Who We Are
GI Psychology is a group practice whose behavioral health clinicians are experts in effective treatments for gastrointestinal disorders. We are specialists in GI psychology which is a subspecialty within health psychology that looks at the interaction between the mind and the gastrointestinal system. Currently, it can go by many names such as GastroPsych, Psycho Gastroenterology, Brain-gut therapy, and Psycho Neurogastroenterology. Each of these names focus on the same thing: the bidirectional interaction between the brain and the gut. We offer individual, couple, and family therapies, as well as skills groups.
Who We Serve
We specialize in treating children, adolescents, and adults with a variety of GI disorders, chronic pain, and other medically complicated conditions. Our effective treatment approach emphasizes two scientifically validated therapies: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Clinical Hypnosis through individual therapy and skills groups.
Children
Our clinicians have the specialty training and expertise in providing effective treatments to children. We educate our pediatric patients on the brain-gut connection in ways they can understand. Children have impressive abilities to utilize their imagination and our treatment maximizes these strengths. We create an empirically supported treatment plan that recognizes your child’s individual needs, symptoms, and abilities. Parent involvement and education is emphasized.
Adolescents
Our clinicians are experts in working with adolescents to teach them the skills that can facilitate physical relief and the perspectives to make them more resilient. We implement an empirically support treatment approach that recognizes the unique phase of adolescence while factoring in individual needs, symptoms, and abilities. The level of parental involvement in the therapeutic process will vary based on the patient’s need while the clinician works to empower the adolescent.
Adults
Often many of the adults that come to us have been experiencing long standing distress and have complicated medical conditions. Our clinicians have experience assisting patients with these types of challenges and coordinating care with their other medical providers.
What We Do
(My therapist) was excellent in helping me improve my IBS through hypnotherapy and educating me on techniques to continue improving my overall health through the power of my mind. I realized the power in hypnosis for improvement of health conditions and that I can improve my health on my own by implementing mind over circumstances/symptoms with proper techniques, such as hypnosis. It really works! I’m continuing the techniques I’ve learned on my own and will be sharing this information with others as well.
Conditions Treated
GI Psychology is a team of clinical experts specially trained to facilitate relief in patients experiencing GI disorders, chronic pain, and other medical conditions. We recruit therapists that are highly experienced in treating common psychological conditions and then provide rigorous training in GI and health psychology. Below are the areas we most commonly treat:
- Anxiety
- Chronic Pain
- Depression
- Disorders of the Gut-Brain Interaction (DGBI) – also referred to as Functional GI Disorders
- Centrally Mediated Abdominal Pain Syndrome
- Dyspepsia
- Functional Abdominal Bloating/Distension
- Functional Dysphagia
- Functional Dyspepsia
- Functional Constipation, Diarrhea, and Fecal Incontinence
- Functional Nausea
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Enuresis
- Insomnia and Sleep Disturbance
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD, including Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease)
- Celiac Disease
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Panic Attacks/Panic Disorder
- Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS)
- Women’s Health
- Perimenopause/Menopause
- Endometriosis
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrom (PCOS)
- Unexplained Infertility/Medically-Assisted Fertility
- HypnoBirthing®
Treatment Approach
With all of our clinicians specializing in health psychology for gastrointestinal disorders, the GI Psychology team emphasizes two types of psychological treatments that have been shown to be very effective in creating relief. A significant amount of scientific research has been conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of these two treatments.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- CBT & IBS
- Clinical Hypnosis
- Palsson
- Whorwell
- Rome Foundation
Our clinicians provide treatment for kids, adolescents, and adults. We treat these conditions within the context of individual therapy, couples therapy, family therapy, and parent consultations. Our team can discuss the most appropriate clinician match during your initial consultation.