Helen Brooks

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IBS irritable bowel specialist ~ online support worldwide
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

Brighton & Hove, East Sussex, BN3
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

About me

I am a Senior Clinical Hypnotherapist and I specialise in the treatment of IBS by restoring the gut brain connection. Along with gut directed hypnotherapy I incorporate other evidence based techniques and strategies shown to reduce IBS symptoms.

My approach is grounded in science, infused with empathy and guided by 20 years experience. I offer unrivalled support with your IBS to give you the best possible outcome. As well as one to one sessions you also have access to my online programme The Gut Brain Connection Method with audios, videos and written information delivered in easily digested modules enabling you to take back control of your gut and take back control of your life.

I always recommend a free consultation and I will only work with you if I feel confident you will see the outcomes you want to achieve.

My guess is

  • You have been diagnosed with IBS yet the medical system has been unable to help reduce your symptoms?
  • You are tired of worrying about what you eat and have changed your diet so many times you are beyond confused?
  • You’ve tried a multitude of supplements and yet you still suffer with symptoms?

Imagine being able to

  • Leave the house without worrying about where the nearest toilets are and have a sense of control.
  • Feel confident on journeys, in meetings and out socially.
  • Feel relaxed about food and enjoy your meals?
  • Live without constant bloating or suffering from constipation, diarrhoea or painful cramps.

I can help you work towards a better, happier, healthier and more rewarding life and I'm ready to start when you are.

The Gut Brain Connection Method: takes you through three pillars of transformation~ your body, conscious mind and subconscious mind to transform your IBS.

We begin with the first pillar The Body where I teach you how to activate your parasympathetic nervous system and ease your body into a state of rest and digest. Relax your body, release tension and soothe your nervous system,

In the second pillar The Mind you learn how to consciously manage stress, relieve anxiety and create the optimal state of mind for health and wellbeing.

The third pillar The Subconscious Mind is unique to gut directed hypnotherapy, you learn to engage your subconscious mind to control your gut function, reduce sensitivity and correct the communication in the gut brain axis to relieve pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea and urgency. leaving you calm in control and confident.

This programme is NOT for you if:

  • You cannot commit to 20 minutes of listening to audios 4 or 5 times per week.
  • You do not have a diagnosis of IBS.

This is for you if you:

  • Have you been diagnosed with IBS yet the medical system has been unable to help reduce your symptoms?
  • Are tired of worrying about what you eat and have changed your diet so many times you are beyond confused?
  • Have tried a multitude of supplements and yet you still suffer with symptoms.

Here’s what my clients say about me.

"I found Helen after struggling with bad IBS for over 10 years. I had already worked with a nutritionist for a few years and was taking lots of (expensive) supplements including probiotics and nutritional support products. I had done the FODMAPs diet so had identified food triggers already. The main one for me was onions which appear in the majority of savoury foods and food products. Despite all this work IBS still blighted many aspects of both my professional and personal life. I was getting IBS symptoms such as pain, wind, bloating and loose stools at least twice a day. Everything I ate or drank had to be tightly controlled at all times. I wouldn’t eat for a few hours before going for a walk or run or any outdoor activities such as on holiday, to reduce the risk of any IBS symptoms appearing. Other triggers were stress and anxiety, which are unavoidable for me as a single mum, working full-time as a doctor.

I started to do my own research around IBS and learned that gut-directed hypnotherapy was effective for some people. However not many hypnotherapists have experience of this disease so it took me a few months of digging around to find Helen!

I am just coming to the end of Helen’s 8-week Tummy Whisperer course. The course is structured so that every week there is a different focus which has given me time to understand the different aspects of IBS for me as an individual such as the impact of breathing, engaging the subconscious mind and using metaphors as well as visualisation. I was a complete nerd and made sure I completed all the reading in the weekly modules as well as listening to the audios at least once a day! I did lots of additional reading too particularly on the gut-brain-microbiome research which has been fascinating and helped me to understand why I may have developed IBS in the first place.

In the first 4 weeks of the course I noticed a small but significant improvement in my symptoms. This encouraged me to persevere and the regular, bi-weekly check-ins with Helen also kept me motivated. She has been a calm voice of confidence who has had faith in me all along.

In the last 3 weeks though I seem to have turned a corner which has been truly incredible. I have had only one bout of IBS symptoms per week and those are milder than before as well as being easily managed with the techniques I have learned from Helen. I have stacks more energy and can actually go out for runs and walks without a second thought. Due to Covid measures most socialising involves outdoor walking at the moment so it could not have come at a better time.

