Hypnotherapy for Menopause, Hot Flushes and Sleep – Melbourne

Hypfocus Therapies · Mentone and online

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Hypnotherapy for menopause symptoms

Hot flushes, night sweats, broken sleep, worry and low mood can make menopause hard work. Clinical hypnosis is one of the non-hormone options with good research behind it for hot flushes. In 2023, The Menopause Society (formerly the North American Menopause Society) listed it as a recommended option in its guidelines.

What we can work on together

Every woman's menopause is different, so we choose your goals together. Common areas include:

  • Hot flushes and night sweats

  • Sleep

  • Stress, anxiety and feelings of dissatisfaction

  • Memory, focus and concentration

  • Libido

  • Healthy eating and weight goals

  • Self-esteem, self-compassion and confidence

  • Calming and regulating your nervous system

  • Taking stock of where you are in life, and finding your sense of self again

What does the research say?

Most of the research on hypnosis for hot flushes comes from Dr Gary Elkins and his team at Baylor University in the USA. Here are the main studies in plain language:

  • Women after breast cancer (2008). 60 women with frequent hot flushes were put into two groups by chance. One group had five weekly hypnosis sessions and the other had no treatment. By the end, the hypnosis group's hot flush score (how many flushes × how strong they were) had dropped by an average of 68%. They also reported better sleep and less anxiety and low mood. [1]

  • Women after menopause (2013). 187 women with at least 7 hot flushes a day had five weekly sessions of either hypnosis or a comparison program that offered the same time, attention and support but no hypnosis. Twelve weeks later, the number of hot flushes had dropped by 74% on average in the hypnosis group, compared with 17% in the comparison group. Flushes measured by a skin monitor also dropped more (57% vs 10%), and sleep quality improved much more in the hypnosis group. [2]

  • Self-hypnosis at home with audio (2025). 250 women after menopause, about 1 in 4 with a history of breast cancer, listened to a 20-minute recording each day for six weeks. One group heard hypnosis and the other heard "white noise" recordings. After six weeks, hot flush scores dropped by 53% with hypnosis and 41% with white noise. At 12 weeks the figures were 61% and 44%. [3]

  • Sleep (2021). In a smaller study of 90 women after menopause who were sleeping poorly, all four groups did daily home practice with hypnosis recordings. Sleep quality improved in every group, whether their check-ins with a therapist were in person or by phone. [4]

  • Guidelines. The Menopause Society's 2023 guidelines on non-hormone treatments for hot flushes list clinical hypnosis as recommended (Level I). Level I is their highest rating for the quality of evidence. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has the same rating. [5]

Please keep in mind:

  • These are averages from research studies. Everyone responds differently, and results vary. Some women improve a lot, some a little, and some not at all.

  • Hypnosis works alongside your medical care. It doesn't replace it. Please talk with your GP or menopause doctor about your symptoms and all your options, including menopausal hormone therapy (MHT/HRT) and non-hormone medicines.

  • If you've had breast cancer or another hormone-sensitive cancer, check with your oncology team or GP before starting.

  • Hypfocus Therapies is an independent practice. I'm not affiliated with Dr Elkins or Baylor University. My program draws on the published research, but it isn't their official program.

What my menopause program looks like

I use a structured program based on the approach tested in the research, tailored to you.

  • About five sessions, usually weekly. Your first session runs up to 90 minutes, and follow-up sessions up to 60 minutes.

  • Session 1: getting started. We talk about your symptoms, sleep, health and goals. I explain how hypnosis works and clear up common myths. For example, you stay aware and in control the whole time. Then you'll experience a relaxing hypnosis session with cooling imagery.

  • A recording made for you. After your first session I'll give you a personal recording to use at home between sessions. It uses the images, places and words that help you feel cool, calm and comfortable. Daily practice matters: the research programs asked women to practise every day.

  • Tracking your hot flushes. I'll ask you to keep a simple daily record of your hot flushes and sleep. That way we can both see what's changing.

  • Sessions 2 to 5. Each session builds on the last. We fine-tune your imagery and work on sleep, stress or worry as needed. You'll also learn quick self-hypnosis you can use anywhere, without a recording.

  • Sleep support. If night sweats or broken sleep are a big problem, we can add a sleep-focused recording to use at bedtime.

