Phil Western

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common condition that can cause a variety of digestive symptoms, including cramping, bloating, diarrhoea, and constipation. While the exact cause of IBS is unknown, it is thought to be related to stress, anxiety, and problems with the gut-brain connection.

Hypnotherapy is a powerful tool that can be used for IBS. It works by helping to relax the mind and body, and to change negative thought patterns that may be contributing to symptoms.

Some statistics from research into hypnotherapy for IBS

• A long-term study published in the National Library of Medicine found that 71% of patients initially responded to hypnotherapy for IBS. Of these, 81% maintained their improvement over time.
• The Lancet stated that “Gut-directed hypnotherapy has been investigated extensively over the past three decades as an intervention for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in adults. Almost 30 studies of clinical outcomes, including ten randomised controlled trials, have been published on the topic, with most showing that hypnotherapy significantly improved bowel symptoms and, often, the associated quality of life and emotional symptoms. On the basis of this body of research, multiple recent reviews have concluded that hypnotherapy is an effective treatment for IBS.”

How Hypnotherapy Can Help with IBS

In this blog post, we will discuss how a hypnotherapist in London can help you find relief from IBS. We will explore the approach used by hypnotherapists to break down stress-driven habits and replace them with resilience-building thought patterns.

• Identify the Root Cause: The first step in hypnotherapy for IBS is to identify the automatic thoughts, habits, and behaviours that contribute to your stress and anxiety. This may include things like negative self-talk, worry, and fear of eating certain foods.
• Neuroplasticity-Based Techniques: Once the root cause of your IBS has been identified, the hypnotherapist will use neuroplasticity-based techniques to strengthen new pathways that support calm, focused, and positive responses. Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to change and grow throughout life. By using hypnotherapy, you can literally retrain your brain to respond to stress and anxiety in a more positive way.
• Practical Tools and Strategies: In addition to hypnotherapy, the hypnotherapist will also provide you with practical tools and strategies to help you apply and reinforce these changes in your daily lives. This may include things like relaxation techniques, stress management exercises, and dietary changes.

Benefits of Hypnotherapy for IBS

There are many benefits to using hypnotherapy to for IBS. Some of the benefits include:

• Reduced symptoms of IBS, such as cramping, bloating, diarrhoea, and constipation
• Improved quality of life
• Reduced stress and anxiety
• Improved sleep
• Increased feelings of well-being

Options for IBS hypnotherapy in London

If you are looking for a natural and effective approach for IBS, hypnotherapy may be a good option for you.

Book a free no-obligation consultation today.

Sessions can take place online so you can experience the sessions from the comfort of your own home. Online hypnotherapy is just as effective as in-person, and is now favoured by most hypnotherapists as it allows clients to feel completely comfortable with their surroundings.

Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Please consult with a qualified healthcare professional before starting any new treatment for IBS.   Sources and related content

Do you suffer from health issues which weirdly occur on only one side?

I personally noticed this issue in myself. Every little niggle or complaint I had always came up on my right side – I just couldn’t work it out.

I set about doing some research into the phenomenon, and while I can’t give you a 100% medical grade answer, I believe I can share informational that will be of value.

What first tipped me off to this was investigating how I could I incorporate Gestalt therapy into my practice. (While I don’t specifically claim to treat any medical condition, my clients often report strange and rapid health improvements from our mindset work). I was reading and listening to a lot of content on the subject, when one day someone mentioned left-hemisphere dominance and the various health issues that may create in the right side of the body.

As many of you will already know, the left hemisphere of the brain controls the right half of your body, while the right hemisphere controls the left.

The left hemisphere of the brain is known for its focus on:

Logical thinking: Problem-solving, reasoning, and critical analysis.

Language: Speech, reading, and writing.

Control: Governing the right side of the body, including motor and sensory functions.

While these traits are essential, an overactive or dominant left hemisphere can sometimes create imbalances—both emotionally and physically. Emotional suppression, chronic stress, or a focus on control and perfectionism (traits often tied to left-brain dominance) may start to “spill over” into the body, manifesting as pain or dysfunction on the right side.

