I have been suffering from IBS for about 14 years. It started when I moved to the UK from overseas which in itself was stressful. The move coincided with a mild food poisoning, the symptoms of which never went away. Subsequently I was diagnosed as having IBS.

My most significant symptoms were feelings of incomplete evacuation and bloating. I had a constant sense of discomfort in my bowels throughout the day, which never seemed to go away. IBS negatively impacted on the quality of my life. I had low self-esteem, was constantly worried, developed a pessimistic attitude and constantly felt low. My IBS was always in the back of my mind at every moment of my life. I avoided socialising, eating out and meeting new people. It was not that I was a recluse, but it took a lot of physical and mental effort to go out and meet new people. I became very risk-averse and focused on the pessimistic scenarios rather than best-case outcomes.

I started seeing Natalia after she was suggested by my doctor at my annual health check-up. I was initially skeptical but since I had nothing to lose (given that I had many false starts to overcome IBS) I decided to give it a try.

The interesting thing about Natalia’s psycho-hypnotherapy (4 sessions, 2 hours each) approach as a therapist was that she tried to understand me as a whole person rather than just as an IBS patient. She went deep into the roots of what made me who I am, which provided some profound insights into myself and some of my IBS drivers. She made me talk about my childhood, adolescence, family, work, friends, and colleagues, to help me understand myself better.

Her sessions helped me to look at life from a positive perspective, made me less risk-averse and value the people around me. I started trying new approaches in my relationship with the people around me, gave up foods that I was attached to (due to IBS-induced dependency) and tried new foods that I was previously scared to eat (due to IBS).

I think Natalia’s method of approaching the problem as a whole, rather than as a part of him/her, makes a huge difference to the person’s view of the problem. Natalia uses her own life experience to give confidence about the ability to overcome challenges. She is able to use her power of persuasion (mind reprogramming) to open up and talk about the underlying challenges rather than symptoms.

In addition to helping me improve my IBS symptoms, I learnt a lot about myself and my approach to life by having sessions with Natalia. I would like to thank her for her guidance during this process.