Gary Elkins, Ph.D., ABPP

Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience (Core Clinical Faculty) Baylor University

  • Waco TX

Expert in clinical psychology, health psychology & the science of hypnotherapy for menopause & sleep disorders.

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Managing Menopause: Mind-Body Solutions for Hot Flashes, Sleep and Well-Being

In recognition of World Menopause Day, Baylor psychologist shares research on hypnotherapy's beneficial effects in relieving hot flashes (Image credit: Rana Hamid via Getty Images) The natural aging process of perimenopause and menopause can create a wide range of symptoms for women, with hot flashes and poor sleep being the most frequently reported – and most disruptive – symptoms. World Menopause Day is recognized on Oct. 18, and one Baylor University researcher has been on a 20-year mission to identify safe and effective options to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to help women find relief from hot flashes and improve sleep and well-being during the menopause transition. Gary Elkins, Ph.D., professor of psychology and neuroscience and director of the Mind-Body Medicine Research Laboratory at Baylor University, is among the nation’s leading researchers on hypnotherapy and mind-body approaches, including continued funding by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to evaluate the efficacy of a self-hypnosis intervention to reduce hot flashes and improve sleep, as well as other outcomes. “It is important to recognize that hot flashes are a natural part of menopause,” Elkins said. “They are not caused by stress or personality but are due to the decline in estrogen that occurs naturally with aging.” Perimenopause (the hormonal transition leading up to menopause) and menopause (the cessation of menstrual cycles) is the natural aging process marked by the decline in the reproductive hormone estrogen and progesterone in women and can last anywhere from seven to 20 years. Menopause usually begins around age 52 or can result from breast cancer treatment or hysterectomies. Although HRT remains the most effective treatment for hot flashes, it is not appropriate for everyone. A major NIH study found that HRT led to an increased risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease in some post-menopausal women and breast cancer survivors. Elkins’ research is aimed at giving women choices for their own healthcare, including alternatives such as hypnotherapy. “While hypnotherapy is not widely understood by many people, it can regulate hot flashes and improve sleep by managing how temperatures are perceived and regulated in the brain,” Elkins said. “Hypnotherapy is a mind-body therapy, similar to mindfulness and guided imagery, that involves the focus of attention, a relaxed state and therapeutic suggestions.” Elkins’ research on hot flashes and sleep and hypnotherapy has been clinically shown to reduce hot flashes by up to 80%, more effective than any other hot flash management tool available, with the exception of HRT. He also has found that hypnotherapy, as a mind-body intervention, can reduce hot flashes to a degree comparable to HRT, improve sleep quality by over 50% and reduce anxiety while increasing well-being. “Hypnotherapy involves daily practice of 15-minute hypnotic relaxation sessions that teach your brain to adapt to your body’s changing hormone level. Mental images for coolness and control are used to empower women to take control of the two most troublesome menopause symptoms – hot flashes and sleep,” Elkins said. Elkins offers the following suggestions for women to empower them and help them find relief from hot flashes, anxiety and interrupted sleep. Remember that hot flashes are a normal part of the perimenopausal/menopausal transition, and the effects a woman experiences are real. Talk to your doctor about options that may work for you. Everyone is an individual, and it is important to find what works best for you. A combined approach of mind-body hypnosis therapy along with low-dose medications can be helpful for some women. It can be helpful to keep a daily diary of your hot flashes to monitor them. Get good sleep. Poor sleep and night sweats can make hot flashes worse. Be knowledgeable about things that have not been shown to work, such as fans, cold packs and certain herbs. Seek support from family and friends. Elkins has developed the Evia from Mindset Health App to give women easy access to hypnotherapy for hot flashes. The app comes with a free trial that delivers evidence-based hypnotherapy intervention for women during the menopause transition and beyond.