  • Review. At the end we look at your records together and decide on next steps. That might mean finishing up, booking top-up sessions, or adding other support.

  • In person or online. Sessions are in person at my Mentone practice or online by secure video, anywhere in Australia. Much of the research used home audio practice and phone check-ins, so working from home suits this approach well.

If you've tried an app before: some women find it hard to focus or keep going with a self-guided app. In sessions we can adjust the length, pace, imagery and timing of your practice to suit your life and your concentration.

My approach

Hypnotherapy helps you into a calm, focused state where your mind is more open to helpful suggestions. It can help you change unwanted thoughts, feelings, worries or habits, and lower overall stress. Along with hypnotherapy, I use other approaches, such as CBT, ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) and solution-focused therapy, when they suit your needs. Let's work together to improve your quality of life.

Tailored help. Everyone goes through menopause in their own way. I focus on you as a person, not just your symptoms.

Looking after your whole health

I believe menopause is best managed holistically. Please see a doctor who has experience in menopause care. For example, ask your GP about menopause care, or look for a doctor through the Australasian Menopause Society. Jean Hailes for Women's Health has trusted information written for Australians. Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT, also called HRT) can be very helpful for many women who don't have risk factors. Thinking about MHT has changed a lot in recent years, so it's worth having an up-to-date conversation with your doctor. Medical News Today has a readable overview.

Menopause after cancer

The Menopause Symptoms After Cancer Clinic (MSAC) at the Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne helps women who experience menopause after cancer treatment. Menopause symptoms after cancer treatment can be especially troublesome. The clinic recognises that a team approach works best, and describes itself as "the only clinic in Victoria where menopause, mental health, and cancer co-exist".

According to the clinic's website, "Some cancer treatments - chemotherapy, some surgeries, pelvic or whole-body radiation - may cause menopausal symptoms. These symptoms can be distressing, and in some cases, persist for a long time after treatment has ended. Younger women with cancer may experience these symptoms many years before they expected to, and older women, who may have already been through menopause, could experience menopausal symptoms all over again, years after they first subsided."

If you have been through cancer treatment or are at high risk of cancer, visit their website for more information. You need a referral from your GP for an appointment. MSAC is at Women's Health Clinics, Level 1, 20 Flemington Road, Parkville VIC.

Book a free 15-minute call

If menopause symptoms are affecting your days or nights and you'd like to try hypnotherapy, I'm happy to talk it through.

I can also help with pain management if needed.

Further reading

References

  1. Elkins G, Marcus J, Stearns V, Perfect M, Rajab MH, Ruud C, Palamara L, Keith T. Randomized trial of a hypnosis intervention for treatment of hot flashes among breast cancer survivors. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2008;26(31):5022–5026. doi:10.1200/JCO.2008.16.6389. Free full text (PMC)

  2. Elkins GR, Fisher WI, Johnson AK, Carpenter JS, Keith TZ. Clinical hypnosis in the treatment of postmenopausal hot flashes: a randomized controlled trial. Menopause. 2013;20(3):291–298. doi:10.1097/gme.0b013e31826ce3ed. Free full text (PMC)

  3. Elkins G, Arring N, Morgan G, Lorenz T, Muñiz V, Lafferty C, Scheffrahn K, Alldredge C, Barton D. Self-administered hypnosis vs sham hypnosis for hot flashes: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Network Open. 2025;8(11):e2542537. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.42537. Free full text

  4. Elkins G, Otte J, Carpenter JS, Roberts L, Jackson LS, Kekecs Z, Patterson V, Keith TZ. Hypnosis intervention for sleep disturbance: determination of optimal dose and method of delivery for postmenopausal women. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis. 2021;69(3):323–345. doi:10.1080/00207144.2021.1919520. PubMed

  5. The 2023 nonhormone therapy position statement of The North American Menopause Society. Menopause. 2023;30(6):573–590. doi:10.1097/GME.0000000000002200. Free PDF

Georgina Mitchell Has been Using Clinical Hypnotherapy to help women navigate Menopause for years

Georgina Mitchell has been helping women navigate perimenopause and menopause for years. Having been through it herself, she knows the most common theme for women entering this stage of life: shock at how unprepared and uninformed we are.