My Journey

Digestive issues are tough. 

They can also be quite tricky to get under control. 

I know firsthand how hard it can be because I’ve been living with a chronic digestive disease (called Crohn’s Disease) for the last 20 years.  When I was first diagnosed I thought I could just power through it.  I was in denial and I refused to change my life.  Unsurprisingly in my fight against reality, reality won.  I spiraled downward until I hit rock bottom.  I was scared and realized my only hope was to start making real changes if I wanted a life that was, well, livable.

So I began my search for answers.  I left no stone unturned - whether it was a new specialist, medication, alternative therapy, supplement, herb or diet, I tried it all.  Slowly, through years of trial and error, I started to piece together a plan that worked.  But it wasn't until many years later, well into my career as a psychologist, that I stumbled upon a field called psycho-gastroenterology (GI psychology for short).  This was the missing piece I didn't know I needed: an approach that added the powerful connection between the mind and the gut. It completed the picture and gave me more understanding and control over managing my condition.

Discovering GI psychology was a turning point, allowing me to combine my personal journey with my professional life to support others facing GI issues. Thanks to the decades of work done by academics in the field, I learned why GI disorders are mind-body disorders and why a holistic approach that includes both physical and psychological strategies benefits people so much.  And yet, GI psychology is still a hidden gem in healthcare - few people, even in the medical community, have heard of it.