peri -menopause

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Permalink Reply by tc_Burt on June 8, 2010 at 5:37am

Hi Samantha,

As peri-menopause can be disruptive to a good night's sleep, and as you 've stated she wakes up feeling anxious and angry, I would start by getting her a good night's sleep where she wakes up calm, relaxed and feeling wonderful and positive. It's always a good way to start the day.

There may also be some grief attached to the knowledge that her child bearing years are ending, but not consciously apparent to her or acknowledged by her.

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Permalink Reply by tc_Burt on June 8, 2010 at 7:39am

You say she is a 'control freak', maybe she has become hypervigilant to the way she is feeling, maybe trying to suggest she treat it like "off a duck's back" may help whilst anything of medical importance not be so forgiving.

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Permalink Reply by Kelley Woods on June 8, 2010 at 8:40pm

Hi Samantha,

What no one tells us is that the process of menopause lasts for years and because of this omission, many women are caught off guard and are dismayed that symptoms are present over a long period of time. This is why it's imperative to understand early on that menopause is a natural, healthy stage of life. When women believe that it is a disorder or a syndrome, they experience it in a more negative manner.

With this in mind, you can help your client in the following ways:

1. Teach her how to regain her emotional balance at will (I suggest Michael Ellner's Emotional Detox Technique)
2. Provide imagery for cooling those hot flashes (which you have done nicely!) I also teach women to imagine dipping their wrists into a cool, running stream of water.
3. Celebrate the oncoming freedom from menstruation! What a liberation! Focus on the positive aspects that menopause might represent for her, keeping in mind that "growing" is the most important feature of growing older.

I have found that clients who are self-described "control freaks" really love trance. This is a time when they can truly let go and relax. Your recording for her will provide her this time. You need only ask HER what she would like it to contain. Perhaps there are some suggestions for self-improvement, or perhaps it is only a magical journey through time and space that she desires. Let her be the architect.

Warmly (heh heh),

Kelley

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Permalink Reply by Katherine Zimmerman on June 9, 2010 at 7:39am

I agree with Licentious. When clients want a personal CD I ask them to write a list of what they want to change around a particular issue and bring it in. Then I can write a personal script from their notes. It's much easier than starting from scratch without their input.

Last night I watched Dr. Christiane Northrup on PBS talking about menopause. It might be worthwhile to read one of her books on the subject. I'm sure that a lot of ideas for metaphors and suggestions would come out of her work as well as simple lifestyle changes. I think that a a multidisciplinary approach with clients is the most effective. And we can help them make those changes with hypnosis!

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