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How Left Hemisphere Dominance Impacts the Body

The brain and body are deeply interconnected. When the left hemisphere dominates, it can disrupt the body’s ability to process emotions, regulate stress, and maintain physical harmony. Here’s how:

1. Emotional Suppression and Physical Symptoms

The left hemisphere tends to prioritize logic over emotion. This can lead to:

Ignoring or rationalizing feelings like anger, sadness, or fear.

Suppressing these emotions instead of processing them.

But emotions that aren’t processed don’t just disappear—they often manifest as physical symptoms. Chronic tension, inflammation, or pain can develop, especially on the opposite side of the body (the right side, in this case).

2. Right-Side Localization of Symptoms

Since the left hemisphere controls the right side of the body, any neurological or psychosomatic imbalances in the left brain may show up as:

• Chronic pain or stiffness: Shoulder, hip, or knee pain on the right side.

• Numbness or weakness: Reduced mobility or sensation on the right side.

• Tension patterns: Tightness in the jaw, neck, or lower back.

3. Stress and the Fight-or-Flight Response

The left brain’s emphasis on overthinking and problem-solving often keeps the body in a state of heightened stress. This can activate the sympathetic nervous system, leading to:

• Increased muscle tension, particularly on the dominant side.

• Reduced ability to relax and recover, contributing to chronic pain and fatigue.

• Poor circulation and inflammation in affected areas.

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The Emotional Root of Right-Side Symptoms

From a psychosomatic perspective, the right side of the body is often associated with:

• Action: Taking initiative, making decisions, and moving forward in life.

• Masculine Energy: Traits like assertiveness, control, and structure.

• External Relationships: Dynamics with work, authority figures, or societal roles.

Right-sided health issues may suggest an imbalance in these areas, often influenced by left-brain tendencies like:

• Overthinking and perfectionism: which lead to burnout and physical strain.

• Difficulty expressing vulnerability or creativity: resulting in emotional blockages.

• A struggle to “let go” of control: keeping the body in a state of tension.

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Healing the Body Through Emotional Awareness

To address right-sided health issues, it’s essential to balance the brain’s hemispheres and reconnect with your body’s emotional wisdom. Here are some strategies:

1. Tune Into Your Body

• Start by listening to your body. Practice a daily body scan meditation:

• Sit or lie down in a comfortable position.

• Slowly move your attention through each part of your body, noting sensations on the right side.

• Ask yourself: What emotions or thoughts arise as I focus on this area?

This practice helps you become aware of how suppressed emotions might be linked to physical discomfort.

2. Release Stored Emotions

Engage in practices that encourage emotional release:

• Somatic Experiencing: A therapeutic approach that helps release trauma stored in the body.

• Expressive Arts: Journaling, painting, or dancing can engage the right hemisphere and allow emotions to surface and be processed.

3. Balance Brain Activity

Techniques like bilateral stimulation help synchronize the brain’s hemispheres:

• Try tapping alternately on your right and left knees while thinking about your discomfort.

• Practice alternate nostril breathing to calm the nervous system and restore balance.

4. Address Stress at Its Source

Chronic stress often fuels left-hemisphere dominance. Incorporate stress-reducing practices like:

• Brain retraining: a modern approach to neuroplasticity which can create dramatic change in unconscious patterns quickly.

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Conclusion: Bringing Awareness to the Whole Self

Right-sided health issues aren’t just physical—they’re often a call to bring balance and awareness to your whole self. By addressing emotional and psychosomatic factors, you can help the body release tension and restore harmony.

If you’re struggling with chronic symptoms, ask yourself: What emotions might I be holding back?

The 2024 US election was a particularly stressful time for many people. The constant news cycle, the divisive rhetoric, and the uncertainty of the outcome led to widespread anxiety and fear.

One of my clients came to me feeling overwhelmed by panic about the prospect of a Republican victory. He was experiencing difficulty sleeping, constant worry, and a general sense of unease.

Through a series of personalised hypnotherapy sessions, we were able to address the root causes of his anxiety – which wasn’t the election itself. By accessing his subconscious mind, we were able to reprogram negative thought patterns and replace them with positive, calming ones.

The results were remarkable. He reported a significant reduction in anxiety symptoms, was able to sleep better, felt more relaxed, and had a greater sense of peace.

