---
title: Menopause
url: https://mbmi.org/conditions/menopause
description: What the North American Menopause Society says about nonhormone options for hot flashes, including CBT, and where relaxation and mindfulness help.
author: Mind and Body content team
last_updated: 2026-10-26
---
# Menopause

Menopause brings hot flashes, sleep disruption and mood changes for many women. Some mind-body approaches have good evidence for specific symptoms. Others do not, and it matters to know the difference.

## Key takeaways

- Cognitive-behavioral therapy and clinical hypnosis are recommended by the North American Menopause Society for hot flashes.
- The society does not recommend mindfulness-based approaches, relaxation or paced breathing as treatments for hot flashes.
- Relaxation can still help with sleep, stress and coping. Discuss all options, including hormone therapy, with your clinician.

## What the guideline says

The North American Menopause Society's 2023 position statement on nonhormone therapy recommends cognitive-behavioral therapy and clinical hypnosis for vasomotor symptoms such as hot flashes. It rates the evidence for paced respiration, relaxation and mindfulness-based approaches as insufficient to recommend them for this purpose.[1] (source 1)


## Where relaxation still helps

Menopause also affects sleep and mood, and cognitive-behavioral approaches for insomnia are effective.[2] (source 2) Many women find a daily relaxation practice useful for unwinding, even though it is not a proven treatment for hot flashes.


> From the MBMI Archive: [Perimenopause and Menopause](https://mbmi.org/archive/programs/menopause) — The institute's nine-week mind body program, 2005–2009.


## Options to discuss with a clinician

- Hormone therapy, which is the most effective treatment for hot flashes for many women
- Nonhormone medications
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy or clinical hypnosis
- Sleep, activity and alcohol habits
- Bleeding after menopause or other unexpected changes


## Common questions

### Does the archive's menopause program still apply?

It reflects how the institute taught in the 2000s. Guidance since then, including the 2023 statement, is more specific, so use the archive as history.

### Is natural better?

Not automatically. Supplements are not recommended by the society for hot flashes, and some interact with medication. Ask your clinician.


## Sources

1. The 2023 Nonhormone Therapy Position Statement of The North American Menopause Society Advisory Panel. Menopause. 2023;30(6):573–590. doi:10.1097/gme.0000000000002200
2. Qaseem A, Kansagara D, Forciea MA, et al. Management of chronic insomnia disorder in adults: a clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2016;165(2):125–133. doi:10.7326/p16-9016