Gary Elkins, Ph.D., ABPP

Biography

Dr. Gary Elkins' areas of specialization are clinical psychology, health psychology, and hypnotherapy. He is a licensed psychologist and is board certified in Clinical Health Psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology. He is also board certified in Psychological Hypnosis by the American Board of Psychological Hypnosis (ABPH). He has served as the President of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis and is the president-elect of Division 30 (Society for Psychological Hypnosis) of the American Psychological Association. He is the author of the book, Hypnotic Relaxation Therapy: Principles and Applications. In the past, Dr. Elkins served on the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists. Dr. Elkins hobbies includes fly fishing and exercise.

Areas of Expertise

Health and Clincal Psychology
Sleep Problems and Stress Management
Alternative Medicine

Education

Texas A&M University

Ph.D.

Henderson State University

B.A.

Affiliations

  • Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis : President
  • International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis : Incoming Editor

Media Appearances

Dealing with Hot Flashes? Try Hypnosis

WebMD  online

2024-09-22

Gary Elkins, Ph.D., professor of psychology and neuroscience and director of the Mind-Body Medicine Research Laboratory at Baylor, was interviewed for this article about treating menopause hot flashes with clinical hypnosis. “While sleep improves with the hypnotherapy intervention, it also involves general relaxation,” Elkins said. “As women practice self-hypnosis at night, they're entering a more calm and relaxed state, which also may facilitate good sleep or improve sleep duration and sleep quality.”

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Uncovering the new science of clinical hypnosis

American Psychological Association  online

2024-04-01

Gary Elkins, Ph.D., professor of psychology and neuroscience and director of the Mind-Body Medicine Research Lab at Baylor, is quoted about his research regarding hypnosis and hot flashes in menopausal women, the range of responsivity to hypnosis and how hypnosis can be used in addition to other treatments.

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Hypnotherapy Eases Pain, Anxiety, and More

KOH-AM  online

2021-02-12

Gary Elkins, Ph.D., professor of psychology and neuroscience, is quoted about the benefits of hypnotherapy, a medical treatment that can be extremely powerful in helping people cope with a variety of conditions.

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Research Focus

Research submissions in review

- A brief survey study to identify optimal intervention delivery criteria for under-served primary care patients
- Self-administered hypnosis treatment for the management of hot flashes in women: A randomized clinical trial
- Hypnosis for fibromyalgia: determination of dose and method

Current research

Hypnosis for sleep in menopause: determination of optimal dose and method

Articles

Efficacy of a biobehavioral intervention for hot flashes: a randomized controlled pilot study

Menopause

2017

The need for effective nonhormonal treatments for hot flash management without unwanted side effects continues. The primary aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the effect of combining a nonhormonal pharmacologic agent with a behavioral treatment for hot flash reduction.

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Clinical Hypnosis in the Treatment of Post-Menopausal Hot Flashes: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Menopause

2013

The use of estrogen and progesterone to manage vasomotor symptoms (i.e., hot flashes, night sweats) has declined due to concerns over their risks and there is an increased interest in alternate, effective, and low-risk treatments. This study reports the results of a randomized, controlled trial of clinical hypnosis in treating vasomotor symptoms among post-menopausal women.

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Hypnosis for hot flashes among postmenopausal women study: a study protocol of an ongoing randomized clinical trial

BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine

2011

Hot flashes are a highly prevalent problem associated with menopause and breast cancer treatments. The recent findings from the Women's Health Initiative have important implications for the significance of a non-hormonal, mind-body intervention for hot flashes in breast cancer survivors. Women who take hormone therapy long-term may have a 1.2 to 2.0 fold increased risk of developing breast cancer. In addition, it is now known that hormone therapy with estrogen and progestin is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. Currently there are limited options to hormone replacement therapy as non-hormonal pharmacological agents are associated with only modest activity and many adverse side effects. Because of this there is a need for more alternative, non-hormonal therapies. Hypnosis is a mind-body intervention that has been shown to reduce self-reported hot flashes by up to 68% among breast cancer survivors, however, the use of hypnosis for hot flashes among post-menopausal women has not been adequately explored and the efficacy of hypnosis in reducing physiologically measured hot flashes has not yet been determined.

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