The mind and gut connection: how hypnotherapy can support endometriosis
When we think of endometriosis, we often think of it as a purely physical condition - heavy periods, pelvic pain, fatigue, and inflammation. But there’s another layer many overlook: the gut-brain connection.
I was reading an interview recently with renowned UK gastroenterologist, Professor Whorwell, whose research has changed how we view gut-directed hypnotherapy. You can read the interview here.
Who Is Professor Peter Whorwell?
Professor Whorwell is a world-leading expert in functional gastrointestinal disorders, like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). In the 1980s, faced with limited treatment options for patients suffering from persistent gut pain, he took a bold step - he began using hypnotherapy.
What started as an experiment turned into a revolution in chronic illness care. His research showed that gut-directed hypnosis could calm the gut, reduce pain, and ease symptoms - not by curing the condition, but by transforming how the body responds to it.
Why This Matters for Endometriosis
Although Professor Whorwell focused on IBS, the principles apply beautifully to endometriosis - especially for those experiencing:
Gut issues like bloating, constipation, or diarrhoea
Chronic pelvic or abdominal pain
Stress and anxiety that worsen symptoms
Fatigue and emotional burnout
Medical trauma or feeling dismissed by healthcare providers
Endometriosis and IBS often overlap - and the brain-gut connection is a key part of understanding why. When we’re constantly in pain, our nervous system becomes sensitised, creating a loop where pain, stress, and gut dysfunction feed into each other.
Hypnotherapy helps to gently interrupt that cycle.
How Gut-Focused Hypnotherapy Works
What Professor Whorwell discovered was that hypnosis relaxes not just muscles, but the entire nervous system. His technique - now called gut-directed hypnotherapy - doesn’t just soothe the gut, but can reduce hypersensitivity, retrain pain pathways, and offer lasting relief for people with chronic digestive or pelvic conditions.
In endometriosis, this approach can:
Calm overactive pain signalling
Support digestion and reduce bloating
Address the emotional toll of chronic illness
Help reframe the relationship with the body and pain
Reduce symptom flares triggered by stress
More Than Physical: A Whole-Person Approach
Professor Whorwell also speaks candidly about how modern medicine struggles with chronic, invisible conditions. He notes that patients with long-term pain are often misunderstood - even blamed - when no clear medical “fix” is available.
This is something many people with endometriosis can relate to deeply.
At Brighter Life Therapy, we echo his belief that spending time listening to patients and treating them with compassion is a powerful part of healing. You are not your diagnosis - and you’re not making it up. Chronic pain is real, and your experience matters.
How We Use These Principles at Brighter Life Therapy
Inspired by leaders like Professor Whorwell, our Endometriosis Support Protocol blends clinical hypnotherapy with a trauma-informed, mind-body lens. Our sessions often include:
Gut-directed or pelvic pain hypnosis
Nervous system regulation to reduce flare-ups
Emotional processing for medical trauma or burnout
Custom hypnosis recordings to support you between sessions
A safe space where you’re heard, believed, and supported
Managing chronic illness isn’t about finding a miracle cure - it’s about building a toolkit of support. Hypnotherapy is one powerful tool in that kit.
If you’re curious about how this approach might help you or someone you love living with endometriosis, I’d love to connect. You deserve to feel safe, supported, and hopeful again.
https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/persons/peter.whorwell/clippings/