The Gut-Brain Connection Program
Does this sound familiar?
You’ve been navigating the daily challenges of IBS - managing sensations like abdominal discomfort, bloating, and unpredictable patterns—and you’re looking for a structured way to support your wellbeing. By the end of many days, the impact of these symptoms can leave you feeling sensitive and looking for additional ways to support your body’s responses.
You may have already explored:
Standard medical protocols and supplements.
Dietary tracking and changes, like the Low FODMAP approach.
Various resources to understand your digestive health.
While these are vital foundations, you might be looking to add a mind-body dimension to your management plan. If you are seeking an evidence-informed way to support the gut-brain connection, the Gut-Brain Connection Program offers a specialized framework to explore.
The Rome Foundation says “Gut-directed hypnotherapy is one of the most effective brain-gut behavior therapies available for patients with Disorders of Gut-Brain Interactions.”
Note: This statement reflects the clinical findings of the Rome Foundation. Individual results will vary and GDH is intended to be used as a complementary management strategy.
A 30-minute Zoom call to meet me, ask any questions you have about the program, and explore whether this approach feels like the right fit for you. No pressure. Just clarity, insight, and a supportive conversation. There is a NZ$49 fee for the call (this is deducted from the full program price if you decide to invest in the program).
Meet and Ask Call
Support for the Gut-Brain Connection: Designed to assist your system in responding with more stability and address the challenges of hypersensitivity.
Nervous System Regulation: Providing tools to support the body’s transition from a state of heightened alertness to a more settled state.
Building Dietary Confidence: Support to help you approach meals with a greater sense of ease and resilience.
Structured Daily Management: A focus on navigating your day with more predictability and reducing the impact of symptoms on your schedule.
Body Confidence: Helping you understand your body's signals and manage sensitivity so it feels less overwhelming in your daily focus.
Supporting Quality of Life: Aiming to support mental clarity and focus by providing structured tools for symptom management.
Facilitating Social Engagement: Supporting your confidence in planning work events or travel through specialized management techniques.
The program is about moving toward a collaborative relationship with your body, using evidence-informed ways to support your digestive health.
The Goals of the Gut-Brain Connection Program
An Evidence-Based Approach to Sustained Support
While managing stress is an important foundation for IBS care, you may be looking for a more specialised way to support your wellbeing.
IBS is a physical condition involving the way your gut and brain communicate through the gut–brain axis. This complex network, involving your nervous system and enteric brain, can become hypersensitive, leading to the challenges you navigate daily.
How the Program Supports You
Gut-Directed Hypnotherapy (GDH) is an evidence-informed, non-invasive modality designed to support the regulation of this sensitive connection. Using targeted suggestions in a focused state, it aims to assist the way your body processes internal sensations and responds to triggers.
Over 40 years of clinical research — including work by Professor Peter Whorwell — indicates that 70–80% of trial participants observed positive progress in their symptom management. This includes noted improvements in comfort regarding bloating, urgency, and bowel patterns.
This program is designed to be more than just monitoring symptoms; it is about supporting your quality of life so that digestive sensations feel less overwhelming in your daily focus. If the nervous system can move into a state of heightened sensitivity, research suggests it can also be supported to move toward a more settled state.
The Gut-Brain Connection Program provides an evidence-informed framework to support your digestive wellbeing.
INTRODUCING THE GUT-BRAIN CONNECTION PROGRAM
Is the IBS Mind-Body Program Right for You?
The Gut-Brain Connection Program is designed for individuals who:
Have followed dietary changes and tracked symptoms but are seeking an additional dimension of support for their digestive wellbeing.
Have utilised supplements and stress management tools and are now looking for a specialised, long-term management strategy for the gut–brain axis.
Are ready for a structured, evidence-informed modality that focuses on supporting the regulation of the body's internal responses.
Are curious about a science-backed approach that addresses the interaction between the brain and the gut.
Want to work toward long-term symptom management through a program that integrates with their existing lifestyle and medical care.
Are looking for a process that is professional, non-invasive, and grounded in clinical research.
Are ready to focus on supporting their quality of life and building confidence in their daily activities.
Ready to support your digestive wellbeing?
Schedule your 30-minute Zoom ‘Meet and Ask’ Call and explore how the IBS Mind-Body Programme is designed to support you in working toward long-term symptom management and a more comfortable daily life.
This call is an opportunity to discuss your goals and determine if this evidence-informed approach is a suitable option for your needs.
The Program Structure
The Gut-Brain Connection Program is a comprehensive, evidence-informed protocol designed to support you in working toward meaningful and long-term symptom management.
