Hypnotherapy is medically recognised as one of the most successful treatments for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy for IBS

Which IBS Symptoms affect You?

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a term for a collection of symptoms that can be quite varied.  It can be a very confusing condition for a lot of people.  The severity of symptoms often varies from day to day without any apparent reason.

Hypnotherapy for IBS has successfully helped people with the following:

  • Stomach Pain
  • Stomach Cramps
  • Abdominal Bloating or Swelling
  • Constipation, Diarrhoea or both.
  • Excessive Wind
  • Urgent need to go to the toilet
  • Feeling of “not quite emptied” after going to the toilet.

So, if you’re suffering with any of the above symptoms, you’re in the right place.

Hypnotherapy can also help with some of the knock on effects of IBS such as:

IBS can affect people psychologically as well.  Here are some of the symptoms that previous IBS clients have told me about:

  • Anxiety (at not being able to make it to the toilet in time)
  • Depression
  • Decrease in Quality of Life
  • Shame
  • Fear
  • Low Self-Esteem
  • Guilt
  • Anger.

As you probably already know, the exact causes of IBS remain unknown.  However, it is often associated with.

  • Your digestive system being over-sensitive to certain foods.
  • Stress

IBS affects between 10 and 15% of Australians at some stage in their lives. There is no formal medical treatment for this condition.  However, there are quite a few things that can help.  Hypnotherapy for IBS stands out as being particularly effective.

Research confirms that Hypnotherapy for IBS is Highly Effective

At Withington Hospital in Manchester (UK), 204 patients took part in a few sessions of “gut-directed” hypnotherapy. When assessed immediately after the hypnotherapy treatment, and then 6 years afterwards, 71% of participants reported an improvement in their condition.

Some of the things that these people noticed included:

  • Improvement in their quality of life
  • Reduced levels of Anxiety and Depression
  • Less reliance and use of drugs to manage the condition
  • Less trips to the doctor
  • Fewer than 10% of participants sought other treatments after trying hypnotherapy.

I use many of the same methods used in this study when I treat people using Hypnotherapy for IBS.  However, my treatment will be much more tailored to your specific symptoms.

How do I treat people with IBS?

I always recommend getting your IBS symptoms checked out by a doctor before commencing Hypnotherapy for IBS sessions.  One of the frustrating things about IBS is that there is often no physical or structural damage to the body. You have the symptoms, but the doctor is unable to see a reason or “cause” for them.

When I treat people using Hypnotherapy for IBS, I focus on the physical symptoms AND the psychological aspects.  Both are very important and each affects the other.

My process involves helping you regulate the physical symptoms, so that you can control it, rather than it controlling you.  I have a number of methods for doing this, including “gut-directed” hypnotherapy that was used in the IBS research mentioned earlier. I’ll also teach you these techniques, so that you can use them at home.

I use a number of specialist hypnotic techniques to promote healing in the gut, so that over time, your gut can be less affected by “problem foods”

I’ll also work with your emotions, as your gut is very sensitive to your emotional state.  Often the anxiety surrounding IBS makes the condition worse and creates a vicious cycle where the anxiety makes the physical symptoms worse.  In Hypnosis, I will help you break that cycle and feel more calm, relaxed and in control.  I’ll also help with many of the other psychological feelings such as shame, fear, anger or frustration.

My Hypnotherapy for IBS treatment will help you:

  • Gain control over your unconscious reactions, so that you feel in control of your body.
  • Deal with any underlying causes.
  • Reduce your sensitivity to foods and situations that triggered IBS outbursts in the past.
  • Learn how to use Visualisation to promote physical healing.
  • Develop calmer and more rational thought processes.
  • Increase your confidence and belief in your ability to control this condition.

Will it work for me?

People with IBS have frequently tried many different treatment options.  Hypnotherapy is often one of the last things people try when everything else has failed.  The stress, anxiety and frustration around trying to find a solution can often make the problem a whole lot worse.

So it’s natural to feel a little sceptical about using hypnotherapy to reduce or maybe even overcome your IBS symptoms.  That’s a normal feeling when looking at a new solution to fix an old problem.  Many of my previous clients, had already tried medications, eliminating certain foods or other alternative therapies without success, so were naturally a little sceptical when they first walked through my door.   However, many of these people came out surprised by how easy it was to start controlling and reducing their IBS symptoms.

By working with both the physical and psychological issues, I have found that this greatly increases the chances of a successful outcome, even for people that have had IBS for many years.  If you have an open mind and a willingness to practice the techniques that I teach you between sessions, then I am confident that you will notice a reduction in both the physical and psychological affects of IBS.

How many sessions will I need?

As everyone is unique, this will tend to vary.  Sometimes, it can be one or two sessions.  For others, a short course of treatment of 3 to 6 sessions may be required.  However, you should start noticing some changes after the first session.

Locations and Fees

You can have a face to face hypnotherapy session in Crows Nest. Alternatively, you can relax at home with an online hypnotherapy session via Zoom.

For further details, please visit my locations page.

You can find details of my hypnotherapy fees here.

What’s the next step?

If you have reached the point where IBS is really affecting your quality of life, then now is the time to sort it out.

If you have any specific questions or require further information, please send an email to paul@harbourhypnotherapy.com.au or call me on 0433 446 012.

Or if you’re ready to start tackling your IBS issues once and for all, book your first appointment by calling the number below.

Call now on 0433 446 012

I look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes

Paul Thomas

Professional Clinical Hypnotherapist
Specialist in Hypnotherapy for IBS.