Gut-Directed Hypnotherapy
for IBS in Hampshire
Evidence-based support to ease IBS and gut symptoms, working with the gut-brain connection, in person across Hampshire or online.
Hypnotherapy for IBS in Fareham, Hampshire, and online
Gut-directed hypnotherapy for IBS
A drug-free, well-researched approach that works with the gut-brain connection to ease IBS symptoms. Named by NICE as an option for IBS that has not responded to other treatment. In person in Fareham or online across the UK.
Fareham, Hampshire, plus online therapy UK wide
Free · Confidential · No obligation · Works alongside your GP care
Start here
What is gut-directed hypnotherapy?
Gut-directed hypnotherapy is a structured course of hypnotherapy designed specifically for gut symptoms. In a deeply relaxed state, the therapist uses calming suggestion and imagery focused on the digestive system, with the aim of settling how the gut and brain communicate.
It is not general relaxation with a gut theme. It follows an established protocol, is delivered over a course of sessions rather than a single visit, and includes work you do between sessions.
It is also drug-free, which is part of why people look for it, particularly after years of dietary changes and medication that have only gone so far.
What the guidance says
One of the better-evidenced uses of hypnotherapy
NICE, which sets clinical guidance for the NHS, says that referral for psychological intervention, naming hypnotherapy alongside CBT, should be considered for people whose IBS has not responded to medication after 12 months. Very few uses of hypnotherapy are named in national clinical guidance at all, and this is one of them.
Trials of gut-directed hypnotherapy have reported reductions in symptom severity and improvements in quality of life, with benefits lasting well beyond the end of treatment for many people. NICE also notes that many of the trials are small, and calls for larger research. We would rather tell you that than imply the evidence is stronger than it is.
What it is not is a cure, or a guarantee. It is a well-supported option that helps a good proportion of people, and one worth trying when other things have not settled it.
The gut-brain connection
Why working with the mind changes the gut
The gut is sometimes called the second brain, and the two are in constant two-way conversation through the vagus nerve, hormones and the gut's own nervous system. That is why nerves produce butterflies, and why stress so reliably makes gut symptoms worse.
In IBS the gut often becomes hypersensitive, so ordinary digestion is registered as pain or urgency. Anxiety about symptoms then heightens that sensitivity further, and the loop tightens.
- Calms the stress response, which is one of the most consistent triggers for flare-ups
- Works on gut sensitivity, using imagery aimed at how the gut registers normal sensation
- Eases the anxiety around symptoms, including the worry about being caught out away from home
- Gives you tools to use yourself, so the benefit continues after the sessions end
What it can help with
Who it tends to suit
Mainly used for functional gut conditions, and for the anxiety that so often grows around them.
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Functional dyspepsia
- Bloating and abdominal discomfort
- Urgency and worry about toilets
- Stress-related gut symptoms
- Anxiety around eating out
- Avoiding travel or social plans
- Low mood linked to gut health
Living with an inflammatory condition such as Crohn's or colitis? Hypnotherapy does not treat the disease itself, and it is no substitute for your gastroenterology team. It can help with the stress, the sleep and the wellbeing side alongside their care.
No surprises
What a course actually involves
Gut-directed hypnotherapy is a course, not a one-off. That structure is part of what makes it work, and it is worth knowing before you start so you can plan for it.
- A course of weekly or fortnightly sessions rather than a single appointment
- Recordings to use at home between sessions, which is where much of the change is consolidated
- Time spent on your triggers, whether stress, particular situations or anxiety about symptoms
- In person in Fareham or online, both of which work well for this
Gut-directed hypnotherapy is £114 a session, or £756 for a course of seven. See all fees
Getting started
What happens when you get in touch
- 1
You send a message or call
It helps to say whether you have a diagnosis and what you have already tried, but neither is required.
- 2
A free 15 minute call
A relaxed, confidential chat about your symptoms and whether this approach is likely to suit you. No cost, no obligation.
- 3
You start the course
We agree the number of sessions and the schedule, in person in Fareham or online, and you go at a pace that fits your life.
Less time planning your life around your gut
For most people the goal is not perfection. It is being able to eat out, travel, sit through a meeting or make plans without checking where the toilets are first. That is a realistic thing to aim for.
Good to know
Gut-directed hypnotherapy questions, answered
Is gut-directed hypnotherapy evidence based?
It is one of the better-researched uses of hypnotherapy. NICE guidance on IBS names hypnotherapy, alongside CBT, as a psychological intervention to consider for people whose symptoms have not responded to medication after 12 months. Trials have reported reduced symptom severity and improved quality of life, with benefits often lasting. NICE also notes many of the trials are small, so we would describe the evidence as good rather than conclusive.
Should I see my GP first?
Yes, please do. Gut symptoms have several possible causes and it matters to get a proper diagnosis first. Speak to your GP promptly about bleeding, unexplained weight loss, a persistent change in bowel habit, or symptoms that start later in life. Once other causes have been looked at, this works well alongside their care.
Can it cure my IBS?
We would not promise a cure, and we would be wary of anyone who does. IBS is a long-term condition. What many people find is a meaningful reduction in how severe and how frequent the symptoms are, and considerably less of their life spent planning around it.
How many sessions will I need?
It is a course rather than a single session. Research protocols typically run over several weeks, and we usually work in a course of around seven sessions with recordings to use at home in between. We will give you a realistic picture on the free call before you commit to anything.
How is this different from ordinary hypnotherapy?
The structure and the content. General hypnotherapy might work on stress in a broad way. Gut-directed hypnotherapy follows an established protocol with suggestion and imagery aimed specifically at the digestive system and at gut sensitivity, delivered over a set course.
Does it work alongside the low FODMAP diet or medication?
Yes, and many people do both. Dietary approaches and medication work on one part of the picture, this works on another, and they sit together comfortably. We would always encourage you to keep following your GP or dietitian's advice.
Will I be unconscious or lose control?
No. Hypnosis is a state of focused relaxation, not sleep and not unconsciousness. You stay aware throughout, you can speak and move, and you cannot be made to do anything you would not ordinarily do. Most people describe it as similar to being absorbed in a book.
Is it available online?
Yes. We offer sessions in person at our Fareham practice and online across the UK. Online works particularly well for this, since you are relaxing in your own space and can go straight from the session to resting.
Can it help children and teenagers?
It can be suitable for children and young people as well as adults, and gut symptoms in children are common. For a child we would want your GP involved as well, so there is a full network of support around them.
What if it does not work for me?
It does not work for everyone, and we will say so honestly rather than keep you coming indefinitely. If you are not seeing any change we will talk about whether a different approach would suit you better, or whether going back to your GP is the right next step.
Whenever you are ready, we are here
Start with a free 15 minute call. A relaxed, confidential conversation with an experienced therapist, a chance to ask anything and to find out whether this approach suits you, with no cost and no obligation.