A Norwich therapist has developed a cool way to defeat hot flushes
Not so long ago hot flushes were either the subject of jokes (mostly for middle aged men) or embarrassment (mostly for middle-aged women.)
But the menopause is moving from taboo to topical as women speak out.
Kerry Dolan, of Norwich, thinks she runs the country's only group hypnotherapy courses focusing on the menopause. "I discovered hypnosis when my midwife recommended it for the birth of my first child, 10 years ago," she said. The experience was so powerful she trained as a hypnotherapist and is now also a life coach, specialising in women's health and well-being. And she is convinced hypnosis can help women through the menopause.
To mark World Menopause Day, on Friday October 18, Kerry Dolan answered some questions:
When did you realise hypnosis could help menopausal symptoms?
Having experienced the results of hypnosis in the birth of my three children and in my practice, I felt confident that hypnotherapy could be used to support women through menopause. It is particularly helpful when working with natural processes which may have become disrupted by our habits, beliefs, emotions or life styles. Knowing that it was a rite of passage I would inevitably pass through, I set about finding out as much as I could and studied with a couple of hypnotherapists who were already working with the symptoms of menopause and perimenopause.
Do women attending your courses swap tips?
Yes, absolutely. The group dynamic is powerful. For me, being part of a group who can relate to your experience is one of the best parts. Menopause is such a taboo subject that we often feel very alone in our experience and being able to talk openly about how we feel can be so reassuring.
What is the snow globe technique?
It is a visualisation technique which utilises the fact that our bodies store all of our experiences. I teach my clients how to tap into their body's memories of being cool or cold so that they can interrupt or counteract a hot flush.
Have you experienced menopausal symptoms yourself?
I'm 45 and have been experiencing symptoms of perimenopause for a couple of years now. So far, my symptoms have been brain fog, tiredness, heavy, irregular periods, anxiety, PMS, bloating, weight gain and aching bones and joints.
What symptoms can hypnotherapy help with, and how?
Hypnotherapy will teach you how to elicit the relaxation response despite your busy life, thereby increasing the body's resources to manage the transition more smoothly. I teach techniques for managing the anxiety that can come with menopause, plus tips for managing fatigue, brain fog and insomnia. The courses address weight gain and use hypnotherapy to instil good habits and we work on self-esteem, self belief and self worth, encouraging women to make their lives they always wanted to live.
Fact file
Kerry is part of the Norwich Natural Fertility Partnership, and of the Perimenopause Hub, perimenopausehub.com, which was set up by Emily Barclay, of Earsham, near Bungay, this autumn to help women approaching the menopause.
Perimenopause is defined as when the ovaries begin to make less oestrogen, while the menopause is when is when a woman stops having periods and is no longer able to get pregnant naturally.
The next Trance For Menopause course with Kerry Dolan begins on November 5 at the Soma Wellbeing Centre, Bagley's Court in the Norwich Lanes. It costs £105 for five two-hour sessions. wombservice.com
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