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In a UK study of people with IBS, nearly 30% of employed participants reported missing work because of their symptoms, while more than 80% reported that IBS affected their productivity while at work.¹ 

Unlike sickness absence, reduced productivity is often less visible. An employee may be at work but struggling to concentrate because of pain, discomfort or the worry of needing to leave a meeting unexpectedly. 

What Is IBS? 

IBS is a common disorder of gut-brain interaction, characterised by recurring abdominal pain and changes in bowel habits, including constipation, diarrhoea or both, often accompanied by bloating. 

IBS can affect much more than digestion. Beyond its impact on work performance, it can influence what people eat and wear, their confidence, social plans, travel and sleep. As bowel symptoms aren't something people tend to discuss openly, IBS often leaves people feeling embarrassed and isolated.

How Can IBS Be Treated? 

Treatment for IBS depends on the person's symptoms and may include dietary changes or medication. But other approaches can help too, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and gut-directed hypnotherapy. 

CBT looks at how someone thinks about and responds to their symptoms. For example, if someone has started avoiding meetings, eating out or travelling because they're worried about their IBS, CBT can help them gradually feel more confident doing these things again. 

Gut-directed hypnotherapy uses hypnosis, guided imagery, and therapeutic suggestions focused specifically on the digestive system to reduce symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, and discomfort. 

Importantly, IBS isn't simply caused by stress or anxiety, and you don't need to be particularly anxious or stressed to benefit from gut-directed hypnotherapy. So how can a treatment involving hypnosis help with a condition that affects the digestive system? The answer lies in the connection between the gut and the brain.

Understanding the Gut-Brain Connection 

Your gut and brain are constantly communicating with each other. Think about the butterflies you might feel before giving a presentation or going for a job interview. That's an everyday example of the gut-brain connection. 

In IBS, the gut and brain can become more sensitive to the signals passing between them. It's a bit like the volume being turned up. Sensations that might normally go unnoticed, such as stretching as food or gas moves through the bowel, can feel uncomfortable or even painful. 

And when you don't know when your symptoms might appear, it's understandable to start worrying about them. Will my stomach play up during a meeting? Will there be a toilet nearby? Will eating this make my symptoms worse?

That worry can sometimes make symptoms worse, and before long, people may find themselves avoiding situations they previously wouldn't have thought twice about. 

What Does the Research Show? 

Research increasingly supports gut-directed hypnotherapy as a treatment option for IBS. A 2025 systematic review involving 1,158 participants found that gut-directed hypnotherapy helped reduce abdominal pain, with encouraging findings for overall IBS symptoms.² 

More recently, a 2026 study involving 230 participants found that 48% of those receiving therapist-delivered gut-directed hypnotherapy experienced a meaningful improvement in abdominal pain.³ 

What Does Treatment Involve? 

When I work with someone who has IBS, I combine gut-directed hypnotherapy with CBT techniques and education about how the gut and brain communicate. 

Together, we explore how IBS is affecting their day-to-day life, whether they've started avoiding certain situations and what they'd like to feel more comfortable doing again. 

Hypnosis is part of the treatment, but clients remain aware of what's happening and in control throughout. I also provide recordings for them to practice with between sessions, as regular practice is an important part of the process. 

My sessions are for people who have received a medical diagnosis of IBS, and treatment is provided alongside any care they're receiving from their doctor, gastroenterologist or dietitian. 

References 

1. Goodoory VC, Ng CE, Black CJ, Ford AC. Impact of Rome IV irritable bowel syndrome on work and activities of daily living. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics. 2022;56(5):844–856. 

https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17132  

2. Adler EC, Levine EH, Ibarra AN, et al. Gut-directed hypnotherapy for irritable bowel syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurogastroenterology & Motility. 2025;37(7). 

https://doi.org/10.1111/nmo.70037  

3. Snijkers JTW, Bosman MHMA, Winkens B, et al. In-person therapist-delivered hypnotherapy versus smartphone-based self-guided hypnotherapy in IBS: a multicentre three-armed randomised controlled trial. Gut. Published online 25 July 2026. https://doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2026-338385  

Clinical Guidance 

British Society of Gastroenterology. Guidelines on the management of irritable bowel syndrome. Gut. 2021. 

https://doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2021-324598  

Lacy BE, Pimentel M, Brenner DM, et al. ACG clinical guideline: management of irritable bowel syndrome. 

American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2021;116(1):17–44. https://doi.org/10.14309/ajg.0000000000001036  

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Irritable bowel syndrome in adults: diagnosis and management (CG61). Published 2008; last updated 2017. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg61 

Author: Lucy McFeely, Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapist at Connect Psychology