About
It has been well-established that psychological factors and brain-gut dysregulation play a critical role in the development and maintenance of functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. The efficacy of brain-gut therapies including gut-directed hypnotherapy, cognitive-behavior therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction and more recent data supporting exposure-based CBT therapies, acceptance-based therapies and internet-based treatments has resulted in an increased need for psychologists to integrate evidence-based brain-gut therapies within GI practice settings.
The Rome Foundation is taking the lead in providing the training, quality improvement and promotion of Psychogastroenterology research and practice, in order to advance the field. We are proud to provide the field with an internationally-based Psychogastroenterology Section specifically dedicated to psychosocial GI professionals that will advance the field by encouraging clinical and research collaboration and increase the visibility of behavioral providers in GI. Through the promotion of evidence-based behavioral treatments for patients with GI disorders, we all work to ultimately improve patient care.
The Section is Co-Chaired by Dr. Laurie Keefer and Dr. Sarah Kinsinger who are both academic clinical health psychologists with extensive experience in the development of integrated psychosocial GI practices within academic medical centers. Together they founded the Training Institute at Northwestern’s Center for Psychosocial Research in GI, a program dedicated to training providers across a wide range of topics related to psychosocial aspects of GI disorders.
The Psychogastroenterology Section works to:
- Promote the use of evidence-based behavioral treatments for GI disorders internationally
- Encourage development of interdisciplinary psychosocial GI programs in gastroenterology practices through expert consultation and lectureships
- Connect with national and international GI organizations to enhance the visibility of psychosocial GI providers and encourage collaboration
- Expand our field into previously under-studied areas of Psychogastroenterology, including inflammatory bowel diseases, pancreatitis and other biopsychosocial complex digestive conditions.
The Rome GastroPsych group is excited to announce the handbook for Mental Health Professionals in Psychogastroenterology is now available online!
Co-written by Dr. Laurie Keefer, PhD, Rome Board member and co-director of the Rome Psychogastro Committee, this handbook is an excellent resource for all mental health professionals working with gastroenterology patients.
Connect with Us
Follow us on Twitter @RomeGastroPsych
University of Michigan Psychogastroenterology Visiting Professor Program
A Psychogastroenterology visiting professor pilot program at the University of Michigan, hosted by Megan Riehl, PsyD, is being offered as a way to deliver high quality, consistent training for psychologists interested in learning about psychosocial aspects of gastrointestinal disorders and how to develop an integrated psychogastroenterology program (First date postponed due to COVID-19). For more information, contact Dr. Riehl at mriehl@med.umich.edu
Volunteer Opportunity
Jessica Gerson, PhD at NYU Langone is initiating a project to provide training and resources to Gastroenterology clinics and hospitals that do not have funding for GI Psych service. If anyone is interested in working with Dr. Gerson on this initiative, please contact her directly at jgerson@gmail.com
Ideas include:
- Gastropsych training materials for low-cost mental health clinics in urban areas as a means to create referral streams for GI clinics
- Outreach to community gastroenterology clinics to educate them on GI Psych services and resources
Early Career Opportunities
Eligibility: Members in the Early Career Committee are either currently pursuing or have recently completed a graduate degree in psychology or medicine, with a focus in Psychogastroenterology. Please email Livia directly should you have any questions about eligibility. – Liviaguad@gmail.com to join the early career listserv.
Social Media, Blog Posts & Reading
Leadership of the GastroPsych Section
Laurie Keefer, PhD | Chair
Associate Professor of Gastroenterology and Psychiatry
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, NY, USA
Sarah Kinsinger PhD, ABPP | Co-Chair
Behavioral Medicine for Digestive Health
Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition
Loyola University Medical Center
Maywood, IL, USA
Douglas A. Drossman, MD, Physician Advisor
Professor Emeritus of Medicine and Psychiatry
UNC Center for Functional GI and Motility Disorders
University of North Carolina
Center for Education and Practice of Biopsychosocial Patient Care and
Drossman Gastroenterology
Chapel Hill, NC, USA
GastroPsych Section Members
Sarah Ballou, PhD
Director of GI Psychology
Division of Gastroenterology
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Sigrid Elsenbruch, PhD
Department of Medical Psychology
University Clinic of Essen
Essen, Germany
Simon Knowles, PhD
Department of Psychiatry & Gastroenterology
St Vincent’s Hospital
The Royal Melbourne Hospital
Melbourne, Australia
Brjánn Ljótsson, PhD
Department of Clinical Neuroscience
Karolinska Institutet
Stockholm, Sweden
Tiffany Taft, PsyD
Psychogastroenterology Research
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Chicago, IL, USA
Co-Chairs, Membership Committee
Co-Chairs, Training, Education and Volunteer Opportunities Committee
Helen Burton Murray, PhD
Laura Reigada, PhD
Sarah Kinsinger, PhD
Megan Riehl, PsyD
Co-Chairs, Social Media, Blog Posts and Reading Resources Committee
Early Career Opportunities
Tiffany Taft, PsyD
Miranda Van Tilburg, PhD
Livia Guadagnoli, MS