My IBS Protocol for Hypnotherapists

More Than a Script

My IBS Protocol has developed through many years of working with people experiencing Irritable Bowel Syndrome in clinical practice.

I have been a hypnotherapist since 1986 and began developing my specialist approach to IBS during the 1990s. In 1998, I released the IBS Audio Program 100 for people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. From 2000, I began teaching my IBS Protocol to other hypnotherapists.

Over the years, the approach has continued to develop through clinical experience, listening to clients and learning what happens when a therapeutic approach is used with real people rather than simply described on paper.

That experience is at the heart of my IBS Protocol.

What Is My IBS Protocol?

My IBS Protocol is a structured approach to working therapeutically with clients who have IBS.  It is not simply a script to be read to a client.

The Protocol considers the wider therapeutic process - from the initial consultation and understanding the client's experience, through to structuring the therapeutic sessions and helping the client develop more helpful ways of responding to their symptoms.

I believe that understanding why you are doing something is just as important as knowing what to do.

A script can provide words.

A therapeutic approach gives you a framework for understanding how and when those words may be used.

That distinction is an important part of the way I teach IBS work.

Why I Developed the Protocol

The Protocol grew out of my own clinical practice.

I did not begin with the intention of creating a training system and then look for ways to apply it.

It developed through working with clients, seeing what happened, learning from those experiences and continually refining the way I worked.

IBS can affect people in very different ways.

Some people arrive having lived with symptoms for many years. Some have already tried numerous approaches. Others may have become anxious or frustrated by the uncertainty surrounding their symptoms.

These experiences matter.

They influence the way I approach the initial consultation, the therapeutic relationship and the work that follows.

Over time, those clinical experiences became part of the structured approach I now call my IBS Protocol.

More Than a Script

One of the things I have learned during my years as a hypnotherapist is that therapeutic work cannot simply be reduced to reading the right words.

The relationship you establish with your client matters.

So does the way you conduct the initial consultation.

So does understanding what your client is expecting, what they are worried about and what they have already experienced before coming to you.

And so does knowing how to adapt your approach to the individual sitting in front of you.

That is why I have always regarded IBS work as being about much more than a collection of scripts.

Scripts have their place.

They can provide structure and help a therapist understand how particular therapeutic ideas and suggestions can be expressed.

But they are only part of the picture.

My aim in teaching the IBS Protocol is to help you understand the thinking behind the approach, so that you can work with greater understanding rather than simply reading words from a page.

Understanding the Therapeutic Journey

My approach begins before the first therapeutic script is ever used.

• The initial conversation matters.
• Understanding the client's experience matters.
• Listening to what they tell you matters.
• So does understanding what they may already have tried, what they expect from hypnotherapy and what concerns they may bring with them.

From there, the therapeutic work needs structure. But structure does not mean treating every client in exactly the same way.

It provides a framework within which you can listen, understand and respond to the individual person.

That is an important part of my approach to IBS work.

What the Protocol Covers

The IBS Protocol provides a structured framework for the therapeutic process.

Depending on the individual client and their circumstances, this includes consideration of:

• the initial consultation

• understanding the client's experience of IBS

• establishing rapport and a productive therapeutic relationship

• understanding expectations and previous experiences

• structuring IBS sessions

• therapeutic language and suggestion

• the use of imagery

• thoughts and concerns surrounding IBS

• recognising and working with resistance to change

• helping clients develop more helpful responses to their symptoms

• adapting the therapeutic approach to the individual

• recognising when a client may need medical assessment or support outside your professional scope.

The intention is not to turn every hypnotherapist into a carbon copy of me. It is to provide a structured foundation from which you can develop your own professional way of working.

Why Structure Matters

IBS work can sometimes appear deceptively simple.

A hypnotherapist may have access to a script, read about hypnosis for IBS and feel that they understand the basic principles.

But knowing what to say is not necessarily the same as knowing how to work with the person in front of you.

A structured approach provides a framework.

It helps you understand where you are going, why particular elements are included and how the different parts of the therapeutic process fit together.

For me, that structure has always been important.

It gives the therapist something to work from while still allowing room for the individual client.

Learning From Experience

There is an important difference between reading about a therapeutic approach and spending time talking with someone who has worked with that approach for many years.

Some knowledge can be written down.  Some cannot.

There are things you learn from experience - from conversations with clients, from situations that do not go exactly as expected, from mistakes, from successes and from continually asking yourself whether there is a better way of doing something.