This is a personalised program based on your specific experiences and needs. It utilises specialised gut-directed hypnotherapy techniques to support the communication between your brain and gut, while promoting a more settled digestive function.
This structured, multi-session program brings together science-backed tools, personalised strategies, and practical support — all tailored to the way your nervous system and digestive system interact.
The Program has three key areas of focus:
Supporting Gut-Brain Communication: Encouraging a more settled interaction within the gut–brain axis.
Supporting the Nervous System: Assisting your body in transitioning from a state of heightened sensitivity toward a more regulated state.
Mind-Body Engagement: Utilising mental rehearsal and imagery to support your personalised management goals.
Program Objectives: Supporting Your Management Journey
By focusing on the regulation of the gut–brain axis, the program aims to support you in developing:
A more settled nervous system: Assisting your body in transitioning from a state of heightened sensitivity toward a more regulated internal response.
Consistency in patterns: Supporting you in navigating each day with a greater sense of predictability regarding your digestive health.
Techniques for comfort management: Focussed techniques designed to assist you in managing sensations of bloating, pressure, or urgency.
Body confidence: Supporting you to feel more at ease with your physical responses and internal sensations.
Support for social engagement: Providing tools to help you engage in meetings, meals, or outings with a reduced emphasis on the proximity of facilities.
Increased daily flexibility: Supporting your ability to make choices based on your preferences rather than being guided primarily by symptom-related concerns.
Long-term management tools: Providing evidence-informed techniques designed for ongoing support alongside your existing lifestyle measures.
Quality of life support: Helping you work toward a more comfortable and supported daily experience.
Here’s what’s included in the program
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This no-obligation call is an initial step toward structured symptom management. It’s an opportunity for us to connect, discuss your experience, and explore whether gut-directed hypnotherapy is a suitable approach for your needs.
During our conversation, I will ask a few questions to understand your symptoms, what you have tried so far, and what you are hoping to focus on. You will also have the space to ask any questions—about the science, the process, or how the sessions are organised.
There is no pressure to commit. The goal is clarity: for both of us to feel comfortable that this approach aligns with your goals and preferences. If it feels like a suitable fit, we can discuss next steps. If not, you will still leave the call with additional insight into the gut–brain connection.
Please Note: As this is a complementary management program, a medical diagnosis of IBS from your GP or Gastroenterologist is required before we begin our work together.
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All clients get access to a secure, easy-to-use online portal powered by Quenza. This is where we stay connected between sessions — via private chat, shared notes, and personalised resources.
After each session, I’ll send you a brief summary and any follow-up techniques or guides we’ve discussed, so you can revisit them in your own time. It’s a confidential space where your information is managed securely, kept organised, and tailored just for you.
Note on Portal Use: The private chat is designed for sharing resources and session-related updates. For any urgent medical concerns, please contact your GP or primary healthcare provider.
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Before we meet for our first session, you will be invited to complete a short series of activities inside your private Quenza portal. This Pathway is designed to help us both get the most out of our time together.
You will complete a New Client Questionnaire, a few simple self-assessments, and receive easy-to-follow information on how gut-directed hypnotherapy works — and why it is a recognised, evidence-informed approach for IBS management.
You will also get access to a short hypnosis audio recording, guided by me, to assist you in becoming comfortable with the process. This Pathway is designed to be both calming and supportive, ensuring we can hit the ground running in Session 1.
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Using the insights you share during our Discovery Call — along with your responses in the Quenza Pathway — I will craft a personalised strategy tailored to your specific symptoms, goals, and nervous system patterns.
No two clients are alike, and IBS does not show up the same way for everyone. That is why this approach is never one-size-fits-all. This plan will outline the focus of our sessions, the techniques designed to support your specific objectives, and the tools you can use between sessions to support your progress.
It is a flexible, collaborative roadmap — personalised for you and designed to work alongside your existing medical care.
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Your program includes five one-on-one hypnotherapy sessions, delivered over 10 weeks. This structure is designed to give your nervous system the space and support it needs to facilitate long-term management.
Session 1 (90 minutes) lays the foundation — we review your personalised strategy, discuss your symptom patterns, and begin the first targeted hypnotherapy protocol.
The next four sessions are 60 minutes each, spaced to balance consistency with integration:
Session 2 – 1 week later
Session 3 – 2 weeks later
Session 4 – 2 weeks later
Session 5 – 4 weeks later
This pacing is intentional. It allows time for you to integrate the work, observe how your body responds, and begin using the tools and strategies in daily life — with support all the way through.
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As part of your program, you will receive eight personalised hypnosis recordings, each 15–20 minutes long, designed to support the management objectives we focus on during our sessions. These recordings are tailored to your needs and symptom patterns, and are delivered through your secure Quenza portal.