Hypnotherapy can be a powerful tool for managing anxiety and stress. By working with a qualified hypnotherapist, you can learn to calm your mind, reduce fear, and regain control of your emotions.

If you’re struggling with anxiety, don’t hesitate to reach out. Hypnotherapy can help you live a more peaceful and fulfilling life.

Here’s the testimonial:

For many of us, the dominant emotions we carry into our workplaces each day are those of burnout and anxiety.

These feelings aren’t fleeting moments of stress or fatigue; they are the background noise to our professional lives, seeping into our thoughts and shaping our actions. We dread making mistakes, fear disappointing our colleagues or bosses, and brace ourselves for inevitable criticism or failure.

Our anxieties might seem like a web of specific concerns: the missed deadline, the difficult meeting, or the ambiguous tone of a colleague’s email. But when viewed more broadly, it becomes clear that these fears often stem from a deeper, overarching emotional pattern: the persistent belief that something bad is bound to happen because, at our core, we believe we don’t measure up.

Why Do We Feel Like This?

The root cause is not an unusually hostile workplace, nor a sudden surge in professional expectations—it is, surprisingly, an issue of self-perception: self-doubt, and closely tied to this, unrelenting self-criticism. These emotions transform normal workplace challenges into evidence of personal inadequacy.

The internal logic unfolds like this: if we see ourselves as fundamentally unworthy or incapable, it follows that failure isn’t just a possibility; it’s inevitable. We begin to anticipate being reprimanded, sidelined, or even let go—not because these outcomes are imminent, but because they feel like the only reasonable conclusion for someone as flawed as we secretly believe ourselves to be.

In this state, even the smallest challenges or ambiguities take on outsized significance. A delayed response from a manager becomes a sign of impending disapproval. A minor critique feels like a verdict on our entire character. For those caught in this cycle, a rare moment of professional success or acknowledgement doesn’t feel comforting—it feels suspicious, like a mistake waiting to be corrected.

The Role of Shame in Burnout

At the heart of burnout lies an unrelenting internal critic—a voice fueled by shame. We may not even recognise this voice as separate from ourselves. To the self-critical mind, it seems obvious that we are struggling because we are fundamentally flawed. The idea that our exhaustion or dread might stem from unreasonable expectations or systemic pressures doesn’t occur to us. We’re just sure we’re falling short.

This mindset not only amplifies stress but distorts our perspective, making it harder to see a way out. If we don’t address the root belief—that we are undeserving or incapable—we are left vulnerable to an endless cycle of panic, exhaustion, and self-recrimination.

A New Perspective

To begin to untangle burnout and anxiety, we must first acknowledge how our internal narrative is shaping our experiences. What if the issue isn’t that we’re inherently inadequate, but that we’ve internalised a harsh and unrealistic view of ourselves?

When a wave of workplace anxiety strikes, we might try a thought experiment: How would someone who believes in their own competence approach this situation? Instead of assuming the worst, they might see the delayed email as a neutral event or recognise that occasional criticism is a normal part of professional growth.

Shifting our perspective in this way isn’t about blind optimism or denial; it’s about exploring how much of our dread comes not from external realities but from internalised shame and self-criticism.

The Role of Support

Breaking free from burnout often requires help from others. A supportive friend, colleague, or therapist can provide an outside perspective to counterbalance our inner critic. They can remind us that our fears and self-judgments, while deeply felt, may not be entirely accurate reflections of reality.

The Bigger Picture

Addressing workplace burnout and anxiety ultimately ties into a larger, lifelong task: learning to extend empathy and kindness to ourselves. Much of our self-doubt and fear can be traced back to times when we weren’t sufficiently supported or valued in the past. If we want to change how we respond to challenges, we need to start by rewriting the story we tell ourselves about our worth.

Imagine a workplace—indeed, a world—where shame was replaced with understanding, where mistakes were seen as opportunities, and where self-compassion was the norm. The collective sigh of relief would echo far beyond the office walls.

On the surface, being a people-pleaser at work or in entrepreneurial ventures might seem like a strength.

After all, adaptability, cooperation, and responsiveness are often valued in the workplace.

But when people-pleasing becomes a reflex rather than a choice, it creates significant problems—for the pleaser and for everyone around them.

