DR. SARA AHOLA KOHUT, PHD, CPSYCH

Gastropsychology is a type of health psychology that looks at the strong connection between your brain and your digestive system (sometimes called the “brain–gut connection”). We know that stress, emotions, and even past experiences can affect how the gut feels and works. In the same way, ongoing digestive symptoms can affect mood, energy, and overall quality of life. Gastropsychology focuses on this two-way relationship and how to support it.

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How is it Different from General

Health Psychology?

 

Health psychology looks at the big picture—how your mind, body, and environment all work together to impact health. Gastropsychology takes that same approach but focuses specifically on digestive health. Instead of only managing physical symptoms with medical care, gastropsychology adds in tools to:

• Calm the nervous system

• Improve brain–gut communication

• Build resilience and coping skills

• Reduce the impact of stress and emotions on the gut

• Help identify values and prioritize meaning in everyday life

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Why Does the Brain–Gut Connection Matter?

 

The brain plays a big role in how the digestive system functions. When the brain and gut are “in sync,” digestion usually works more smoothly. But if that communication is disrupted—by stress, worry, trauma, or other factors—digestive symptoms can feel worse.

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What are Brain–Gut Therapies?

 

Brain–gut therapies are practical strategies that help retrain the connection between the mind and the gut. These might include:

• Relaxation training and breathing techniques

• Mindfulness or meditation practices

• Cognitive-behavioural therapies (CBT/ACT) to work with unhelpful thought patterns

• Gut-directed hypnotherapy to calm gut sensitivity

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The goal isn’t to say “it’s all in your head”—it’s to give you extra tools that work with your body and mind together to ease symptoms and improve quality of life.

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What is Dr. Sara's Gastropsych Background?

 

Dr. Sara is both a clinical and a health psychologist. She has also spent over 10 years working in the IBD Centre at the Hospital for Sick Children focusing her work on serving young people with IBD, Celiac Disease, Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis, and co-occurring Disorders of the Gut-Brain Interaction (DGBIs). Dr. Sara has also been working with adults living with these conditions in her private practice. 

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Gastropsychology does not replace medical care. It works alongside it, giving you more ways to manage symptoms, reduce stress, and feel better day-to-day.​​