Hand on heart, the Tummy Whisperer course has transformed my life. The results have surpassed all my expectations and I feel as if I am able to live a normal life which is something I didn’t think I would ever be able to do again. I am enormously grateful to Helen for developing such an effective course. IBS is so widespread yet so poorly understood and traditional medicine is pretty ineffective. If like me IBS permeates many aspects of your life then consider doing this course - it could change your life!" Dr Shazia Hasan

“I can honestly say sessions with Helen have completely changed my life. When I look back to how I was, to how I am now it seems like I am a completely different person. “ Matt R

“I've suffered with IBS for 8 years and tried everything under the sun to improve it. Working with Helen was the first time I've seen a notable change in my IBS symptoms. I am also much less anxious about what I eat and the impact it may have on my tummy.” Macadie Amoroso ~UK

“After a stressful period in my life I started to experience constant constipation. I sought medical help from different healthcare professionals however they did not find any condition which could cause my constipation apart from IBS. I was advised to take medications and introduce dietary changes (more fluids,more fiber), even to follow a low fodmap diet. However, nobody really paid attention to my mental health and now I understand that it is actually what was holding me back from healing." Aleksandra ~Lithuania

“ Helen is highly knowledgeable about IBS and is very understanding and easy to talk to which immediately put me at ease talking about my symptoms, experiences and anxieties around my IBS.

With Helens help I can finally get on top of an issue which has affected me since I was a young child. I feel more confident and relaxed in situations that I would have avoided before and therefore recommend Helen to anyone suffering from IBS.” James D.


Training, qualifications & experience

  • BA (Hons) Applied Psychology- Sussex University
  • Diploma of Hypnotherapy- European College of Hypnotherapy
  • General Qualification of Hypnotherapy Practice
  • Senior Qualification of Hypnotherapy Practice
  • Certificate in Gut Directed Hypnosis for IBS
  • Member of the General Hypnotherapy Register
  • Professional indemnity Insurance
  • Code of Ethics


I have 18 years of experience and thousands of hours of clinical practice.

Member organisations

Registered / Accredited

Registered / Accredited

Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.

GHR
The General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR)

Hypnotherapists may become members of the General Hypnotherapy Register if they satisfy certain criteria with regard to both training and ongoing requirements as determined from time to time by the General Hypnotherapy Standards Council (GHSC).

Members are either registered at Practitioner status (which confirms that the GHR acknowledges their qualification to practice), or Affiliate status. Although Affiliate level registrants will have completed a sufficient number of training hours to equip them to commence seeing clients on a limited basis, the GHR does not acknowledge them to have yet been trained to full practitioner level.

All GHR Registered Practitioners are required to accept the published Code of Ethics and Complaints & Disciplinary Procedure.

Areas of hypnotherapy I deal with

Information about health conditions (*)

Hypnotherapy can enhance the well-being of individuals diagnosed with serious medical conditions, but should not take the place of medical treatment and advice. If you have been diagnosed with - or suspect you may have - any of these conditions, please speak to your doctor before starting hypnotherapy.

Photos & videos

Fees

Free initial in-person, telephone or online session

Additional information

Please contact me for further details  I offer ground breaking approach to IBS which is delivered in a programme rather than one to one sessions. 

When I work

I can support you from any location with my unique online programme. This was designed especially to make effective specialist hypnotherapy treatment accessible to all.

Further information

15 years ago I saw my first IBS client and the relief that Hypnotherapy brought to her was nothing short of astounding. Following this I immersed myself into understanding how and why hypnotherapy is so effective and I found the research of Professor Whorwell the UK's leading IBS gastroenterologist and that of Professor Palsson.

There is a huge body of scientific evidence that shows consistently that a course of gut-directed hypnotherapy is effective at producing long term reduction of symptoms of IBS with response rates between 70-87% and in some more recent studies producing even better results.

Hypnotherapy is safe and relaxing with no side effects and usually helps not just colonic symptoms like pain, bloating, constipation and diarrhoea but also non colonic such as headaches, insomnia and anxiety.

I became frustrated at the lack of available support for those struggling with IBS and decided to use my experience and this knowledge to create a programme making specialist hypnotherapy support more available and accessible.

I am passionate about helping those with IBS for whom diet and medication hasn't brought about the relief that they so deserve. My support is professional yet warm, friendly and understanding. I am excited to be able to bring this programme to those that need it.

Brighton & Hove, East Sussex, BN3

Type of session

In person
Online
Phone

Key details

Accessible to anyone through my online supported programme.

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