I have been aware – and often in awe – of the mind-body connection ever since I added hypnotherapy to my therapeutic practice. Time and again, after using hypnosis to create a state of deep relaxation my clients report welcomed relief from chronic pain and other symptoms associated with a variety of diseases. Of all the positive results I’ve observed perhaps the most dramatic is relief from the debilitating diarrhea, constipation and cramping caused by Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

Nearly 45 million Americans, 20% of the nation’s population, suffer from this incapacitating disorder, for which there is no permanent cure, obvious cause or simple treatment. Fortunately for the millions of women and men afflicted with IBS (women in greater numbers than men, for an unknown reason), hypnotherapy is proving to be an effective intervention as recently reported by a task force of the American College of Gastroenterology. Apparently, clients in the trance state are able to tap into the brain-to-gut connection, reacting to the therapist’s suggestions on how to slow down the urges and spasms of huge networks of nerves, neurotransmitters and hormones that constantly send signals back and forth. As reported by the Journal of Gastroenterology, hypnotherapy may be helpful for more than 70 percent of people who are afflicted with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, with relief lasting at least five years.

The results are not achieved overnight. Teaching people to harness the power of their minds takes attention, intention and imagination. Emotions can help or hinder healing. If the body is stressed, an excess of cortisol is released making healing difficult. Conversely, through hypnotherapy, using guided imagery, the shift to a more relaxed emotional state releases the more healing hormone, serotonin.

Each 50-minute session is designed to work with the client’s individual needs. After creating an audiotape with healing images to be used at home, I also work with each person to uncover what is causing their stress, teaching new ways of handling it.

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