That practical experience is something I want to share with the hypnotherapists I teach.

I am not simply passing on a set of scripts.

I am sharing the thinking, experience and structure that sit behind them.

From Clinical Practice to Teaching Hypnotherapists

My specialist work with IBS eventually led to the development of the IBS Audio Program 100, which I released in 1998.

From 2000, I began teaching my IBS Protocol to other hypnotherapists.

That was an important development for me because it meant taking what I had learned through my own clinical practice and finding ways of explaining the approach to another professional.

Teaching someone a script is relatively straightforward.

Teaching someone to understand the thinking behind that script is something different.

That is the approach I have tried to take.

Forty Years of Hypnotherapy Experience

I have been a hypnotherapist since 1986.

During those four decades, I have seen therapeutic approaches change, developed my own methods and learned from the many people I have had the privilege of working with.

My IBS work has been an important part of that journey.

The IBS Protocol represents the approach I have developed from that experience.

I don't claim that experience makes me right about everything.

What it does give me is a considerable body of practical experience to share with another hypnotherapist who wants to develop their own IBS work.

That is what this training is about.

The IBS Protocol and the Training Day

The IBS Protocol forms an important part of my One-to-One Hypnotherapists IBS Training Day.

The Training Day gives us the opportunity to explore the Protocol properly rather than simply handing you written material and leaving you to work it out for yourself.

Because the training is one-to-one, we can discuss the areas that are most relevant to you.

• You can ask questions.
• You can bring your own experiences.
• You can challenge ideas.
• And we can explore practical situations that can arise when working with IBS clients.

The aim is to help you understand not only what I do, but also why I do it.

Learn the IBS Protocol with me

If you would like to explore the Protocol in greater depth, you can find full details of my One-to-One Hypnotherapists IBS Training Day here:

Hypnotherapists IBS Training Day

Who Is This Work For?

My IBS training is intended for trained and practising hypnotherapists who want to develop their knowledge and confidence in working with IBS clients.

It may be particularly relevant if you:

• are beginning to develop a specialist interest in IBS

• have already worked with IBS clients but would like a more structured approach

• have completed your initial hypnotherapy training and want to develop a specialist area

• have been practising for many years but would like to revisit your approach to IBS

• want to understand the thinking behind an established IBS therapeutic approach

• would like to learn directly from someone with many years of practical IBS experience.

If you are unsure whether the training is appropriate for your current level of training or experience, please contact me before booking.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the IBS Protocol for hypnotherapists?

My IBS Protocol is a structured therapeutic approach to working with clients experiencing Irritable Bowel Syndrome. It has developed through many years of clinical practice and is taught to hypnotherapists as part of my specialist IBS training.

Is the IBS Protocol just a script?

No. Scripts form part of the training, but the Protocol is much broader than a collection of scripts. It includes the thinking and structure behind the therapeutic process, including the initial consultation, therapeutic relationship, session structure and adapting your approach to the individual client.

When did you develop the IBS Protocol?

I began developing my specialist IBS approach through clinical practice in the 1990s and began teaching my IBS Protocol to other hypnotherapists in 2000.

When did you release the IBS Audio Program 100?

I released the IBS Audio Program 100 in 1998. It developed from my earlier clinical work with people experiencing IBS. It has users in over 40 countries.

Who can learn the IBS Protocol?

The training is intended for trained or practising hypnotherapists who want to develop their knowledge and confidence in working with IBS clients.

Will I receive scripts?

Yes. Scripts form part of the training. However, my emphasis is on helping you understand the thinking behind them rather than simply giving you words to read.

Does learning the Protocol guarantee successful treatment of IBS?

No. No training can guarantee a particular outcome for an individual client. The purpose of the training is to provide additional knowledge, a structured approach and practical guidance for developing your work with IBS clients.

Can I discuss my experience before booking?

Yes. If you are unsure whether the training is appropriate for your current level of training or experience, please contact me before booking.

Learn the Thinking Behind the Protocol

Develop your understanding. Strengthen your IBS work. Build your confidence.

One-to-One Hypnotherapists IBS Training Day

Online via Zoom

A working together day - £495

Back to Hypnotherapist IBS Training Day Page 

If you would prefer to discuss the training before booking, please contact me. I am always happy to answer questions and help you decide whether the training is appropriate for you.