Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) can be debilitating physically and emotionally to those who suffer from it. Hypnotherapy has been rated one of the most effective treatments to this poorly understood syndrome. James has successfully worked with many clients who have seen their symptoms greatly alleviated or disappear entirely with hypnotherapy treatment.

Here is a link that summarizes recent research on the efficacy of hypnotherapy on IBS:

http://www.ibshypnosis.com/IBSresearch.html

Hypnotherapy in the News:

US News and World Report Article Link

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/digestive-disorders/articles/2008/11/19/try-hypnosis-and-counseling-for-ibs-and-crohns

Testemonial from a satisfied client for IBS treatment:

“It was a medical condition that led me to hypnotherapy, and consequently, to James Serendip. Traditional medication, acupuncture and herbs, and following a strict diet had not yielded much progress. James was able to explain both scientifically and spiritually, how hypnotherapy could be of value for my medical condition, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, and how through subconscious penetration, my mind and body could ally in the healing process. Through preliminary conversations, James pinpointed areas where I was holding onto harmful ideas and energy, thus targeting an appropriate place from which to start therapeutic work.

I found James to be especially attentive, incorporating the slightest of conversational details into our sessions. He did not assert his ego or his assumptions, but rather listened to my responses to lead me to the next step. Recognizing that the most important aspects of a therapist-patient relationship are trust and safety, James not only made me feel secure, but also extremely comfortable in opening up about topics I’ve trained myself to hold onto or dismiss.

James continues to help me achieve a growing awareness of how to handle daily situations in a healthy manner to arrive at a more productive end. I’ve seen physical symptoms subside immediately and have liberated emotional baggage that I’ve carried around and devalued for years. His remarkable healing essence not only allowed me to achieve the physical recovery I was seeking, but also brought about positive emotional transformation.”

Wendi Gorelik, Denver, CO

IBS and Point of Focus

A study by researchers in the field of gastroenterology found that IBS patients (i.e. those under a doctor’s care for IBS) had a statistically significantly elevated incidence of psycho-emotional disorders of one kind or another than people who HAVE IBS (or IBS symptoms) but who are NOT being treated by their doctors for IBS.

Isn’t THAT interesting?

Combining this study with the fact that IBS is a disease purely of the industrialized world raises a lot of questions about what exactly causes so many people to suffer from this often debilitating syndrome.

The medical community has long been telling us that IBS is a “stress-related illness” but unfortunately that’s about all they will say when it comes to stress-related illnesses.

The truth is, “stress” is a fairly ambiquous term, and it may be time to start identifying some more specific concepts that currently just fall beneath the umbrella of “stress.”

Going on a vacation is a source of stress! Does vacationing cause IBS??? (Well, some people DO notice gastrointestinal distress the first few days of a vacation, so…)

Let me clarify what I mean by a vacation being a stress… “Stress” most literally means any set of conditions perceived in which the mind/body complex determines some degree of possible or imminent threat that requires a response. And since we humans are “creatures of habit” actually anything that is outside our normal or expected experience is (as far as the subconscious is concerned) a stress. Even if we’re enjoying it!

So to say that “stress” is a cause or contributing factor in IBS is simply not therapeutically useful. Rather, I propose that we begin to examine what sorts of things an individual is focusing on, both consciously and subconsciously, as contributing factors to IBS. After all, this sort of internalization of “stress” is quite directly metaphorical, being all about what we hold and what we release and when.