minors, and note gatekeeping like required WPATH letters for adult surgeries. The conversation shifts to perimenopause/menopause, covering brain fog, hot flashes, sleep disruption, and sudden mental-health drops, with hormones helping some and emphasizing not to self-gaslight and to seek specialized care. They also touch on workplace normalization, compassion over “I suffered so you should,” and share “What a Time to Be Alive” moments.

01:11 True Crime Riff

01:54 HOA And Neighborhood Drama

03:14 What Folx Does

04:56 Barriers In Healthcare

07:33 Affirming Intake Process

09:43 Trans Care Education

15:12 Gatekeeping And WPATH Letters

18:35 Trans Athletes Mythbusting

20:38 Perimenopause Mental Health

24:40 Rebecca Symptoms And HRT

27:01 3AM Wakeups And Sleep

27:42 Sleep Heat Fixes

28:25 Perimenopause Mood Spiral

29:54 Medication and Hormone Help

34:34 Rage and No Fs

37:18 Care Is Affirming

38:09 Workplace Brain Fog

42:00 What a Time Segment

47:12 Texas THC Crackdown

51:11 Wrap Up and Japan Plug