You will be invited to listen daily for 100 days, following a simple listening schedule.
Why 100 days? Because consistent repetition is key to reinforcing new responses. Regular exposure to these therapeutic suggestions helps strengthen the communication patterns we are aiming for within your gut–brain connection.
This daily practice is designed to be both soothing and empowering — a consistent habit that supports long-term progress in your digestive wellbeing.
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Alongside listening to your hypnosis recordings, you are provided with a suite of simple nervous system support techniques to practise between sessions — including self-hypnosis skills.
These techniques are designed to help you navigate and manage emotional responses to stress, such as worry or frustration. When practised regularly, they support the transition of your body from a state of heightened alertness toward a more settled "rest-and-digest" state, where regulation and wellbeing can be prioritised.
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The completion of our formal sessions is not the end of your journey. To support your continued progress, the programme includes an extended support period:
Extended Portal Access: You will retain access to your secure Quenza account for six months following the completion of your programme. This ensures your personalised resources and session summaries are available whenever you need to revisit them.
Continued Connection: You will also have continued access to the Quenza chat for occasional check-ins. Whether you have a specific question about a technique or wish to share your progress, I remain available to support your ongoing management.
The Gut-Brain Connection Program
Illustrative Case Studies: Gut-Brain Connection Program
INVEST IN EVIDENCE-INFORMED GUT-BRAIN SUPPORT
Grounded in 40 years of clinical research
Based on protocols grounded in 40 years of clinical research
Price: $1,499 NZD (Payable in five equal instalments).
Delivery: Online via Zoom 1:1 sessions (*Face-to-face available for those in the greater Wellington area).
Format: Includes 8 personalised hypnosis recordings, comprehensive resources, educational modules, and dedicated practitioner support.
Structure: A structured program typically delivered over 10 weeks (5 core sessions).
Suitable For: Individuals with a medical diagnosis of IBS or recognised functional digestive challenges (such as functional dyspepsia or persistent bloating) who are seeking long-term, evidence-informed symptom management and support for their daily quality of life.
Spaces Available: To ensure high-quality, personalised support, I accept a limited number of new clients each month.
The First Step
Schedule your 30-minute Zoom ‘Meet and Ask’ Call. During this consultation, we will discuss your specific management goals and explore how this program aligns with your needs and preferences. It is an opportunity to ask questions about the process and see if this specialised approach is a suitable option for you.
Consultation Fee: NZ$49
Program Credit: This fee is fully deducted from the total program price should you choose to enrol.
Please Note: To ensure your safety and the effectiveness of this complementary approach, a medical diagnosis of IBS or a related functional digestive disorder from your GP or Specialist is required prior to starting the program.
THE GUT-BRAIN CONNECTION PROGRAM IS …
Meaningful Support for Your Quality of Life
The program is designed to provide long-term symptom management for those navigating the challenges of IBS, while also supporting your emotional and mental wellbeing.
By focusing on the gut–brain connection, we work together to support your confidence and energy, contributing to your overall quality of life and daily comfort.
A Comprehensive, Integrated Approach
At its core is evidence-informed gut-directed hypnotherapy, which this program is designed to build upon by integrating:
Nervous system regulation techniques to support your body's response to stress.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) principles to assist in managing thoughts and feelings related to your digestive health.
Emotional processing techniques to help you navigate the daily challenges of IBS.
This offers a multi-faceted approach personalised for your specific digestive management goals and daily wellbeing.
Tailored to You
IBS isn’t one-size-fits-all—and neither is this Program. Your symptoms, your triggers, and your story are unique, which is why your management strategy is personalised from the very first session to support your specific goals.
Addressing the Factors that Support Long-Term Management
This Program offers a comprehensive approach to management by addressing the factors that often keep the stress–symptom interaction in motion. Rather than a "one-size-fits-all" approach, we focus on:
Supporting the Gut–Brain Connection: Aiming to support a more settled interaction within the communication loop between your brain and your digestive system.
Managing Emotional Stressors: Identifying and addressing the daily stressors that can influence gut sensitivity.
Addressing the Feedback Loop: Supporting you in managing the cycle where physical sensations lead to stress, which in turn can influence digestive sensitivity.
Flexible & Accessible Support
Choose 1:1 online sessions from the comfort of your own private space — or in-person consultations in Wellington, NZ.
This Program is designed to be accessible and integrated manageable alongside a busy schedule, providing professional support regardless of your location.
A Gentle & Non-Invasive Approach
As a non-pharmacological approach, this Program is generally well-tolerated and is designed to be used as a complementary part of your existing medical plan. It utilises a research-supported process to help support a more settled gut–brain interaction and your daily wellbeing.