People-pleasers suppress their true opinions, needs, and ambitions to meet the expectations of others.

• They agree to projects they despise
• They overcommit to avoid disappointing anyone
• They offer enthusiasm they don’t feel

Over time, this behaviour results in burnout, resentment, and confused coworkers or partners who can’t understand why things keep unravelling.

To put it bluntly: people-pleasing is a form of dishonesty. It’s not the kind meant to manipulate others for personal gain, but rather a behaviour rooted in fear—the fear of rejection, criticism, or conflict.

Why We People-Please at Work

To understand the pattern, we have to look back. Many people-pleasers grew up in environments where expressing their needs wasn’t safe – or at least didn’t feel safe. A parent, for example, might have responded to disagreement or disappointment with explosive anger or emotional withdrawal. Speaking up for yourself may just have invited shame.

In other cases, the impulse to please comes from a misplaced sense of responsibility for others’ emotional well-being. A child might have gone out of their way to avoid upsetting a stressed-out caregiver – feeling that the caregiver already had enough on their plate.

This behaviour evolved to keep us safe as at a young age our primary caregivers are our only source of protection, so pleasing them increased our ancestors’ chances of survival. The problem with this survival mechanism is that it is a blunt instrument and means denying your own needs.

Fast forward to adulthood, and these deeply ingrained habits resurface in professional settings. When the stakes feel high, maintaining harmony with clients can feel just as urgent as placating a volatile parent once did.

Breaking the Cycle in Professional Life

Overcoming people-pleasing isn’t about becoming abrasive or indifferent to others. It’s about reclaiming the ability to assert your needs and perspectives without fear. Here are three strategies to help:

1. Reframe Your Assumptions About Conflict

The people you work with today are not the authority figures or fragile caregivers of your past. Most colleagues, clients, and partners can handle a healthy degree of disagreement or honesty when it’s delivered with tact.

Instead of assuming that saying “no” will lead to catastrophic fallout, practice challenging this belief. Start small—express a minor reservation in a meeting or turn down a low-priority task. You’ll likely find that most professionals value clarity and directness far more than unearned acquiescence.

2. Recognize the Harm in Over-Pleasing

People-pleasers often pride themselves on being “nice,” but this behaviour can backfire. In a work context, failing to voice your doubts or boundaries can lead to poor decision-making and strained relationships. A team can’t function effectively when someone is withholding valuable input for fear of rocking the boat.

For entrepreneurs, the stakes are even higher. Saying “yes” to every opportunity, client request, or investor demand dilutes focus and saps energy. Ultimately, people-pleasing erodes trust when others realize you aren’t truly aligned with the commitments you’ve made.

3. Learn the Art of Honest Communication

Children often lack the tools to assert their needs gracefully, which leads to either silence or outbursts. As an adult, you can develop a more nuanced approach.

Practice expressing your boundaries or dissent with warmth and respect. For example:

• Instead of saying, “I can’t do this,” try, “I’d love to help, but I’m at capacity this week. Can we explore another timeline?”
• Rather than dodging a hard conversation with a colleague, try, “I see where you’re coming from, but I have a slightly different perspective. Can I share it?”

Honest communication doesn’t have to be harsh. It can be firm yet constructive, clear yet kind.

From People-Pleasing to Purpose-Driven

In the workplace, being pleasant is an asset—but being a people-pleaser is not. By stepping out of this pattern, you create space to lead with authenticity, contribute more meaningfully, and build relationships based on trust and mutual respect.

The key is recognizing that your true value lies not in always saying “yes,” but in knowing when to say “no”—and in doing so, making your “yes” truly meaningful.

Hypnotherapy as a solution for people-pleasing

Hypnotherapy is often overlooked in favour of traditional psychotherapy. The results, however, speak for themselves. I have seen many people leave behind loops and stuck patterns which have plagued them their whole lives.

The most important thing to consider is that no amount of rationalising helps people with deep-seated beliefs about themselves because these beliefs are held in the unconscious mind. Hypnosis can speak to that part of your mind in a way it can process.

Most importantly, this often happens quickly and doesn’t involve unearthing and fixating on painful past events. Normally, I only need between 1 and 3 sessions.

Learn more about my rapid and transformative approach