This workshop will cover what is known about the etiology and symptoms of IBS, how IBS patients present in clinical practice; IBS in the context of co-morbid panic and agoraphobia, social anxiety disorder, ARFID and depression; formulating appropriate treatment goals and basic cognitive and behavioral strategies for treating IBS, including IBS that is comorbid or secondary to a more serious IBD. Case material reflecting patients along a spectrum of severity will provide for lively discussion and acquisition of new skills and techniques. Audience participation, clinical questions and role-playing will be welcomed, leading to interactive, experiential, in-depth training. Application of evidence-based psychotherapies to chronic GI disorders is now referred to as psychogastroenterology.
Post-workshop, participants will be invited to complete a series of reflection questions to help consolidate learning and reduce barriers to applying new knowledge and skills to their clinical practice. (See Bennett-Levy, J., & Padesky, C. A. (2014). Use it or lose it: Post-workshop reflection enhances learning and utilization of CBT skills. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 21(1), 12-19.). In addition, participants will have the opportunity to take part in case consultation sessions post-workshop to get guidance from the presenter on applying the skills to specific patients in their practice.
Learning Objectives
- What therapists need to know about the etiology, prevalence, symptoms, complications and medical treatment options of both irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in order to work effectively with these patients.
- How to develop a case conceptualization that integrates GI disorders with any co-morbid mood or anxiety disorders, including the unique cognitive distortions and behavioral avoidance strategies (especially fear of incontinence and dietary restrictions) that tend to maintain and exacerbate distress and disability in GI disorders.
- How to modify the standard CBT approach to anxiety disorders to treat GI patients effectively, including collaborating successfully with gastroenterologists and considerations about medication.
