In the UK the incidence of gut related disorders is very high - as many 1 in 5 of us are diagnosed with IBS or IBD. Gut related illness can be extremely debilitating on many levels. Many of us become incapacitated physically and worn down emotionally by the experience. Medical treatment can be radical and time-consuming, focusing on alleviation of symptoms. The causes of gut related conditions are not limited to a purely physical origin. Trauma, stress and emotional influences also play a part. It is almost as if our whole system is sensitive and vulnerable to life's twists and turns. Gut related discomfort begins to create a vicious cycle of difficulty - the symptoms are reinforced by the misery they create until we feel that there is no way out.

I use hypnotherapy coupled with CBT.  Research studies carried out by P.J. Whorwell at the Department of Medicine in the University Hospital of South Manchester have indicated that the use of hypnotherapy with people who suffer from IBS and IBD can create benefits that are sustainable.   Their results indicated continued benefit over a five year period after treatment.  (Thus the regular use of hypnotic relaxation with positive suggestions related to gut health and comfort can maintain reduced or eliminated symptoms over a longer period.)  

I am a member of the Register of Approved Gastro-Intestinal Psychotherapists and Hypnotherapists and was trained in this approach to IBS and IBD in 2001.  I have been a counsellor and psychotherapist since 1991.