A lot of whispering and then suddenly silence as I walk into the room and catch the secretive glance between my mother and aunt. What is this taboo subject under discussion? Why- it is the End of the World of course! “The Change”, as it was known in their generation, the Menopause as it is referred to in mine.

The names may have altered but the symptoms stay the same. Generations of women have passed through this Rite of Passage, and as our longevity proves, many more of us pass this way. Along comes the chemical “knight in shining armour” HRT., but supposing some of us would like to manage our own Menopause without chemical intervention and in as natural and peaceful way as Nature intended? Some women cannot tolerate HRT for whatever reason, so once again we cast around for alternative options.

It seems to me a very lonely Rite of Passage, not many of your friends and acquaintances really talk about it openly, because by doing so they are revealing that they have reached that time of life when it is “all downhill from now on”, all the comments are just so negative! Yet it doesn’t seem so long ago when these same friends celebrated pregnancy and new babies and being positively involved in the cycle of pro-creation. Why can’t we see that by reaching the milestone marked “Menopause” we are on the threshold of liberation! By this time most of us have raised our families or have had fulfilling careers and being the great multi-taskers that we are, we have often done many things simultaneously, taking all in our stride. We have gained a lifetime of wisdom and yet we allow ourselves to be undermined by what to expect in the way of “signs and symptoms”.

I decided some ten years ago that I was not going to let the Menopause cause me any inconvenience. At that time a wise woman of my acquaintance, told me that I would have no problems with this transition. She said it in such a way that I wholeheartedly believed her and allowed that statement to penetrate deep into the subconscious. I topped this up with frequent sessions of meditation and G.A.I. ( which in a way, was a form of self hypnosis) for my overall wellbeing. I have now almost completed the Menopause and have not experienced one negative symptom and my friends keep asking “what are you on?”. I then started to analyze how I had coped with other important biological changes in my life and I realized that I had taken much the same attitude towards childbirth, I knew that it would probably be painful, but I replaced the word “pain” with “natural” as my body had been designed for this purpose and therefore I fed my subconscious with positive suggestions and subsequently I did have a drug free virtually painless delivery for both babies ( 9lb and 11lb respectively). I am now a Hypno-Birth practitioner. So I decided to work along the same lines as Hypno-Birth and create Hypnotherapy Menopause Management.

I have discovered that it is best to give four sessions as this works with a woman’s natural cycle. The first session is half an hour longer than the usual hour as I discuss what symptoms are most affecting my client and if she has any other concerns that could be related to the Menopause. I then tailor the sessions to her needs and therefore I prefer to give this therapy on a one to one basis, but that is my personal choice, although I am sure it would be equally effective with small groups, say, of four or a maximum of six. I also work with music which acts as a trigger for all hypnotic suggestions. The client is encouraged to take time out, if possible, every day for about half an hour and listen to the C.D.,or just before she goes to sleep is an ideal time ,especially if sleep has become an issue.

What are the benefits? Many. Through hypnotherapy the client will learn how to reach a deep state of relaxation and discipline to take “time out” just for herself. She will also find that menopausal symptoms are greatly reduced in the first instance and quite possibly eradicated altogether as they are replaced by a very positive image of Self. She will notice that once her sleep pattern is re established, how much better she feels in her energy levels and moods. There are so many advantages to reaching this milestone, the client is just so unaware of them and the art of this therapy is to open that awareness for REAL POSITIVE results.

Recently, I have started to have enquiries from women who do not live near my Practice but would like to find a Therapist in their area, so I would like to start a register of Therapists who can also give Hypnotherapy for Menopause, if you are interested, I am contactable on the following number or by e-mail.
Tel. 01279 777 048

lesleymoyer@dial.pipex.com

Lesley Moyer 2003.